BMW 525i Sedan Owner's manual

Owner's Manual

for Vehicle

The Ultimate

Driving Machine

Contents

A - Z

Online Edition for Part No. 01 41 0 158 159 - © 02/04 BMW AG

525i

530i

545i

Owner's Manual for Vehicle

Congratulations, and thank you for choosing a BMW.

Thorough familiarity with your vehicle will provide you

with enhanced control and security when you drive it.

We therefore have this request:

Please take the time to read this Owner's Manual and

familiarize yourself with the information that we have

compiled for you before starting off in your new vehicle.

It contains important data and instructions intended to

assist you in gaining maximum use and satisfaction from

your BMW's unique range of technical features. The man-

ual also contains information on maintenance designed

to enhance operating safety and contribute to maintaining

the value of your BMW throughout an extended service life.

This Owner's Manual should be considered a permanent

part of this vehicle. It should stay with the vehicle when

sold to provide the next owner with important operating,

safety and maintenance information.

This manual is supplemented by a Service and Warranty

Information Booklet for US models or a Warranty and

Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models.

We wish you an enjoyable driving experience.

BMW AG

Online Edition for Part No. 01 41 0 158 159 - © 02/04 BMW AG

Aktiengesellschaft

Munich, Germany

Reprinting, including excerpts,

only with the written consent of

BMW AG, Munich.

Order No. 01 41 0 158 159

US English II/04, 04 03 460

Printed in Germany

Printed on environmentally friendly paper,

bleached without chlorine, suitable for recycling.

Online Edition for Part No. 01 41 0 158 159 - © 02/04 BMW AG

Reference At a glanceControlsDriving tipsCommunications NavigationEntertainmentMobility

Contents

The fastest way to find specific topics is

to use the index on page 203.

Using this Owner's Manual

4 Notes

7 Reporting safety defects

At a glance

10 Cockpit

16 Control Center

20 Voice command system

Controls

26 Opening and closing

36 Adjustments

45 Transporting children safely

49 Driving

64 Everything under control

75 Technology for comfort, convenience

and safety

86 Lamps

89 A congenial climate

95 Practical interior accessories

Driving tips

104 Things to remember when driving

Navigation

110 Starting navigation system

112 Entering destination

120 Destination guidance

124 What to do if …

Entertainment

128 On/off and tone

132 Radio

139 CD player and CD changer

Communications

146 Telephoning

157 TeleService, BMW Assist

Mobility

164 Refueling

166 Wheels and tires

173 Under the hood

177 Maintenance

179 Rules and regulations

181 Replacing components

188 Giving and receiving assistance

Reference

196 Technical data

200 Short commands of

voice command system

203 Everything from A to Z

Online Edition for Part No. 01 41 0 158 159 - © 02/04 BMW AG

Notes

4

Notes

Using this Owner's Manual

We have made every effort to ensure that

you are able to find what you need in this

Owner's Manual as quickly as possible.

The fastest way to find specific topics is to

use the detailed index at the back of the

manual. If you wish to gain an initial over-

view of your vehicle, you will find this in the

first chapter.

Should you sell your BMW some day,

please remember to hand over the Owner's

Manual as well; it is an important compo-

nent of your vehicle.

Additional sources of information

Should you have any other questions, your

BMW center will be glad to advise you at

any time.

You can find information on BMW, e.g.

technology, on the Internet at

www.bmwusa.com.

Symbols used

Indicates precautions that must be

followed precisely in order to avoid

the possibility of personal injury and seri-

ous damage to the vehicle.

< Marks the end of a specific item of infor-

mation.

Indicates information that will assist

you in gaining the optimum benefit

from your vehicle and enable you to care

more effectively for your vehicle.

Refers to measures that can be taken

to help protect the environment.

* Indicates special equipment, country-

specific equipment and optional extras

when available.

"..." Identifies Control Display texts used to

select individual functions.

Symbols on vehicle components

Indicates that you should consult the

relevant section of this Owner's Man-

ual for information on a particular part or

assembly.

Online Edition for Part No. 01 41 0 158 159 - © 02/04 BMW AG

5

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The individual vehicle

On purchasing your BMW, you have

decided in favor of a model with individual-

ized equipment and features. This Owner's

Manual describes the entire array of

options and equipment available with a

specific BMW model.

