2006 BMW 525I check engine

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Indicator and warning lamps
The concept
Indicator and warning lamps can light up both in
the display area1 and in the display2 in various
combinations and colors.
Some lights are tested for proper function by
briefly lighting up during starting of the engine
or when the ignition is switched on.
Explanatory text messages
Text message at the bottom edge of the Con-
trol Display explain the meaning of the dis-
played indicator and warning lamps.
Additional information, e.g. on the cause of a
malfunction and on the corresponding need to
take action can be displayed via the Check Con-
trol, refer to page77.In the case of corresponding urgency, this infor-
mation is displayed immediately when the
related lamp lights up.
Indicator lamps without text messages
The following indicator lamps in the display
area1 indicate that the associated functions
are activated:
Handbrake engaged58
Handbrake engaged for Canadian
models
Fog lamps
*97
DTC Dynamic Traction Control85
High beams/headlamp flasher95
Lamp flashes:
DSC or DTC controls the drive and
braking forces for maintaining vehicle
stability85

Everything under control
72
Everything under control
Odometer, outside
temperature display, clock
1Time, outside temperature and data
2Odometer and trip odometer
3Press button:
>with ignition switched on, trip odometer
is reset
>briefly display the time, outside temper-
ature and odometer with the ignition
switched off
From radio readiness the outside temperature
and the time are displayed.
Date retrieval:
Press CHECK button on turn signal lever, refer
to page78.
Time and date setting, refer to page80.
You can set the unit of measure 7 or 6 on the
Control Display, refer to Units of measure on
page81.
Outside temperature warning
If the display drops to +377/+36, a signal
sounds and a warning lamp lights up. There is
an increased danger of ice.
Even at temperatures above +377/
+36 ice can form. Therefore, drive care-
fully, e.g. on bridges and sections of road in the
shade, otherwise there is an increased accident
risk.<
Tachometer
The white-striped advance warning field,
arrow1, changes depending on the engine
temperature. With increasing engine tempera-
ture the advance warning field becomes corre-
spondingly smaller. Avoid allowing the engine
speed to rise as far as the orange warning sec-
tor whenever possible.
Be sure to avoid engine speeds in the red warn-
ing field, arrow2. In this range, the fuel supply is
interrupted to protect the engine.
Coolant temperature
Should the coolant, and with it the engine
become too hot, a warning lamp lights up. In
addition, a message appears on the Control
Display.
Checking coolant level, refer to page199.

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Technology for comfort, convenience and
safety
PDC Park Distance Control*
The concept
The PDC assists you when you are parking.
Acoustic signals and an optical display
* alert
you to the approach of an object from behind
your vehicle. To measure the distance, there
are four ultrasonic sensors in each bumper.
The range of these sensors is approx. 7 ft/2 m.
However, an acoustic warning first sound for
the sensors at the front and at the two rear cor-
ners at approx. 24 in/60 cm, and for the center
rear sensors at approx. 5 ft/1,50 m.
PDC is a parking aid that can indicate
objects when they are approached
slowly, as is usually the case when parking.
Avoid approaching an object at high speed,
otherwise the physical circumstances would
mean that the system warning was too late.<
Automatically activating
The system starts to operate automatically
approx. 1 second after you select reverse gear
or move the selector lever into the R position
with the engine running or the ignition switched
on.
Wait this short period before driving.
Manual activation
Press button, the LED lights up.
Manual deactivation
Press the button again; the LED goes out.
After driving approx. 165 ft/50 m or at over
approx. 20 mph/30 km/h, the system is
switched off and the LED goes out. You can
reactivate the system manually as needed.
Signal tones
When nearing an object, the position is corre-
spondingly indicated by an interval tone. Thus,
an object detected to the left rear of the vehicle
will be indicated by a signal tone from the left
rear speaker, etc. As the distance between
vehicle and object decreases, the intervals
between the tones become shorter. If the dis-
tance to the nearest object falls to below
roughly 1 ft/30 cm, then a continuous tone
sounds.
An intermittent tone is interrupted after approx.
3seconds:
>if you stop before an object that was only
detected by one of the corner sensors
>if you drive parallel to a wall
Malfunction
The LED in the button flashes and a message
appears on the Control Display. PDC is mal-
functioning. Have the system checked.
To prevent this problem, keep the sensors
clean and free of ice or snow in order to ensure
that they will continue to operate effectively. Do
not spray the sensors with high-pressure clean-
ers for long periods and maintain a distance of
at least 4 in/10 cm to them.
PDC with visual warning*
You can also have the system show distances
to objects on the Control Display. Objects that
are farther away are already shown there before
a signal tone sounds.

