Seat tilt:
Pull the lever and move the seat to the desired
tilt. After releasing the lever, apply your weight
to
the seat or lift it off to make sure the seat en‐
gages properly. Height:
Move the button in the required direction.
Backrest tilt:
Move the button in the required direction. Overview: Power* seats 1
Lumbar support*
2 Backrest width*
3 Shoulder support*
4 Backrest
5 Forward/back, height, tilt
6 Thigh support*
Adjustments in detail: power* seats
1. Forward/back. 2.
Height. Seite 45
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Transporting children safely
The right place for children
Note
Children in the vehicle
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle; otherwise, they could endanger them‐
selves and other persons, e.g., by opening the
doors.◀
Children should always be in the rear
Accident research shows that the safest place
for children is in the back seat.
Transporting children in the rear
Only transport children younger than
13
years of age or shorter than 5 ft/150 cm in the
rear in child restraint fixing systems provided in
accordance with the age, weight and size of the
child; otherwise, there is an increased risk of in‐
jury in an accident.
Children 13 years of age or older must wear a
safety belt as soon as a suitable child restraint
fixing system can no longer be used, due to their
age, weight and size.◀
Children on the front passenger seat
Should it ever be necessary to use a child re‐
straint fixing system in the front passenger seat,
make sure that the front, knee and side airbags
on the front passenger side are deactivated. Au‐
tomatic deactivation of front passenger airbags,
refer to page 86.
Deactivating the front passenger airbags
If a child restraint fixing system is used in
the front passenger seat, the front passenger
airbags must be deactivated; otherwise, there is
an increased risk of injury to the child when the
airbags are triggered, even with a child restraint
fixing system.◀ Installing child restraint fixing
systems
Before mounting
If the rear seat backrests are adjustable:
Before mounting child restraint fixing systems,
return all of the rear seat backrests to the basic
position.
Notes
Manufacturer's information for child re‐
straint fixing systems
To select, mount and use child restraint fixing
systems, observe the information provided by
the system manufacturer; otherwise, the pro‐
tective effect can be impaired.
◀
On the front passenger seat
After installing a child restraint fixing system in
the front passenger seat, make sure that the
front, knee and side airbags on the front pas‐
senger side are deactivated.
Deactivate the front passenger airbags auto‐
matically, refer to page 86.
Deactivating the front passenger airbags
If a child restraint fixing system is used in
the front passenger seat, the front passenger
airbags must be deactivated; otherwise, there is
an increased risk of injury to the child when the
airbags are triggered, even with a child restraint
fixing system.◀
Seat position and height
Before installing a child restraint fixing system,
move the front passenger seat as far back as
possible and adjust its height to the middle po‐
sition to obtain the best possible position for the
belt and to offer optimal protection in the event
of an accident.
Do not change the seat position and height after
this. Seite 54
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Transporting children safely
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Driving in wet conditions
When
roads are wet or there is heavy rain, briefly
exert gentle pressure on the brake pedal every
few miles.
Ensure that this action does not endanger other
road users.
The heat generated in this process helps dry the
brake discs and pads.
In this way braking efficiency will be available
when you need it.
Hills
Drive long or steep downhill gradients in the gear
in which the least braking is required. Otherwise,
the brake system may overheat, resulting in a
reduction in the brake system efficiency.
Manual transmission:
You can increase the engine's braking effect by
shifting down, going all the way to first gear, if
necessary.
Automatic transmission*:
You can increase the engine's braking effect by
shifting down in the manual mode of the auto‐
matic transmission, refer to page 65.
Avoid load on the brakes
Avoid placing excessive load on the brake
system. Light but consistent brake pressure can
lead to high temperatures, brake wear and pos‐
sibly even brake failure.◀
Do not drive in neutral
Do not drive in neutral or with the engine
stopped, as doing so disables engine braking. In
addition, steering and brake assist is unavailable
with the engine stopped.◀
Brake disc corrosion
Corrosion on the brake discs and contamination
on the brake pads are furthered by:
▷ Low mileage.
