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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.
Your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center
will be happy to answer more detailed
questions about 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 grades
If none of the approved oils is available at a
given time, you can also use smaller quantities
of other oils between oil changes. The packag-
ing must include one of the following indica-
tions of oil specifications.
Gasoline engines
>Preferred: BMW Longlife-01,
BMW Longlife-01 FE
>Alternative: 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 classi-
fications 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 Vehicle Center can recommend
suitable additives.
Only use suitable additives, 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 correct when the cool-
ant level is between the MIN and MAX
marks, refer to the diagram 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 there is an audible click.
6.Have the reason for the coolant loss elimi-
nated as soon as possible.
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