2009 BMW 525XI TOURING light

Wheels and tires
230 with correspondingly trained personnel. If this
work is not carried out properly, there is a dan-
ger of subsequent damage and related safety
hazards. Make sure that the new wheels are bal-
anced.<
Retreaded tires
BMW does not recommend that you use
retreaded tires, as driving safety may be
impaired. The causes for this include the possi-
bly different tire casing structures and the often
wide variations in their age, which can result in a
limited service life.<
The right wheels and tires
BMW recommends that you use only
wheel and tire combinations that BMW
has tested and approved for your particular
vehicle. Variations in factors such as manufac-
turing tolerances mean that even wheels and
tires with identical official size ratings could
actually have different dimensions than the
approved units – these differences could lead to
body contact, and with it the risk of severe acci-
dents. If non-approved wheels and tires are
used, BMW cannot evaluate their suitability,
and therefore cannot be held liable for driving
safety.<
You can inquire about the right wheel/tire com-
bination at your BMW center.
The correct wheel/tire combination also affects
various systems whose function would other-
wise be impaired, e.g. ABS, DSC or xDrive.
To maintain good handling and vehicle
response, use only tires of a single tread config-
uration from a single manufacturer. Following
tire damage, have the original wheel and tire
combination remounted on the vehicle as soon
as possible.
Wheels with electronics for
TPM Tire Pressure Monitor
When mounting new tires or converting from
summer to winter tires or vice versa, only use
wheels with TPM electronics, otherwise the
Tire Pressure Monitor cannot detect a flat tire, refer to page97. Your BMW center will be
happy to advise you on this subject.
Recommended tire brands
Certain tire makes are recommended by BMW
depending on the tire size. You can recognize
these from the clearly visible BMW marking on
the tire sidewall.
When used properly, these tires comply with
the most demanding standards for safety and
vehicle response.
Run-flat tires
When mounting new tires, or changing from
s u m m e r t o w i n t e r t i r e s o r v i c e v e r s a , u s e r u n - f l a t
tires for your own safety. In addition, no spare
tire is available in case of a flat tire. Your BMW
center will be glad to advise you.
Special characteristics of winter tires
BMW recommends winter tires for use in cold
winter driving conditions. Although all-season
M+S tires provide better winter traction than
summer tires, they generally fail to provide the
same levels of cold-weather performance as
winter tires.
Paying attention to speed
Always observe the maximum permissi-
ble speed for the winter tires, otherwise
tire damage may occur, which can result in acci-
dents.<
Storage
Store wheels and tires in a cool, dry place with
as little exposure to light as possible. Always
protect tires against all contact with oil, grease

Maintenance
238
Socket for OBD Onboard
Diagnostics interface
Components which are decisive for the
exhaust-gas composition can be checked via
the OBD socket with a device.
This socket is located to the left on the driver's
side, on the underside of the instrument panel
under a cover.
Exhaust-gas values
The warning lamp lights up. The
exhaust-gas values worsen. Have the
vehicle checked as soon as possible.
Display of the previously described
malfunction in Canadian models.
The lamp flashes under certain condi-
tions. This is a sign of excessive misfiring of the
engine. In this case you should reduce speed
and drive to the nearest BMW center as soon as
possible. Heavy engine misfiring causes seri-
ous damage to the emission-relevant compo-
nents, especially the catalytic converter, within
a short time.
If the fuel filler cap is not properly tight-
ened, the OBD system will assume that
fuel vapor escapes. Then a display lights up. If
the cap is then tightened, the display will go out
within a few days.<
Event Data Recorders
Your vehicle may be equipped with one or sev-
eral measuring and diagnosis modules, or with
a device for recording or transmitting certain
v e hi c l e d a t a o r i n f o r m a t i o n . I f y o u h a v e a l s o s u b -
scribed to BMW Assist, certain vehicle data can be transmitted or recorded to enable corre-
sponding services.