Please bear in mind that the manual may

contain information on accessories and

equipment that you have not specified for

your own vehicle. Sections describing

options and special equipment are marked

by asterisks

* to assist you in identifying

possible differences between the descrip-

tions in this manual and your own vehicle's

equipment. This asterisk is generally used

at the point at which the respective equip-

ment is explicitly described.

Should your BMW be equipped with fea-

tures or accessories not described in this

manual, please consult the enclosed Sup-

plementary Owner's Manual(s).

Editorial notice

BMW pursues a policy of continuous,

ongoing development that is conceived

to ensure that our vehicles continue to

embody the highest quality and safety

standards combined with advanced, state-

of-the-art technology.

For this reason, it is possible that the fea-

tures described in this Owner's Manual

could differ from those on your vehicle. Nor

can errors and omissions be entirely ruled

out. You are therefore asked to appreciate

that no legal claims can be entertained on

the basis of the data, illustrations or

descriptions in this Owner's Manual.

Online Edition for Part No. 01 41 0 158 159 - © 02/04 BMW AG

Notes

6

For your own safety

Maintenance and repair

Advanced technology, e.g. the use

of modern materials and high-per-

formance electronics, requires specially

adapted maintenance and repair methods.

Therefore, only have corresponding work

on your BMW carried out by a BMW center

or a workshop that works according to

BMW repair procedures with correspond-

ingly trained personnel. If work is carried

out improperly there is a danger of conse-

quential damage and the related safety

risks.<

Parts and accessories

For your own safety, use genuine

parts and accessories approved by

BMW.

When you purchase accessories tested

and approved by BMW and Genuine BMW

Parts, you simultaneously acquire the

assurance that they have been thoroughly

tested by BMW to ensure optimum perfor-

mance when installed on your vehicle.

BMW warrants these parts to be free from

defects in material and workmanship.

BMW will not accept any liability for dam-

age resulting from installation of parts and

accessories not approved by BMW.

BMW cannot test every product made by

other manufacturers to verify if it can be

used on a BMW safely and without risk to

either the vehicle, its operation, or its occu-

pants.

Genuine BMW Parts, BMW Accessories

and other products approved by BMW,

together with professional advice on using

these items, are available from all BMW

centers.

Installation and operation of non-BMW

approved accessories such as alarms,

radios, amplifiers, radar detectors, wheels,

suspension components, brake dust

shields, telephones – including operation of

any portable phone from within the vehicle

without using an externally mounted

antenna – or transceiver equipment, for

instance, CBs, walkie-talkie, ham radio or

similar accessories, may cause extensive

damage to the vehicle, compromise its

safety, interfere with the vehicle's electrical

system or affect the validity of the BMW

Limited Warranty. Refer to your BMW cen-

ter for additional information.<

Maintenance, replacement, or repair

of the emission control devices and

systems may be performed by any automo-

tive repair establishment or individual using

any certified automotive part.<

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Service and warranty

We recommend that you read this publica-

tion thoroughly.

Your BMW is covered by the following war-

ranties:

> New Vehicle Limited Warranty

> Rust Perforation Limited Warranty

> Federal Emissions System Defect

Warranty

> Federal Emissions Performance

Warranty

> California Emission Control System

Limited Warranty.

Detailed information about these warran-

ties is listed in the Service and Warranty

Information Booklet for US models or in the

Warranty and Service Guide Booklet for

Canadian models.

Reporting safety defects

The following only applies to vehicles

owned and operated in the US.

If you believe that your vehicle has a defect

which could cause a crash or could cause

injury or death, you should immediately

inform the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) in addition to noti-

fying BMW of North America, LLC, P.O.

Box 1227, Westwood, New Jersey 07675-

1227, Telephone (800) 831-1117.

If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it

may open an investigation, and if it finds

that a safety defect exists in a group of

vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy

campaign. However, NHTSA cannot

become involved in individual problems

between you, your dealer, or BMW of North

America, LLC.

To contact NHTSA, you may either call the

Auto Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-800-424-

9393 (or 366-0123 in Washington, D.C.

area) or write to: NHTSA, U.S. Department

of Transportation, Washington, D.C.

20590. You can also obtain other informa-

tion about motor vehicle safety from the

Hotline.

Online Edition for Part No. 01 41 0 158 159 - © 02/04 BMW AG

At a glance

This overview of buttons, switches and

displays is intended to serve as a source

of orientation in your vehicle's operating

environment. The section will also assist

you in becoming acquainted with the

control concepts and options available

for operating the various systems.