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Dynamic Drive*
The concept
Dynamic Drive minimizes body roll and opti-
mizes vehicle stability during cornering and
evasive maneuvers.
Dynamic Drive is based on active stabilizers on
the front and rear axles. Suspension compli-
ance adapts to suit driving conditions, varying
from performance-oriented during cornering to
smooth and comfort-oriented when the vehicle
is proceeding in a straight line. During vehicle
operation, the system continuously runs
through closed-loop control cycles lasting only
fractions of a second.
The system assumes operational status each
time you start the engine.
Malfunction
The warning lamp lights up yellow and
a message is shown on the Control Dis-
play. There is a malfunction in the sys-
tem. Have the system checked as soon as pos-
sible.
If a malfunction occurs, please remember
to adapt your speed accordingly, espe-
cially in curves.
The suspension will be noticeably softer and
the vehicle will display a greater tendency to tilt
during cornering and in crosswinds.
If a message stating that you should stop is
shown on the Control Display, stop at a suitable
location and switch off the engine as soon as
possible. In this case the oil level in the reservoir
may have dropped below the minimum, possi-
bly owing to a leak in the hydraulic system.
Do not continue driving, but instead contact
your BMW center.<
Sports Wagon: self-leveling
suspension
Malfunction
The warning lamp for the self-leveling
suspension lights up in yellow and a
message appears on the Control Dis-
play. A malfunction has occurred in the self-
leveling suspension. Stop and check the vehi-
cle. If it is considerably lower at the rear than at
the front, and possible also on one side – rear
left compared to rear right –, go to the nearest
BMW center or a workshop that works accord-
ing to BMW repair procedures with correspond-
ingly trained personnel. Drive with appropriate
caution in the meantime. The vehicle has
reduced ground clearance and driving comfort
may be noticeably reduced. Even if the position
of the vehicle is normal, go to the nearest BMW
center or a workshop that works according to
BMW repair procedures with correspondingly
trained personnel.
Flat Tire Monitor FTM
The concept
The Flat Tire Monitor keeps track of the infla-
tion pressures in the tires as you drive. The sys-
tem provides an alert whenever the inflation
pressure drops significantly in relation to the
pressure in another tire.
In the event of a pressure loss, the rolling radius
and therefore the rotation speed of the wheels
change. This change is detected and is
reported as a flat tire.
Functional requirement
In order to assure the reliable reporting of a flat
tire, the system must be initialized for the cor-
rect tire inflation pressure.
The initialization must be repeated after
each time the tire inflation pressure is cor-
rected and after every tire or wheel change.<

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
88
System limits
The Flat Tire Monitor cannot indicate
sudden severe tire damage caused by
outside factors and does not detect a natural,
even pressure drop in all four tires.<
In the following situations, the system could be
delayed or malfunction:
>System has not been initialized
>Driving on snowy or slippery road surface
>Sporty driving style: slip in the drive wheels,
high lateral acceleration
>Driving with snow chains
*
When you are driving with the compact wheel*
the Flat Tire Monitor is unable to function.
Initializing system
The initialization finishes during driving,
which can be interrupted at any time.
When driving resumes, the initialization is con-
tinued automatically. When driving with snow
chains
* or with the compact wheel*, do not
initialize the system.<
iDrive, for principle details, refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the
controller.
4.Select "FTM" and press the controller.
5.Start engine, but do not start driving.
6.Select "Set tire pressure" and press the
controller.7.Select "Yes" and press the controller.
8.Start to drive.
The message "Initializing..." is displayed.
The initialization finishes during driving. Then
the message "Status: FTM active" appears on
the Control Display again.
Indication of a flat tire
The warning lamp lights up red. A mes-
sage appears on the Control Display.
In addition, an acoustic signal sounds.
There is a flat tire or extensive inflation pressure
loss.
1.Reduce speed and stop the vehicle care-
fully. Avoid sudden braking and steering
maneuvers.
2.Identify damaged tire.
If identification is not possible, con-
tact a BMW center.<
3.Replace the damaged wheel, refer to
Changing a wheel on page207.
Run-flat tires*
1.Cautiously reduce speed to below 50 mph/
80 km/h. Avoid sudden braking and steer-
ing maneuvers. Do not exceed a speed of
50 mph/80 km/h.
If the vehicle is not equipped with run-
flat tires, refer to page194, do not
continue driving. Continuing to drive with a
flat tire could cause severe accidents.<
2.At the next opportunity, check the air pres-
sure in all four tires.
If the tire inflation pressure in all four
tires is correct, the Flat Tire Monitor