Care
240 When using high-pressure cleaning jets,
do not remain in one place for a long time
and be sure to maintain a distance of at least
12 in/30 cm from sensors, e.g. Park Distance
Control sensors or radar sensors.<
Hand washing
When washing the vehicle by hand, use plenty
of water and car washing shampoo. Clean the
vehicle with gentle pressure using a sponge or a
washing brush.
Before cleaning the windshield, deacti-
vate the rain sensor or switch off the igni-
tion to prevent unwanted wiper operation.<
Follow local guidelines for washing vehi-
cles by hand.<
Headlamps
Do not rub dry and never use abrasives or
strong solvents to clean the covers.
Loosen dirt, e.g. insects, with shampoo or
insect remover and wash away with plenty of
water.
Use a window de-icer to remove accumulated
ice and snow, not a scraper.
Windows
Use a glass cleaner to clean the inside and out-
side surfaces of the windows and the glass sur-
faces of the mirrors.
Do not use quartz-containing cleansers
to clean glass surfaces of the mirrors.<
Wiper blades
Clean with soapy water and replace regularly to
prevent streaking.
The presence of wax and sealant residues
and dirt on the windows leads to streaking
during wiper operation and results in premature
wear on wiper blades as well as interference
with the rain sensor.<
Caring for the vehicle finish
Regular care helps your vehicle retain its value
and protects the paint from the long-term
effects of aggressive substances.Regionally occurring environmental factors can
affect and damage vehicle finish. It is therefore
important to tailor the frequency and extent of
your car care accordingly.
Immediately remove particularly aggressive
substances such as spilled fuel, oil, grease,
brake fluid, tree resin, or bird droppings; other-
wise, they may damage your paint.
Repairing paint damage
Repair stone damage or scratches imme-
diately, depending on the severity of the
damage, to prevent the formation of rust.<
BMW recommends having paint damage pro-
fessionally repaired using Genuine BMW finish
materials in accordance with factory guidelines.
Waxing
Sealant is required when w a t e r n o l o ng e r b e a ds
on the clean surface of the paint. Use only prod-
ucts that contain carnauba wax or synthetic wax
to seal your finish.
Rubber gaskets
Treat only with water or a rubber care product.
To avoid noise or damage, do not use
products that contain silicone to care for
rubber gaskets.<
Chrome components
Particularly after exposure to road salt, thor-
oughly cleanse parts like the radiator grille, door
handles, or window frames with plenty of water
with shampoo added to it. For additional treat-
ment, use chrome polish.
Alloy wheels
Depending on your system, braking can gener-
ate dust, which settles on the light-alloy wheels.
Remove this dust regularly with acid-free wheel
cleaner.
Do not use aggressive, acid-containing,
strongly alkaline, or coarse cleansers and
do not use steam cleaners at temperatures
greater than 1407/606; otherwise you may
damage your vehicle.<

Mobility
241Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Outside sensors
Sensors on the outside of the vehicle, such as
Park Distance Control sensors or radar sensors,
should be kept clean and free of ice to retain
their full function.
Interior care
Upholstery materials/cloth-covered
paneling
Clean regularly with a vacuum cleaner in order
to remove surface dirt.
In the event of more serious soiling such as bev-
erage stains, use a soft sponge or a lint-free
microfiber cloth in combination with suitable
interior cleaners. Follow the instructions on the
packaging.
Clean upholstery material over a large
area extending out to the seams. Avoid
intense friction.<
Open Velcro fasteners on pants or other
items of clothing can cause damage to
the seat covering. Make sure that the Velcro
fasteners are closed.<
Leather/leather-covered paneling
The leather used by BMW is a high quality
natural product. Slight patterns in the
grain are part of the typical properties of a natu-
ral leather.
Dust and dirt from the road chafe in pores and
folds and result in considerable wear and cause
the leather surface to become prematurely brit-
tle. We therefore suggest that you clean the
leather with a dust cloth or vacuum cleaner at
regular intervals.<
Particularly with light-colored leather, make
sure to clean it regularly since it has a greater
tendency to become soiled.
Treat the leather twice a year with a leather
lotion since dirt and grease harm the protective
layer of the leather.
Carpets/luggage compartment
Carpeting, floor mats, and luggage compart-
ment rugs and paneling can be cleaned with a
vacuum or in the event of more serious soiling,
cleansed with an interior cleaner.
Floor mats and luggage compartment rugs can
be removed for cleaning. When inserting into
place, make sure that the seat rails do not pro-
trude over the floor mats; otherwise floor mats
can be damaged.
Fluff on new floor mats is a result of the produc-
tion process and can be removed by repeated
vacuuming.
Plastic components inside
Clean the glass cover of the instrument panel,
imitation leather surfaces, lamp lenses, and
matte components with water and, if necessary,
a solvent-free plastic cleaner.
Fine wooden components
Use a damp cloth to clean fine wooden trim
panels and components. Follow up by drying
with a soft cloth.
Safety belts
Do not use cleansers to clean the safety
belts since this can destroy the web-
bing.<
Inside sensors
Clean inside sensors such as those of the high-
beam assistant using a lint-free cloth moist-
ened with glass cleaner.
Displays
Clean displays like the radio or the Control Dis-
play using a display-cleaning cloth or a soft,
nonabrasive lint-free cloth.
Avoid using excessive pressure when
cleaning displays; otherwise, you could
damage them.<
Never use chemical-based cleansers or
household scouring products. Keep all
liquids away from the equipment. Otherwise