Online Edition for Part No. 01 41 0 158 159 - © 02/04 BMW AG

Cockpit

10

Cockpit

All around the steering wheel: controls and displays

1 Rear window blind 96

2 Rear window safety switch 33

3 Opening and closing windows 32

4 Adjusting exterior mirrors 42

5

Turn signals 55

High beams,

headlamp flasher 87

Roadside parking lamps 87

Check Control 66

Computer 68

Online Edition for Part No. 01 41 0 158 159 - © 02/04 BMW AG

At a glance

11

Reference ControlsDriving tipsCommunications NavigationEntertainmentMobility

6 Buttons on steering wheel

Portable phone:

> Press briefly:

Accept call or terminate call

as well as dialing if an entry has been

selected from "A - Z", "Top 8", "Redial",

"Received calls" or "Missed calls"

> Press longer: redialing

Volume

Voice command system

Fast forward/reverse

> Radio

Press briefly: change station

Press longer: manual search or auto-

matic search scan

> CD

Press briefly: select track

Press longer: fast forward/reverse

> Portable phone

Press briefly: select entry in "A - Z",

"Top 8", "Redial", "Received calls" or

"Missed calls"

Individually programmable 44

7 Instrument cluster 12

9 Ignition lock 49

10 Horn: the entire surface

13 Releasing engine hood 173

14 Opening luggage compartment lid 30

8

Windshield wipers 56

Rain sensor 56

11

Steering wheel heater 44

Steering wheel adjustment 43

12

Cruise control 57

Active cruise control 58

15

Head-Up Display 83

16

Parking lamps 86

Low beams 86

Automatic headlamp

control 86

Adaptive Head Light 87

17

Instrument lighting 88

Fog lamps 87

Online Edition for Part No. 01 41 0 158 159 - © 02/04 BMW AG

Cockpit

12

Instrument cluster

1 Indicator lamps for turn signals 13

2 Speedometer with display of speed for

> Cruise control 57

> Active cruise control 58

3 Fixed indicator and warning lamps 13

4 Display for active cruise control 59

5 Tachometer 64

and Energy Control 65

6 Display for

> Variable indicator and warning

lamps 67

> Speed for cruise control 58

> Desired speed for active cruise

control 59

> Time/date 64

> Outside temperature 64

7 Display for

> Automatic transmission 53

> SMG Sequential manual

transmission 52

> Computer 68

> Date and remaining distance for

service requirement 65

> Odometer and trip odometer 64

> Check Control message present 66

8 Fuel gauge 65

9 Resetting trip odometer 64

Online Edition for Part No. 01 41 0 158 159 - © 02/04 BMW AG

At a glance

13

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Indicator and warning

lamps

Technology that monitors itself

The indicator and warning lamps identified

by the

+ symbol are subjected to an oper-

ation check each time you switch on the

ignition or start the engine. They each light

up once for different periods of time.

When a malfunction occurs in a monitored

system, the corresponding lamp will either

fail to go out when the engine is started, or

it will come on again during normal driving,

usually accompanied by a Check Control

message. Detailed information is provided

on the specified pages.

Fixed indicator and warning lamps

Colors

The indicator and warning lamps can light

up in different colors and combinations.

> Red:

Stop immediately

or

important reminder

> Red and yellow:

Continue driving moderately

> Yellow:

Have checked soon

or

for your information

> Green or blue:

For your information.

Variable indicator and warning lamps

On the display 6 of the instrument cluster,

other indicator and warning lamps appear

as necessary. Pay attention to the instruc-

tions of the accompanying Check Control

messages, also refer to page 66.

Turn signals 55

Active steering

+ 80

Brake system +

With handbrake applied 50

With handbrake released 78, 176

With other warning lamps 78

Brake system for Canadian models

Airbags

+ 81

Service Engine Soon

+ 179

If the indicator lamp comes on

either continuously or intermit-

tently, this indicates a fault in the

emissions-related electronic sys-

tems.

Although the vehicle remains oper-

ational, you should have the sys-

tems checked by your BMW center

at the earliest possible opportu-

nity.

