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You can also call BMW of North America at
1-800-831-1117 or visit the website
www.bmwusa.com to obtain this information.Do not use oil additives, as these may
cause engine damage. <
Alternative oil types
If exceptionally none of the approved oils hap-
pens to be available, sm all quantities of other
oils may be used when adding oil between oil
changes. However, the corresponding con-
tainer must be labeled with one of the following
oil specifications:
Gasoline engines
> Preferred: BMW Longlife-01,
BMW Longlife-01 FE or BMW Longlife-04
> Alternatively: BMW Longlife-98, API SM or
higher
Diesel engines
BMW Longlife-04
Viscosity ratings
Viscosity is a measure of an oil's flow rating and
is categorized in SAE classes.
Selecting the appropriate SAE class depends
on the regional climatic conditions in which you
normally drive your BMW.
Approved oils belong to the 0W-40,
0W-30, 5W-40 and 5W-30 SAE
classes. <
These oils can be used fo r driving at all outside
temperatures.
Coolant
Do not add coolant to the cooling system
when the engine is hot. Escaping coolant
can cause burns. <
Coolant consists of half water and half additive.
Not all commercially availa ble additives are suit-
able for your BMW. Ask your BMW center for
suitable additives. Only use suitable additives, otherwise en-
gine damage may re
sult. Because addi-
tives are harmful to your health, it is important to
follow the instructions on the containers. <
Comply with the appropriate environ-
mental protection regulations when dis-
posing of coolant additives. <
Checking coolant level
1.Do not open the engine hood before the en-
gine has cooled down.
2. Turn the cap of the expansion tank a little
counterclockwise to allow any accumulated
pressure to escape, then continue turning
to open.
3. The coolant level is corr ect if it is between
the maximum and minimum marks in the
filler neck, refer also to the diagram next to
the filler neck.
4. If the coolant is low, slowly add coolant up to
the specified level; do not overfill.
5. Turn the cap until there is an audible click.
6. Have the reason for the coolant loss elimi-
nated as soon as possible.
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Socket for On-Board
Diagnosis OBD
Primary components that make up exhaust
emissions can be checked by a device via the
OBD socket.
This socket is located on the driver's side to the
left, on the bottom of the instrument panel
underneath a cover.
Exhaust emission values
The warning lamp lights up:
The exhaust emission values have
worsened. Have the car checked as
soon as possible.
Canadian models display this warning
lamp.
The lamp flashes under certain conditions. This
indicates excessive misfir ing in the engine. If
this happens, you should reduce your speed
and visit your nearest BMW center as soon as
possible. Severe engine misfiring can quickly
lead to serious damage of emissions-related
components, especially the catalytic converter.
The warning lamp comes on if the gas
cap is not properly tightened and the
OBD system assumes that fuel vapor
is escaping. If the gas ca p is then tightened, the
warning lamp should go out within a few days.
Event data recorders
Your vehicle may be equipped with one or sev-
eral measuring or diagnostic modules or a
device for recording or sending certain vehicle
data or information. In addition, if you have
signed a service contract for BMW Assist, cer- tain vehicle data ma
y be transmitted or
recorded in order to fa cilitate the corresponding
services.
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eras, e.g. of the Park Distance Control or Rear
View Camera, for an extended period and main-
tain a distance of at least 12 in/30 cm.<
Manual car wash
When washing the vehicle by hand, use large
quantities of water and car shampoo if neces-
sary. Clean the vehicle with a sponge or wash-
ing brush, applying light pressure only.
Before cleaning the windshield, deacti-
vate the rain sensor or switch off the igni-
tion to prevent unintent ional activation of the
wipers. <
Observe local regulations pertaining to
washing vehicles by hand. <
Headlamps
Do not rub them dry and do not use abrasive or
corrosive cleaning agents.
Remove contamination, such as insects, by
soaking with shampoo or insect remover and
then rinsing with plenty of water.
Thaw ice with a windshield de-icer and do not
use an ice scraper.
Windows
Clean the inside and outside surfaces of the
windows and the mirrors with window cleaner.
Do not clean the mirrors with cleaners
containing quartz. <
Wiper blades
Clean with soapy water and replace regularly to
avoid streaking.