Replacing components
244 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 cloth, napkin, etc., or hold the bulb by its
metal socket.<
A selection of replacement bulbs is available at
your BMW center.
Only replace bulbs when cool, as other-
wise you may be burned.<
Whenever you perform any work on the
electrical system, turn off the systems/
consumers involved to prevent short circuits
from occurring. To avoid possible injury or
equipment damage when replacing bulbs,
observe any instructions provided by the bulb
manufacturer.<
For information on how to care for the head-
lamps, please follow the instructions on
page239.
For bulbs for which changing is not
described, and for checking and adjusting
headlamp aim, please contact your BMW cen-
ter.<
Light-emitting diodes LEDs
Light-emitting diodes installed behind translu-
cent lenses serve as the light source for many of
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 designated as Class 1 light-
emitting diodes.
Do not remove the covers, and never
stare into the unfiltered light for several
hours, as irritation of the retina could result.<
Halogen headlamps
The illustration shows the left-hand side of the
engine compartment.
1Cover cap for low beams
2Cover cap for high beams
To remove the cover caps:
>Low beams: press the detent, arrow, and
remove the cover from the guide.
>High beams: turn the cover cap to the left
and remove.
Always wear gloves and eye protection –
the atmosphere within the H7 bulb is
pressurized. Otherwise there is a danger of inju-
ries if the bulb is accidentally damaged during
replacement.<

Mobility
245Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Low beams
H7 bulb, 55 watts
1.Turn the bulb holder to the left and remove.
2.Remove and replace the bulb.
High beams
H7 bulb, 55 watts
1.Turn the bulb holder to the left and remove.
2.Remove and replace the bulb.
Parking and roadside parking lamps
In the event of a malfunction, please go to your
BMW center or a workshop that works accord-
ing to BMW repair procedures with correspond-
ingly trained personnel.
Xenon lamps*
The service life of these bulbs is very long and
the probability of a failure is very low, provided
that they are not switched on and off an unusual
number of times. If one of these bulbs should
nevertheless fail, it is possible to continue driv-
ing with great caution using the fog lamps, pro-
vided traffic laws in your area do not prohibit
this.
Have work on the xenon lighting system
performed only by your BMW center or a workshop that works according to BMW repair
procedures with correspondingly trained per-
sonnel. Due to the high voltage present in the
system, there is a danger of fatal injuries when
work is carried out improperly.<
Access to lamps
The illustration shows the left-hand side of the
engine compartment.
1Cover cap for parking and roadside parking
lamps, daytime running lamps
2Sealing cap for turning lamps
*
To remove the covers:
>Parking lamps and roadside parking lamps,
daytime running lamps: turn the cover cap
to the left and remove.
>Turning lamps: turn the sealing cap to the
left and remove.
Parking lamps and roadside parking
lamps, daytime running lamps
H8 bulb, 35 watts
1.Turn the bulb in the direction of the arrow, in
the opposite direction on the other side,
and remove.
2.Remove the connector and replace the
bulb.