Service Engine Soon indicator

lamp for Canadian models

Front fog lamps 87

ABS Antilock Brake System + 78

DTC Dynamic Traction Control 77

High beams/headlamp flasher 87

Please fasten safety belt

+ 40

DSC Dynamic Stability

Control

+ 77

Check Gas Cap 164

Lamp for US models

Online Edition for Part No. 01 41 0 158 159 - © 02/04 BMW AG

Cockpit

14

All around the center console: controls and displays

Online Edition for Part No. 01 41 0 158 159 - © 02/04 BMW AG

At a glance

15

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1 Microphone for portable phone 148

2 Reading lamps 88

3 Initiating emergency call 188

4 Interior lamps 88

5 Glass roof, electrical 33

6 Front passenger's airbag indicator

lamp 82

7 Microphone for voice commands 20

8 Control Display 16

Displays for menu guidance

9 Hazard warning flashers

10 Central locking system 29

11 Automatic climate control 89

12 Button for

> Station scan 128

> Track scan 140

13 Ejecting

> Navigation DVD 110

> Audio CD 128

14 Drive for navigation DVD 110

15 Drive for audio CD 128

16 Switching audio sources on/off and

adjusting volume 128

18 Controller 16

Turn, press or horizontal movement

in four directions

19 Activating voice command system 20

20 Opening start menu on Control

Display 17

21 Dynamic Driving Control 54

Temperature setting,

left/right 90

Automatic air distribution

and volume 90

Cooling function 90

AUC Automatic recirculated-air

control 90

Maximum cooling 90

Residual heat mode 91

Switching off automatic climate

control 91

Air volume 90

Defrosting windows 90

Rear window defroster 89

17

Heated seats 41

Active seat ventilation 42

Active seat 42

PDC Park Distance Control 75

DSC Dynamic Stability

Control 77

Online Edition for Part No. 01 41 0 158 159 - © 02/04 BMW AG

Control Center

16

Control Center

The Control Center groups the functions

of a large number of switches. This means

that these functions can be operated from

a central position. The following section

provides an introduction to the principle of

the menu guidance. How you control the

individual functions is described in the con-

text of the relevant equipment.

Controls

1 Controller: you navigate through the

menus of the Control Center and make

adjustments by turning, pressing and

moving it to the left, right, forwards or

backwards

2 The start menu can be opened from any

menu with this button

3 Control Display

When you turn the controller, you feel a

clicking. This helps you to select the

desired menu item.

To avoid posing an unnecessary haz-

ard due to inattention, both to your

own vehicle's occupants and to other road

users: never attempt to use the controls or

make entries unless traffic and road condi-

tions allow.<

Menu overview

You can call up all the functions in the Con-

trol Center using five menu items.

Communication

> Portable phone

> BMW Assist or TeleService.

Navigation or onboard information

> Navigation system

> Onboard information, e.g. for display

of the average fuel consumption.

Entertainment

> Radio

> CD player and CD changer.

Climate

> Air distribution

> Seat air conditioning

> Independent ventilation.

menu

> Switching off Control Display

> Traffic information

> Tone and display settings

> Settings for your vehicle, e.g. for central

locking or settings for entertainment or

your portable phone

> Display of maintenance requirement

and dates for statutory emission and

vehicle inspections.

Online Edition for Part No. 01 41 0 158 159 - © 02/04 BMW AG

At a glance

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Menu guidance

As of ignition key position 1, the following

message appears on the Control Display:

Confirm the message by pressing the con-

troller; the start menu is opened.

Start menu

Via the start menu, you can open four

menus by moving the controller to the left,

right, forwards or backwards. Pressing the

controller opens the menu.

Opening start menu

Press button.

To open the start menu from the menu:

Press the button twice.

Displays in menu

1 In menus, you can change fields to

select the menu items they contain or

to make adjustments. The active field

is brighter than the others

2 Menu items are usually grouped in hor-

izontal or vertical lists

3 Arrows indicate that other menu items

can be selected in lists, but these are

not visible at the moment

4 Adjustments are displayed in diagrams

or as numbers

5 A symbol indicates the last selected

menu item of the start menu:

Communication

Navigation or

onboard information

Entertainment

Climate

menu

Control Center

18

Selecting menu items and making adjustments

1 To select individual menu items: turn

the controller. The marking moves.

Menu items shown in white can be

selected

2 To activate menu items selected with

the marking: press the controller. In the

current field, new menu items are dis-

played or a function is executed

3 To change the current field: move the

controller to the left, right, forwards or

backwards and let go.

To change the current menu: move the

controller to the left, right, forwards or

backwards and hold for longer than

approx. 2 seconds. The menu in the rel-

evant direction is opened

4 To select menu items, cf. 1: turn the

controller. The marking moves

5 To make adjustments: turn the control-

ler. A graphical display, numerical val-

ues or text displays change. The adjust-

ment is applied if you change to another

field or into another menu

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