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The low beams remain switched on inde-
pendent of the ambient lighting condi-
tions when you switch on the fog lamps
*.
With the daytime driving lamps
* activated, the
low beams are always switched on when the
ignition is switched on.<
The automatic headlamp control cannot
serve as a substitute for your personal
judgment in determining when the lamps
should be switched on in response to ambient
lighting conditions. For example, the sensors
cannot detect fog of hazy weather. To avoid
safety risks, you should always switch on the
lamps manually under these conditions.<
Adaptive Head Light*
The concept
Adaptive Head Light is a variable headlamp
control system that enables better illumination
of the road surface. Depending on the steering
angle and other parameters, the light from the
headlamp follows the course of the road.
Activating Adaptive Head Light
In the switch position1, the Adaptive Head
Light is active and the automatic headlamp con-
trol
* is switched on.
To avoid dazzling oncoming traffic, the Adap-
tive Head Light is not active when driving in
reverse and points toward the passenger side
when the vehicle is stopped.
Malfunction
The LED next to the symbol for automatic head-
lamp control flashes. Adaptive Head Light is
malfunctioning or has failed. Have the system
checked as soon as possible.
High beams/
roadside parking lamps
1High beams
2Headlamp flasher
3Roadside parking lamps
Roadside parking lamps, left or right*
You also enjoy the option of lighting up just one
side of your vehicle when parking. When using
this function, comply with national regulations:
After parking the vehicle, press the lever in the
desired direction3, past the resistance point.
The roadside parking lamps drain the bat-
tery. Do not switch them on for long peri-
ods of time, otherwise it may no longer be pos-
sible to start the engine.<
High-beam assistant*
The concept
This system automatically switches the high
beams on and off again. A sensor on the front of
the inside rearview mirror controls the process.
The assistant ensures that the high beams are
switched on whenever the traffic situation
allows. This reduces the strain on you while at
the same time providing you with the best pos-
sible visibility. Of course, you can intervene at
any time and switch the high beams on and off
in the accustomed manner.

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The corresponding memory button 1 is now
programmed with the signal of the original
hand-held transmitter.
You can operate the system when the engine is
running or when the ignition is switched on.
If the device can not be used after
repeated programming, check whether
the original hand-held transmitter uses an alter-
nating-code system. To do so, either read the
instructions for the original hand-held transmit-
ter or hold down the programmed memory
button1 of the integrated universal remote
control. If the LED 2 on the integrated universal
remote control flashes rapidly for a short time
and then remains lit for approx. 2 seconds, this
indicates that the original hand-held transmitter
uses an alternating-code system. In the case of
an alternating-code system, program the mem-
ory buttons1 as described at Alternating-code
transmitters.<
Alternating-code transmitters
To program the integrated universal remote
control, consult the operating instructions for
the equipment to be set. You will find informa-
tion there on the possibilities for synchroniza-
tion.
When programming hand-held transmitters
that employ an alternating code, please observe
the following supplementary instructions:
P r o g ra m m in g w i ll b e ea s i er w it h t h e a i d o f
a second person.<
1.Park your vehicle within the range of the
remote-controlled device.
2.Program the integrated universal remote
control as described above in the section
Fixed-code hand-held transmitters.
3.Locate the button on the receiver of the
device to be set, e. g. on the drive unit.
4.Press the button on the receiver of the
device to be set. After step 4, you have
approx. 30 seconds for step 5.
5.Press the programmed memory button1
of the integrated universal remote control
three times.The corresponding memory button 1 is now
programmed with the signal of the original
hand-held transmitter.
Deleting stored programs
Press both outer memory buttons1 for approx.
20 seconds until the LED2 flashes:
All stored programs are deleted.
Individual programs cannot be deleted.
Roller sun blinds*
Roller sun blind for rear window
Press the button on the driver's door.
Roller sun blinds for rear side windows
Pull the loop of the roller sun blind and hook
onto bracket.
Glove compartment
Opening
Pull the handle. The light in the glove compart-
ment switches on.

Mobility
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Engine compartment
1Filler neck for engine oil, refer to
Adding engine oil
2Brake fluid reservoir, located beneath the
microfilter cover
3Starting-aid terminal, refer to page2124Washer fluid reservoir of the headlamp and
windshield cleaning systems, refer to
page64
5Expansion tank for coolant, refer to
page199
Engine oil
The engine oil consumption is dependent on
driving style and driving conditions.
Checking engine oil level
Your vehicle is equipped with an electronic oil
level check.
The condition for the most accurate indication
of the oil level possible is measurement with the
engine at operating temperature, i.e. following
an uninterrupted drive of at least 6 miles/10 km.
You can display the oil level on the Control Dis-
play while driving or when stopped on a level
surface with the engine running.
iDrive, for principle details, refer to page16.1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Service" and press the controller.