Wax and preservative residue and con-
tamination on the wi ndow can lead to
streaking when operating the windshield wip-
ers, leading to premature wear of the wiper
blades and causing the ra in sensor to malfunc-
tion. <
Paintwork care
Regular care contributes to value retention and
protects the paintwork against the long-term
effects of damaging substances. Region-specific environmental influences can
damage the vehicle paintwork. Therefore, it is
important to adapt the frequency and scope of
car care accordingly.
Immediately remove ve
ry aggressive sub-
stances, e.g. spilled fuel, oil, grease, tree resin
or bird droppings, to prevent damage to the
paintwork.
Repairing paintwork damage
Immediately repair scratches or similar
damage, such as that caused by stones
hitting the vehicle, wher e necessary to prevent
rusting. <
BMW recommends having paintwork damage
repaired by a profession al paint repair work-
shop according to BMW specifications using
original BMW paint materials.
Preservation
A preservation treatmen t is necessary when
water no longer beads off of the clean paintwork
surface. Only use products for paintwork pres-
ervation that contain carnauba or synthetic
waxes.
Rubber seals
Treat only with water or rubber care products.
Do not use silicon-containing care prod-
ucts on rubber seals, otherwise noise and
damage could occur. <
Chrome parts
Carefully clean vehicle parts, such as the radia-
tor grill, door handles or window frames, with
copious quantities of water and a shampoo
additive. For additional treatment, use a chrome
polish.
Light-alloy wheels
For technical reasons, du st is generated during
braking that is deposi ted on the light-alloy
wheels. Remove the dust regularly using acid-
free rim cleaner.
Do not use aggressive, acidic, strongly
alkaline and abrasive cleaning agents or
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CD/DVD drives
Do not use a cleaning CD, as it may dam-
age parts of the drive.<
Vehicle storage
If your vehicle is to be decommissioned for
longer than three months, your BMW center or
a workshop that operates according to BMW
specifications will be glad to advise you.
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Sports Wagon: changing rear wiper
blade
1.Fold up the wiper arm.
2. Pull off the wiper blade, see arrow.
3. Insert the new wiper blade and press it on
until it audibly engages.
Lamps and bulbs
Lamps and bulbs make an essential contribu-
tion to vehicle safety. They should, therefore,
be handled carefully. BMW recommends hav-
ing your BMW center perf orm any work that you
do not feel competent to perform yourself or
that is not described here.
Never touch the glass of new bulbs with
your bare fingers, as even minute
amounts of contamination will burn into the
bulb's surface and reduce its service life. Use a
clean tissue, cloth or some thing similar, or hold
the bulb by its base. <
You can obtain a selectio n of replacement bulbs
at your BMW center.
Only change bulbs while they are cool to
the touch, otherwise you could suffer
burns. <
When working on electrical systems,
always begin by switching off the con-
sumer in question, otherwise short-circuits
could result. To avoid po ssible injury or equip-
ment damage when replacing bulbs, observe
any instructions provided by the bulb manufac-
turer. <
For care of the headlamps, please follow the
instructions in the chapter entitled 'Care'. If the routine for changing a particular
bulb is not described here, please contact
your BMW center or a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. <
Light-emitting diodes LED
Light-emitting diodes installed behind translu-
c e n t l e n s e s s e r v e a s t h e l i g h t s o u r c e f o r m a n y o f
the controls and displays in your vehicle. These
light-emitting diodes, which operate using a
concept similar to that applied in conventional
lasers, are officially desi gnated as Class 1 light-
emitting diodes.
Do not remove the co vers or expose the
eyes directly to the un filtered light source
for several hours, otherwise this could cause
irritation to the retina. <
Xenon lamps*
These bulbs have a very long service life and are
highly unlikely to fail. If a xenon bulb fails never-
theless, switch on the fog lamps and continue
the journey with great ca re, provided that local
legislation does not prohibit this.
Have any work on the xenon lamp system,
including bulb replacements, performed
only by a BMW center or a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained pers onnel. Otherwise, if
such work is carried out improperly, the high
voltage in the system presents the danger of
fatal injuries. <
Replacing parking lamps, roadside
parking lamps, and daytime running
lamps
H8 bulb, 35 watts
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Access to the bulbs
The high-beam bulb can be accessed from the
engine compartment, whereas the low-beam
bulb can be accessed through a flap in the wheel
well.