▷ Extended periods when the vehicle is not
used at all.
▷ Infrequent use of the brakes. Corrosion occurs when the minimum pressure
that must be exerted by the pads during brake
applications to clean the discs is not reached.
Should corrosion form on the brake discs, the
brakes will tend to respond with a pulsating ef‐
fect that generally cannot be corrected.
Condensation
under the parked vehicle
When using the automatic climate control, con‐
densation water develops that exits underneath
the vehicle.
Therefore, traces of condensed water under the
vehicle are normal.
Loading
Overloading the vehicle
To avoid exceeding the approved carrying
capacity of the tires, never overload the vehicle.
Overloading can lead to overheating and in‐
creases the rate at which damage develops in‐
side the tires. This could result in a sudden loss
of tire inflation pressure.◀
No fluids in the trunk
Make sure that fluids do not leak into the
trunk; otherwise, the vehicle may be damaged.◀
Determining the load limit 1.
Locate the following statement on your ve‐
hicle’s placard*:
▷The combined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed XXX kg or
YYY lbs. Otherwise, damage to the ve‐ Seite 148
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Things to remember when driving
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hicle and unstable driving situations may
result.
2. Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and
passengers from XXX kilograms or YYY
pounds.
4. The resulting figure equals the available
amount
of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the YYY amount equals
1,000 lbs and there will be four 150 lbs pas‐
sengers in your vehicle, the amount of avail‐
able cargo and luggage load capacity is
400 lbs: 1,000 lbs minus 600 lbs = 400 lbs.
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage
and
cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated
in Step 4.
Load The maximum load is the sum of the weight of
the occupants and the cargo.
The greater the weight of the occupants, the
less cargo that can be transported. Stowing cargo ▷
Heavy cargo: stow as far forward and as low
as
possible, ideally directly behind the cargo
area separating wall.
▷ Very heavy cargo: when the rear seat is not
occupied, secure each of the outer safety
belts in the opposite buckle.
▷ Cover sharp edges and corners.
▷ If necessary, fold down the rear backrests to
stow cargo.
Securing cargo
Lashing eyes in the cargo area To secure the cargo, there are four lashing eyes
in the cargo area
Securing cargo
▷
Smaller and lighter items: secure with re‐
taining straps or with a
cargo net* or draw
straps.
▷ Larger and heavy objects: secure with cargo
straps*.
Cargo straps, cargo netting, retaining straps or
draw straps on the lashing eyes in the cargo
area.
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Securing cargo
Always position and secure the cargo as
described
above; otherwise, it can endanger the
car's occupants if sudden braking or swerving
becomes necessary.
Heavy or hard objects should not be carried
loose inside the car; otherwise, they could be
thrown around as a result of hard braking, sud‐
den swerves, etc., and endanger the occu‐
pants.◀
Roof-mounted luggage rack
Note
Roof racks are available as special accessories.
Attachment
Follow the installation instructions of the roof
rack.
Roof drip rail with flaps* The anchorage points are located in the roof drip
rail above the doors.
Fold the cover outward.
Mounting
Be sure that adequate clearance is maintained
for raising and opening the
glass sunroof*.
Loading
Because roof racks raise the vehicle's center of
gravity when loaded, they have a major effect on
vehicle handling and steering response.
Therefore, note the following when loading and
driving: ▷
Do not exceed the approved roof/axle loads
and
the approved gross vehicle weight, refer
to page 283.
▷ Distribute the roof load uniformly.
▷ The roof load should not be too large in area.
▷ Always load the heaviest pieces on the bot‐
tom.
▷ Secure the roof luggage firmly, e.g., tie with
ratchet straps.
▷ Do not let objects project into the opening
path of the trunk lid.
▷ Drive smoothly. Avoid sudden acceleration
and braking maneuvers. Take corners gen‐
tly.
Saving fuel
General information
Your vehicle contains advanced technology for
the reduction of fuel consumption and emis‐
sions.
