2009 BMW X5 engine

Refueling
244
Refueling
Switch off the engine before refueling.
When handling fuel, always observe all
applicable precautionar y measures and regula-
tions. Never transport reserve fuel containers in
the vehicle. These co uld become leaky and
cause an explosion or a fire in an accident. <
Fuel filler door
Opening
1.Open the fuel filler door. To do this, briefly
press the lower edge.
2. Turn the fuel filler cap counterclockwise.
3. Place the fuel filler cap in the bracket
attached to the fuel filler door.
Closing
Fit the cap and turn it cl ockwise 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.
Releasing manually
If an electrical malfunction should occur, you
can unlock the fuel filler door manually.
1. Open the right-hand side panel in the cargo
bay.
2. Pull the knob with the gas pump symbol.
Observe the following when refueling
When handling fuels, follow the safety
precautions posted at the filling station.
Otherwise, there is a danger of personal injury
or property damage. <
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. 22.5 US gal/85 liters, including the
reserve capacity of approx. 2.1 US gal/8 liters
X5 xDrive48i: approx. 2.6 US gal/10 liters
reserve
X6 xDrive50i: approx. 3.2 US gal/12 liters
reserve
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. <

Mobility
245Reference
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Fuel specifications
Gasoline engine: required fuel
Do not use leaded gasoline, otherwise
damage to the catalytic converter 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. <
Super Premium Gasoline/AKI 91
This gasoline is hi ghly 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 in dicated significant dif-
ferences in fuel quality: volatility, composition,
additives, etc., among ga solines 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 warranti es with respect to
defects in materials or workmanship.
The use of poor-quality fuels may result in
drivability, starting and stalling problems
especially under certai n 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 un scheduled maintenance. <
BMW X5 with BMW Advanced Diesel:
Required fuel
Ultra-low sulfur diesel
The engine of your BMW is designed for diesel
with a low sulfur content:
Ultra-low sulfur diesel ASTM D 975-07a.
Refuel only with ultra-low sulfur diesel.
The percentage of biodiesel in the fuel
must not exceed 5 Ξ, referred to as B5. Do not
refuel with gasoline. If the vehicle has been
refueled with incorrect fuel such as gasoline, do
not start the engine; otherwise, there is a dan-
ger of engine damage. <
After incorrect refueling, contact a BMW Sports
Activity Vehicle Center.
The fuel filling neck is designed for refuel-
ing with diesel nozzles.
If the nozzle cannot be inserted into the fuel
filler pipe of your BMW, please check to make
sure that you are refueling with a diesel fuel
pump and whether this is equipped with a diesel
nozzle. <
Winter diesel
In order to assure the operational reliability of
the diesel engine, during cold seasons, please
refuel with winter diesel, which is sold at fuel
stations during this time of year. The standard
fuel filter heating prevents the supply of fuel
from stalling during driving.
Do not mix in any additives or gasoline;
otherwise, there is the risk of engine dam-
age. <
BMW X5 with BMW Advanced
Diesel
The concept
BMW Advanced Diesel reduces nitrogen oxides
in the diesel exhaust of your vehicle by injecting
the reducing agent diesel exhaust fluid into the
exhaust line. In the cata lytic converter, a chem-
ical reaction occurs th at minimizes nitrogen
oxides.

Refueling
246
In order to be able to start the engine in the
usual way, there must be a sufficient supply of
diesel exhaust fluid in the separate reservoir.
System heating
In order to bring the system to operating tem-
perature after a cold start of the engine, the
automatic transmission
shifts into the next
higher gear at a later point.
Reserve display
A display in the instrument panel informs you
about the remaining distance can be covered
with the amount of fuel currently in the tank.
The reserve display appears approx.
1,000 miles/1,600 km before the end of the
tank.
As soon as the reserve display has
appeared in the inst rument panel, have
the diesel exhaust fluid refilled to prevent the
engine from being unable to restart. <
Diesel exhaust fluid at minimum
Even with a display of -- mls, the engine will
continue to run, provided that it is not switched
off, and all other operating requirements are
met, e.g. sufficient fuel. Do not drive until the displayed remaining
distance runs out. Otherwise, it may not
be possible to restart the engine. <
Incorrect fueling
The warning lamp lights up:
The reservoir has been filled with an
incorrect fluid.
Please contact your BMW Sports Activity Vehi-
cle Center.
Have diesel exhaust fluid refilled
Your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center refills
the diesel exhaust fluid as part of the regular
maintenance. If you adhe re to this maintenance
schedule, it is usually no t necessary to refill any
fluids between the maintenance dates.
Under certain circumstances, e.g. due to a par-
ticularly sporty driving st yle or operation of the
vehicle at high altitudes, it may be necessary to
refill fluids betwee n maintenance dates.
As soon as the reserve display has appeared in
the instrument panel, have the diesel exhaust
fluid refilled to prevent the engine from being
unable to restart.
You can have the fluid refilled by a BMW Sports
Activity Vehicle Center.
Diesel exhaust fluid at low
temperatures
Due to its physical properties, at temper-
atures below +23 7/–5 6, it may also be
necessary to refill the diesel exhaust fluid
between the regular maintenance dates.
If the fluid needs to be re filled, this will be indi-
cated with the reserve display in the instrument
panel, refer to page 246.<