Replacing components
250
Compact wheel*
1.Unscrew the wing nut 1.
2.Remove the washer 2 laterally.
3.Take out the tool mounts 3.
4.Remove the compact wheel.
Preparing wheel change
1.Observe the safety precautions above.
2.Prevent the vehicle from rolling:
Place the chock behind the front wheel on
the other side of the vehicle, or on inclines,
in front of this wheel. On steeply inclined
roads, always secure the vehicle against
rolling.
3.Loosen the lug bolts a half turn.
Jacking up vehicle
1.Position the vehicle jack at the jacking point
closest to the wheel so that the entire sur-
face of the jack base rests on the ground
perpendicularly beneath the jacking point.
The vehicle jack is designed for
changing wheels only. Do not attempt
to raise another vehicle model with it or to
raise any load of any kind. To do so could
cause accidents and personal injury.<2.Guide the jack head into the rectangular
recess of the jacking point when cranking
up, refer to illustration detail.
3.Jack the vehicle up until the wheel you are
changing is raised from the ground.
Mounting a wheel
1.Unscrew the lug bolts and remove the
wheel.
2.Remove accumulations of mud or dirt from
the mounting surfaces of the wheel and
hub. Also clean the lug bolts.
3.Position the new wheel or compact wheel.
Secure the wheel by screwing at least two
lug bolts into opposite bolt holes.
When you mount wheels other than Genu-
ine BMW light-alloy wheels, different lug
bolts may also be required.
4.Screw in the remaining lug bolts. Tighten all
the bolts securely in a diagonal pattern.
5.Lower the vehicle and remove the jack from
beneath the vehicle.
After mounting
1.Tighten the lug bolts in a diagonal pattern.
To ensure safety, always have the
lug bolts checked with a calibrated
torque wrench as soon as possible to
ensure that they are tightened to the speci-
fied torque. Otherwise, incorrectly tight-
ened lug bolts are a hidden safety risk. The
tightening torque is 88.5 lb ft/120 Nm.<
2.When stowing the wheel and tools in the
vehicle, execute these steps in the reverse
order.

Mobility
253Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Giving and receiving assistance
Emergency request
Conditions for an emergency request:
>Full preparation package mobile phone.
With this equipment, an emergency request
is still possible when no mobile phone is
paired with the vehicle.
>BMW Assist is activated.
Activating BMW Assist, refer to page215.
>Radio readiness is activated.
>The BMW Assist system is logged on to a
mobile phone network.
>The emergency request system is opera-
ble.
Once your BMW Assist subscription expires,
the BMW Assist system can be deactivated by
a BMW center without you having to visit a
workshop. Once the BMW Assist system has
been deactivated, emergency requests are not
possible. The BMW Assist system can be reac-
tivated by a BMW center after signing a new
contract.
Initiating an emergency request
1.Briefly press protective cover to open.
Depending on the vehicle's equipment, the
arrangement of the switches and indicator
lamps may differ somewhat.
2.Press the SOS button for at least
2seconds.
The LED in the button lights up. As soon as the
voice connection to the BMW Assist Response
Center has been established, the LED flashes.Even if you are unable to answer, the BMW
Assist Response Center can take further steps
to help you under certain conditions.
If conditions allow, remain in the vehicle until
the connection has been established. You will
then be able to provide a detailed description of
the situation.
If the current position of your vehicle can be
determined, it will be transmitted to the BMW
Assist Response Center.
If the LED is flashing but the BMW Assist
Response Center cannot be heard over the
hands-free system, it is possible that the
hands-free system is malfunctioning. The BMW
Assist Response Center may still be able to
hear you, though.
Under certain conditions, an emergency
request is automatically initiated immediately
after a severe accident. Pressing the button
does not interfere with this.
For technical reasons, the emergency request
cannot be guaranteed under unfavorable condi-
tions.
You can also use other services of
BMW Assist with this button, refer to
page209.<
Warning triangle*
The warning triangle is located in the luggage
compartment lid/tailgate.