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. < 
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.