Refueling
248
Pull bottle back, refer to
arrow, and unscrew
it.
Closing reservoir
After the reservoir is filled, close it again with the
releasing tool.
After refilling diesel exhaust fluid
Incorrect fluid
After refilling with the incorrect fluid, e.g.
antifreeze for windshield wiper fluid, do
not start the engine because this could result in
a fire hazard. <
Contact your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle
Center.
Bottle disposal
You can have bottles for diesel exhaust
fluid properly disposed of at your BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle Center.
Only dispose of empty bottles in your house-
hold garbage if the local legal regulations permit
it.<
Reserve display
After refilling, the reserv e continues to appear
after the engine is rest arted. After the vehicle has been driven for a few more minutes, this
display will disappear.

Mobility
259Reference
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Controls
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Engine compartment
BMW X5
1Filler neck for washer fluid of the headlamp
and windshield cleaning systems, refer to
page 75
2 Starting-aid terminal, refer to page 280
3 Expansion tank for coolant, refer to
page 262
4 Filler neck for engine oil, refer to Adding
engine oil on page 261

Under the hood
260
BMW X6
1Filler neck for washer fluid of the headlamp
and windshield cleaning systems, refer to
page 75
2 Filler neck for engine oil, refer to Adding
engine oil on page 261 3
Starting-aid termin al, refer to page280
4 Expansion tank for coolant, refer to
page 262
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 while driving or
when stopped on a level surface with the engine
running.
iDrive, for operating pr inciple refer to page16.
1. Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2. Press the controller to open the menu. 3.
Select "Info sources" and press the control-
ler.
4. Select "Service Info" and press the control-
ler.

Mobility
261Reference
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5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Service requirements" is
selected and press the controller.
6. Change to the second field from the top if
necessary. Turn the controller until "Engine
oil level" is selected and press the control-
ler. The oil level is displayed.
Possible messages
>"Engine oil level O.K."
> "No measurement available: Updating
engine oil level measurement...":
Engine oil level is being measured. This
process can take approx. 3 minutes when
stopped on a level surface and approx.
5 minutes while driving.
> "Oil level at the minimum! Refill with 1 quart
of engine oil.":
Add 1 US quart/liter of engine oil at the next
opportunity.
If the oil level displayed is below mini-
mum, add engine oil immediately.
Failure to do so may lead to engine dam-
age. <
> "Engine oil level too high":
Have the vehicle checked immedi-
ately, otherwise engine damage may
result if too much oil has been added. <
> "Please observe recalc ulated service inter-
val for engine oil":
Do not add engine oil. Before continuing to
drive, note the recalculated remaining mile-
age until the next oil ch ange service, refer to
Service requirements on page 82. Have the
system checked as soon as possible.
Adding engine oil
BMW X5
BMW X6
Do not add 1 US quart/liter of oil until a corre-
sponding message is shown on the Control Dis-
play.
Add oil within the next 125 miles/200 km,
otherwise the engine could be dam-
aged. <
Continuous exposure to used oil has
caused cancer in laboratory testing.
For this reason, any skin areas that come into
contact with oil should be thoroughly washed
with soap and water.
K e e p o i l , g r e a s e e t c . o u t o f r e a c h o f c h i l d r e n a n d
observe the warnings on the containers to pre-
vent health risks. <
Oil change
Only have an oil change carried out by a BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle Center or a workshop
that works in accordance with BMW guidelines
and uses appropriately trained personnel.

Under the hood
262
Approved engine oils
The quality of the engine oil has critical signifi-
cance for the operation and service life of an
engine. BMW continuously approves specific
oils after confirming their suitability for use in its
vehicles with extensive testing.
Your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center
will be happy to answer detailed ques-
tions on approved oils. <
You can also call BMW of North America at
1-800-831-1117 or visit the website at
www.bmwusa.com to obtain this information. Do not use oil additives, as these may
result in engine damage.<
Alternative oil types
If none of the approved o ils is available, you can
also use other oils for adding small amounts
between oil changes. One of the following oil
specifications must be indicated on the pack-
aging:
Gasoline engines
> preferably: 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 grades
Viscosity is a measure of an oil's flow rating and
is specified in SAE grades.
The choice of the right SAE grade is based on
the climatic conditions in the region in which
you normally drive your BMW.
Approved oils belong to the SAE classifi-
cations 0W-40, 0W-30, 5W-40 and
5W-30. <
These oils can be used for 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 is composed of equal parts water and a
coolant additive. Not all commercially available
additives are suitable for your BMW. Your BMW
Sports Activity Vehicl e Center can recommend
suitable additives.
Only use suitable ad ditives, otherwise
engine damage may result. The additives
present a health hazard; observe the instruc-
tions 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 hood until the engine has
cooled down.
2. Turn the cap of the expansion tank counter-
clockwise to allow any accumulated pres-
sure to escape, then continue turning to
open.
3. The coolant level is co rrect when the cool-
ant level is between the MIN and MAX
marks, refer to the di agram adjacent 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 ther e is an audible click.
6. Have the reason for the coolant loss elimi-
nated as soon as possible.