2010 BMW M5 Owners Manual

Mobility
207Reference
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suitable for winter conditions. For the sake of
safety, new tires should be installed.
Wear indicators at the tread-groove base, refer
to arrow, are distributed over the tire's circum-
ference and are marked on the side of the tire
with TWI – Tread Wear Indicator. If the tire tread
has been driven down to the wear indicators, a
tread depth of 0.063 in/1.6 mm has been
reached.
Wheel/tire damage
Please note that low-profile tires cause wheels,
tires and suspension parts to be more suscep-
tible to road hazards and consequential dam-
ages.
Unusual vibrations encountered during normal
vehicle operation can indicate tire failure or
some other vehicle defect. This can, for exam-
ple, be caused by driving over curbs. These
kinds of problems may also be signaled by other
changes in vehicle response, such as a strong
tendency to pull to the left or right.
In these cases, reduce speed immedi-
ately and have wheels and tires thor-
oughly checked. To do so, drive carefully to the
nearest BMW center or tire shop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. If necessary,
have the vehicle towed there. Otherwise, tire
damage can be extremely dangerous to vehicle
occupants and other road users.<
New wheels and tires
Have new wheels and tires installed only
by your BMW center or tire shop that
works according to BMW repair procedures 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. When selecting the tires, also ensure
that they have a sufficient load-carrying capac-
ity. 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 or DSC.
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

Wheels and tires
208 Tire Pressure Monitor cannot detect a flat tire,
refer to page85. 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.
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.<
After changing wheels/tires
After changing tires or wheels, the slip detec-
tion of the Sequential Manual Transmission
must become familiar with the changed state.
Reinitialize the system for this purpose:
1.Move the selector lever into the idling
position N on a straight stretch of road at a speed between 20 mph/30 km/h and
90 mph/150 km/h.
2.Pull both shift paddles for approx. 2 sec-
onds.
If you do not carry out initialization, the system
will automatically learn the changed state grad-
ually during driving. This may be noticeable
from the clutch opening and closing briefly.
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
and fuels. Do not exceed the maximum tire
inflation pressure indicated on the side wall of
the tire.
Rotating wheels between axles
BMW does not recommend moving the front
wheels to the rear or vice versa, as otherwise
the handling characteristics may be impaired.
With tires of different makes and types
* such a
change is not permissible.
Snow chains*
BMW only tests certain fine-link snow chains,
classifies them as road-safe and recommends
them. Consult your BMW center for more infor-
mation.
Use is only permitted in pairs, with winter tires
of the size 245/45 R 18 on the rear wheels.
Observe the manufacturer's instructions when
mounting snow chains. Do not exceed a speed
of 30 mph/50 km/h with the chains mounted.
Make sure that the snow chains are always suf-
ficiently tensioned. Retighten as needed in
accordance with the chain manufacturer's
specifications.
After mounting snow chains, do not ini-
tialize the Flat Tire Monitor, otherwise
incorrect displays can occur.
After mounting or removing snow chains, the
slip detection of the Sequential Manual Trans-
mission must become familiar with the altered

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state. To do this, reinitialize the system, refer to
After changing wheels/tires.<

Under the hood
210
Under the hood
Never attempt to perform any service or
repair operations on your vehicle without
the required professional technical training.
If you do not know what repair procedures to
follow, have work on your vehicle done only by
your BMW center or a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. If this work is
not carried out properly, there is a danger of
subsequent damage and related safety haz-
ards.<
Hood
Releasing
Pull lever.
Opening
Press the release handle and open the hood. Do
not open the hood until the engine has cooled
down.
You cannot start off with the hood open.<
Closing
Close the hood from a height of approx. 16 in/
4 0 c m w i t h m o m e n t um . I t m u st b e c l e a r l y h e a r d
to engage.
Make sure that the closing path of the
hood is clear, otherwise injuries may
result.
If you see any signs that the hood is not com-
pletely closed while driving your vehicle, you
should stop at once and close it securely.<

Mobility
211Reference
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Engine compartment
1Filler neck for engine oil, refer to
Adding engine oil, page214
2Expansion tank for coolant, refer to
page215
3Starting-aid terminal, refer to page232
4Body ground/negative terminal
5Filler neck for washer fluid of the headlamp
and windshield cleaning systems, refer to
page65

