Climate
118 >with sufficient battery voltage
>at an outside temperature below 777/
256
From radio readiness the interior temperature, 
the air volume and the air distribution can be 
set.
Switching automatic climate control 
on and off
1.Turn to the left to minimum air volume.
2.After approx. 1 second, turn to the left 
again.
You switch on the system again by pressing any 
button of the automatic climate control.
Front ventilation
1Knurled wheels to smoothly open and close 
vent outlets
2Levers to change the vent outlet direction
Do not drop any foreign objects into the 
vent outlets, otherwise these could be 
catapulted outwards and lead to injuries.<
Ventilation for cooling
Adjust the vent outlets to direct the flow of cool 
air in your direction, for instance, if the interior 
has become too warm, etc.
Draft-free ventilation
Set the vent outlets so that the air flows past 
you and is not directed straight at you.
Rear ventilation
1Knurled wheel to smoothly open and close 
vent outlets
2Knurled wheel to adjust the temperature:
>Turn toward blue: colder
>Turn toward red: warmer
3Levers to change the vent outlet direction
Microfilter/activated-charcoal filter
The microfilter removes dust and pollen from 
the incoming air. The activated-charcoal filter 
provides additional protection by filtering gas-
eous pollutants from the outside air. Your BMW 
center replaces this combined filter as a stan-
dard part of your scheduled maintenance.
Parked car ventilation
The concept
The parked car ventilation blows air into the 
passenger compartment to lower interior tem-
peratures.
It is ready to use in the parked car mode at any 
outside temperature.
You can set two different times for the system 
to start. The parked car ventilation can also be 
switched on and off directly. It remains 
switched on for 30 minutes.
Since the system uses a substantial amount of 
electrical current, you should refrain from acti-
vating it twice in succession without allowing 
the battery to be recharged in normal operation 
between use. 
Mobility
 219Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
When refueling, insert the filler nozzle com-
pletely into the filler pipe. Avoid raising the filler 
nozzle during refueling, otherwise this leads to
>premature pump shutoff
>a reduced efficiency of the fuel-vapor 
recovery system.
The fuel tank is full when the filler nozzle clicks 
off the first time.
Fuel tank capacity
Approx. 18.5 US gal/70 liters, including the 
reserve capacity of approx. 2.1 US gal/8 liters.
550i: approx. 2.6 US gal/10 liters reserve 
capacity.
Refuel as soon as possible once your 
cruising range falls below 30 miles/
50 km, otherwise engine functions are not 
ensured and damage can occur.<
Fuel filler cap
Closing
Fit the cap and turn it clockwise until you clearly 
hear a click.
Do not crush the band attached to the 
cap; otherwise, the cap may not properly 
seal and fuel vapors can escape.<
A message
* is displayed if the cap is loose or 
missing.
Fuel specifications
Do not use leaded gasoline, otherwise 
permanent damage to the catalytic con-
verter will result. 
Do not use E85, i.e. fuel that consists of 85% 
ethanol, or Flex Fuel. Otherwise permanent 
damage to the engine and the fuel supply sys-
tem will result.<
Required fuel
Super Premium Gasoline/AKI 91
This gasoline is highly recommended.
However, you may also use gasoline with less 
AKI. The minimum AKI Rating is 87.
If you use gasoline with this minimum AKI Rat-
ing, the engine may produce knocking sounds 
when starting at high outside temperatures. 
This has no affect on the engine life.
Do not use gasoline below the specified 
minimum quality, otherwise engine dam-
age can result.<
Use high-quality brands
Field experience has indicated significant dif-
ferences in fuel quality: volatility, composition, 
additives, etc., among gasolines offered for sale 
in the United States and Canada. Fuels contain-
ing up to and including 10 % ethanol or other 
oxygenates with up to 2.8 % oxygen by weight, 
that is, 15 % MTBE or 3 % methanol plus an 
equivalent amount of co-solvent, will not void 
the applicable warranties with respect to 
defects in materials or workmanship.
The use of poor-quality fuels may result in 
drivability, starting and stalling problems 
especially under certain environmental condi-
tions such as high ambient temperature and 
high altitude. 
Should you encounter drivability problems 
which you suspect could be related to the fuel 
you are using, we recommend that you respond 
by switching to a recognized high-quality brand 
such as gasoline that is advertised as Top Tier 
Detergent Gasoline. 
Failure to comply with these recommendations 
may also result in unscheduled maintenance.<