1Cover for high-beam headlamp
2 Cover for low-beam headlamp
3 Turn signal bulb socket
To remove the covers:
1. Fold the respective wire bracket to the side,
see arrows.
2. Flip open the cover and take it out of the
guide.
Follow the same steps in reverse order to reat-
tach the covers.
Access through the wheel well
Only for low-beam head lamps and turn signals:
1. Turn the wheel inwards.
2. Open the flap in the wheel well. To do so,
turn the fastener counterclockwise using a
coin, for example.
Changing low-beam and high-beam
bulbs
1.Remove the relevant cover for the head-
lamp.
2. Disconnect the plug from the bulb.
3. Push the wire bracket to the side out of the
mounting, arrow 1, and fold it down, arrow 2.
4. Remove the bulb.
5. Insert new bulb as show n in the detail of the
illustration above.
6. Fold up the wire bracket and engage it.
7. Connect the plug.
8. Reattach the cover.
Parking lamps, roadside parking lamps
5-watt bulb, W5W
1.Remove the cover for the high-beam head-
lamp.
2. Pull out the bulb socket, see arrow.
3. Remove and replace the bulb.
4. Insert bulb socket.
5. Reattach the cover.
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Fender-mounted lamps
Sedan
1.Using a screwdriver, pry off the cover in the
cargo bay or release the turn-lock fastener
by turning it counterclockwise and remove
the cover.
2. Loosen the bulb holder at the clip, see
arrow, and pull out.
3. Apply gentle pressure to the bulb while
turning it to the left for removal and replace-
ment.
4. Re-engage the bulb holder so that it audibly
clicks into place.
5. Reattach the cover in the cargo bay.
Sports Wagon
1.Left-hand lamps:
Open the flap on the left-hand side of the
cargo bay.
Right-hand lamps:
Open the cargo bay floor panel. Turn the
screws on the cover, arrows 1, 90° and take
out the cover, arrow 2. 2.
Loosen the bulb holder at the clip, see
arrow, and pull out.
3. Apply gentle pressure to the bulb while
turning it to the left for removal and replace-
ment.
4. Re-engage the bulb holder so that it audibly
clicks into place.
5. Reattach the cover in the cargo bay.
Lamps in the luggage compartment lid/
tailgate
Sedan
1.Take the warning triang le out of its holder,
refer to page 231. Unscrew the holder using
the screwdriver from the onboard tool kit.
2. Pry out the plastic plugs in the trim of the
luggage compartment lid using a screw-
driver and remove the trim.
3. Release the bulb holder at the clip, see
arrow, and remove.
4. Apply gentle pressure to the bulb while
turning it to the left for removal and replace-
ment.
5. Re-engage the bulb holder so that it audibly
clicks into place.
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Charging the battery
Only charge the battery in the vehicle via the
terminals in the engine compartment with the
engine off. Connections, refer to Jump starting
on page 231.
Disposal
Have old batteries disposed of by your
BMW center or hand them in to a recy-
cling center. Maintain the battery in an upright
position for transport and storage. Always
secure the battery agains t tipping over during
transport.<
Power failure
After a temporary power loss, the functioning of
some equipment may be limited and require
reinitialization. Individual settings may likewise
have been lost and will have to be programmed:
> Time and date
These values must be updated, refer to
page 73.
> Radio
In some cases, stations may have to be
stored again, refer to page 145.
> Navigation system
Operability must be waited for, refer to
page 122.
> Glass roof
It may happen that the roof can only be
raised. The system must be initialized.
Please contact your BMW center.
> Panorama glass roof
It may happen that the roof can only be
raised. The system must be initialized.
Please contact your BMW center.
> Seat and mirror memory
The positions must be stored again, refer to
page 45.
> Inside rearview mirror with digital compass
The system must be calibrated, refer to
page 101.
Fuses
Never attempt to repa ir a blown fuse and
do not replace a defective fuse with a sub-
stitute of another color or amperage rating, oth-
erwise this could lead to a circuit overload, ulti-
mately resulting in a fire in the vehicle.<
Open the cover in the glove compartment and
remove it.
Spare fuses and a pair of plastic forceps are set
in holders on the distributor box.
See the rear of the cover for information on fuse
assignment.
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