Fuel consumption depends on a number of dif‐
ferent factors.
The implementation of certain measures, driv‐
ing style and regular maintenance can have an
influence on fuel consumption and on the envi‐
ronmental impact.
Remove unnecessary cargo
Additional weight increases fuel consumption.
Remove attached parts following use
Remove auxiliary mirrors, roof or rear luggage
racks which are no longer required following
use.
Attached parts on the vehicle impair the aero‐
dynamics and increase the fuel consumption.
Close the windows and glass sunroof
*
Driving with the glass sunroof and windows
open results in increased air resistance and
raises fuel consumption.
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Things to remember when driving
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Fuel
Fuel quality
Refuel with unleaded fuel only
Do not use leaded fuel as this would per‐
manently damage the catalytic converter.
◀
Do not refuel with ethanol
Do not refuel with E85, i.e., fuel with an
ethanol content of 85 %, or with Flex Fuel, as this
would damage the engine and fuel supply sys‐
tem.◀
Required fuel
Super Premium Gasoline/AKI 91 or AKI
89
BMW recommends AKI 91 or 89.
Gasoline with lower AKI
The minimum AKI Rating is 89.
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 effect on the engine life.
Minimum fuel grade
Do not use any gasoline below the mini‐
mum specified fuel grade; otherwise, engine
damage may occur.◀
Use high-quality brands
Field experience has indicated significant differ‐
ences in fuel quality: volatility, composition, ad‐
ditives, etc., among gasolines offered for sale in
the United States and Canada.
Fuels containing up to and including 10 % etha‐
nol 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 warranties with respect to
defects in materials or workmanship. Minimum fuel grade
The
use of poor-quality fuels may result in
driveability, starting and stalling problems es‐
pecially under certain environmental conditions
such as high ambient temperature and high al‐
titude.
Should you encounter driveability 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 result in unscheduled maintenance.◀ Seite 241
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Weights
The values preceding the slash apply to vehicles
with manual transmission; the values following
the slash apply to vehicles with automatic trans‐
mission.
528i
Approved gross vehicle weight lbs/kg
4,982/2,260
Load lbs/kg1,058/480
Approved front axle load lbs/kg2,359/1,070
Approved rear axle load lbs/kg2,844/1,290
Approved roof load capacity lbs/kg220/100
Trunk capacity cu ft/l18.36/520
535i
Approved gross vehicle weight lbs
kg5,159/5,181
2,340/2,350
Load lbs/kg1,058/480
Approved front axle load lbs/kg2,491/1,130
Approved rear axle load lbs
kg2,866/2,888
1,300/1,310
Approved roof load capacity lbs/kg220/100
Cargo area capacity cu ft/l18.36/520
550i
Approved gross vehicle weight lbs
kg5,401/5,423
2,450/2,460
Load lbs/kg1,036/470
Approved front axle load lbs
kg2,712/2,734
1,230/1,240
Approved rear axle load lbs
kg2,932/2,943
1,330/1,335
Approved roof load capacity lbs/kg220/100
Cargo area capacity cu ft/l18.36/520 Seite 283
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535i xDrive
Approved gross vehicle weight lbs/kg
5,379/2,440
Load lbs/kg1,058/480
Approved front axle load lbs/kg2,701/1,225
Approved rear axle load lbs/kg2,910/1,320
Approved roof load capacity lbs/kg220/100
Cargo area capacity cu ft/l18.36/520
550i xDrive
Approved gross vehicle weight lbs/kg
5,600/2,540
Load lbs/kg1,036/470
Approved front axle load lbs/kg2,800/1,270
Approved rear axle load lbs/kg2,954/1,340
Approved roof load capacity lbs/kg220/100
Cargo area capacity cu ft/l18.36/520Capacities
Notes
Fuel tank US gal/liters approx. 18.5/70 Fuel quality, refer
to page 241
Windshield and headlamp
washer system US quarts/liters approx. 5.3/5.0 Seite 284
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