Under the hood
212
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 oil level can be displayed when the engine
is at operating temperature. Constant short-
distance driving or a very sporty driving style
can make it impossible for a measurement to be
taken.
Displays in instrument cluster
You can display the current oil level in the
instrument cluster.
1Oil level
2Maximum marking
3Minimum marking
4BC button
Press the button4 in the turn signal lever
repeatedly until the display for the oil level
appears in the instrument cluster.
Manual transmission: the engine oil level
will be shown in the lower display.<
The oil level must be between the two marks.
A new measurement is automatically taken
after each engine start.
Possible displays
1Oil level OK
2Oil level is being determined.
This process takes about 1 minute when
stopped on a level surface.
If the engine oil has been topped off, the
measurement of the oil level can take up to
30 minutes.
3Oil level at minimum:
Add a maximum of 1 US quart/1 liter of
engine oil at the next opportunity, refer to
Adding engine oil below. Add at least
0.5 US quart/0,5 liters of oil; otherwise, the
oil level check cannot reliably display the
new oil level.
If the oil level displayed is below minimum,
add engine oil immediately. Failure to do so
may lead to engine damage.
4Oil level too high
Have the vehicle checked immedi-
ately, otherwise engine damage may
result if too much oil has been added.<
5No value can be determined at this time.
Engine is not yet at operating temperature.

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Fast measurement
In addition to the automatic measurement, you
can also determine the current oil level manu-
ally, e.g. after adding engine oil, but with a lower
degree of measuring accuracy.
1.With the engine at operating temperature,
i.e. after at least 6 miles/10 km of uninter-
rupted driving, park the vehicle in a horizon-
tal position.
2.Allow the engine to run at idle.
3.Press the BC button on the turn signal lever
repeatedly until the oil level display is
shown in the instrument cluster.
4.Press the BC button for at least 2 seconds.
The oil level is determined. A clock symbol
is displayed during the measurement.
5.After approx. 1 minute the current oil level is
displayed.
Displaying via iDrive
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Turn the controller until "Info sources" is
selected and press the controller.
4.Turn the controller until "Service Info" is
selected and press the controller.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...":
The engine oil level is measured. This pro-
cess can take approx. 1 minute when
stopped on a level surface with the engine
running and approx. 5 minutes while driv-
ing.
If the engine oil has been topped off, the
measurement of the oil level can take up to
30 minutes.
>"Oil level at the minimum! Refill with 1 quart
of engine oil.":
Add a maximum of 1 US quart/1 liter of
engine oil at the next opportunity, refer also
to Adding engine oil below. Add at least
0.5 US quart/0.5 liters of oil; otherwise, the
oil level check cannot reliably display the
new oil level.
If the oil level displayed is below minimum,
add engine oil immediately. Failure to do so
may lead to engine damage.
>"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 recalculated service inter-
val for engine oil":

Under the hood
214 Do not add engine oil. Before continuing to
drive, note the recalculated remaining mile-
age until the next oil change service, refer to
Service requirements on page70. Have the
system checked as soon as possible.
Adding engine oil
Do not add oil until a value slightly above the
minimum of 0.0 US quarts/liters is displayed by
the oil level measurement. In this area a mes-
sage is also shown on the Control Display.
Add oil within the next 125 miles/200 km,
otherwise the engine could be damaged.
Add a maximum of 1 US quart/1 liter of oil; oth-
erwise, the engine may be damaged by adding
too much oil.
Add at least 0.5 US quart/0.5 liter of oil; other-
wise, the oil level check cannot reliably display
the current oil level.<
Please conduct a fast measurement after
adding engine oil to check the oil quantity
added and to update the display.<
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.
Keep oil, grease etc. out of reach of children and
observe the warnings on the containers to pre-
vent health risks.<
Oil change
Have oil changed only at your BMW center or
at a workshop that works according to BMW
repair procedures with correspondingly trained
personnel.
Approved engine oils
The quality of the engine oil selected has critical
significance for the operation and service life of
an engine. BMW continuously approves spe-
cific oils after confirming their suitability for use
in its vehicles with extensive testing.
Do not use oil additives, as these may
result in engine damage.<
Your BMW center will be happy to answer
detailed questions on BMW High Perfor-
mance Synthetic Oil or approved synthetic
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.
Viscosity grades
Viscosity is a measure of an oil's flow rating and
is specified in SAE grades.
Approved oils belong to the SAE grade
10W-60.<
Alternative oil grades
If BMW High Performance Synthetic Oil is
unavailable, you can add small quantities of
other synthetic oils between oil changes.
Only use oils with the following specifications:
>Viscosity
preferred: SAE 10W-60;
alternative: SAE 10W-40, SAE 5W-50 or
SAE 10W-50
>Specification
API SJ/CF, API SK/CF or higher
Low ambient temperatures
The oils used by BMW from the factory for your
vehicle model can be used at virtually all ambi-
ent temperatures. However, if the vehicle is
operated for a longer period at temperatures
below –47/–206, your BMW center will be
happy to recommend a suitable oil.