oil level BMW 528i 2000 E39 Workshop Manual

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001 General Warnings and Cautions
PLEASE READ THESE WARNINGS AND CAUTIONS
BEFORE PROCEEDING
WITH MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR WORK.
WARNINGS-
See also CAUTIONS
- Some repairs may be beyond your capability. If you lack the skills, - Catch draining fuel, oil, or brake fluid in suitable containers. Do
tools and equipment, or a suitable workplace for any procedure
not use
foodor beverage containers that might mislead someone
described in this manual, we suggest you leave such repairs to
into
drinking from them. Store flammable fluids away from fire
an authorized BMW dealer service department or other qualified
hazards. Wipe up spills at once, but do not store the oily rags,
shop. which can ignite and burn spontaneously.
. Do not reuse any fasteners that are worn or deformed. Many fas- Always observe good worRshop practices. Wear qoqqles when
teners are designed to be used only once and become
unreliable you operate machine tools or work with battery acid:kloves or
and mav fail when used a second time. This includes, but is not other
~rotective clothino should be worn whenever the iob re-
limited io, nuts, bolts, washers, self-locking nuts or bolts, clrclips yires' working with harmful substances.
and cotter pins. Always replace these fasteners with new parts.
Greases, lubricants and other automotive chemicals contain toxic
. Never work under a lifted car unless it is solidly supported on
substances, many of which are absorbed directly through the
stands
desiqned for the purpose. Do not supeort a car on cinder
skin. Read the manufacturer's instructions and warninos careful-
blochs, hollow tiles orotherbrops that may drurnbie undercontin-
uous toad. Never work under a car that is supported solely by a
iack. Never work under the car
while the enqine is runninq. - -
If you aregoing to work underacaron the ground, makesure that
the ground is level. Block the wheels to
keep the car from rolling.
Disconnect the battery negative
(-) terminal to prevent others
from starting the car while you are under it.
- Never run the engine unless the work area is well ventilated. Car-
bon monoxide kills.
Rings, bracelets and other jewelry should be removed so that
they cannot cause electrical shorts, get caught in running ma-
chinery, or be crushed by heavy parts.
- Tie long hair behind your head. Do not wear a necktie, a scarf.
loose clothing, or a necklace when you work near machine tools
or running engines. if your hair, clothing, or jewelry were to get
caught in the machinery, severe injury could result.
DO not attempt to
work on your car if you do not feel well. You in-
crease the
danger of injuryto yourseliand others if you are tired,
uDset or have taken medication or anv other substance that mav
keep you from being fully alert.
Illuminate your work area adequately but safely. Use a portable
iy. Use hand and eye protection. Avoid direct skin conGct.
Disconnect the battery negative (-) terminal whenever you work
on the fuel system
orthe electrical system. Do not smokeorwork
near heaters or other fire hazards. Keep an approved fire extin-
guisher handy.
. Friction materials (such as brake pads or shoes or clutch discs)
contain asbestos fibers or other friction materials. Do not create
dust by grinding, sanding, or by cleaning with compressed air.
Avoid breathing dust. Breathing any
friclion material dust can
lead to serious diseases and may result in death.
Batteries
giveoff explosive hydrogen gas during charging. Keep
sparks, lighted matches and open flame away from the top of the
battery. If hydrogen gas escaping from the cap vents is ignited, it
will ignite gas trapped in the cells and cause the battery to ex-
plode.
Connect and disconnect battery cables, jumper cables or a bat-
tery charger only wilh the ignition switched off. Do not disconnect
the battery while the engine is running.
Do not quick-charge the battery (for boost starting) for longer
than one minute. Wait at least one minute before boosting the
battery a second time.
. . safety lighiforworking lnsideor under the car. Make sure the bulb - Do not allow battery charging vollage to exceed 16.5 volts. If the
is enclosed bv a wire caoe. The hot filament of an accidentallv
batten! beoins ~roducina oas or boilino violentiv, reduce the
broken bulb can ignite spilled
fuel, vapors or oil. , - - - charglng rate. ~oostlng a sutfaled battery at a igh charging rate
can cause an
explosion.
-
Continued on next page

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01 0-20
General
more information on the Check Engine Light and the on-
board diagnostic system.
Towing
The cars covered by this manual should be towed with a tow
truck using wheel lift or flat bed equipment. Do not tow the car
on all four wheels except
forvery short distances to move it to
a safe place.
CA U JION-
Do not tow with sling-type equipment The front spoilers and
b~m~er covers may sustain damage.
4 To access threaded towing eye socltet, pry open trim on front
or rear bumper.
NOJE-
A towing eye is provided in the luggage compartment tool lcit.
The towing eye can be screwed into the front or rear bumper.
4 Install towing eye into threaded hole.
- Standard transmission: Do not tow with rear wheels on
ground unless absolutely necessary.
- Automatic transmission: Have rear wheels placed on dollies,
or use flat bed truck. Use towing eye for winching vehicle on
flat bed.
CAUTION-
Automatic transmission fluid (ATF) does not circulate when
I the car is towed. Severe transmission damage may result.
NOTE-
Be sure transrnission fluid has been topped off before
starting tow.
Always tow car with transrnission lever in
N (neutral).
. ATF draining and filling is covered in 240 Automatic
Transmission.
Be sure to read the filling and draining pro.
cedure, as special service equipment is required to
checlc
the fluid level.

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020 Maintenance
General ........................... .02 0.2
Special tools ........................ .02 0.2
Service Interval Indicator (Sll) ........... .02 0.3
Service Interval Indicator (Sll), resetting ... .02 0.3
Inspection I, Inspection 11 ............... .02 0.5
Maintenance Tables ................ .02 0.6
Fluid and Lubricant Specifications .. .02 0.9
Fluids and lubricants ................. .02 0.10
Engine Oil Service ................ .02 0.1 I
Engine oil. checking level ............. .02 0.12
Engine oil and filter. changing .......... .02 0-13
Engine Compartment Maintenance . .02 0.14
Accelerator and linkage ............... .02 0.14
Air filter. replacing ................... .02 0.1 4
Cooling system service ............... .02 0.15
Engine drive belt service .............. .02 0.16
Idlespeed .......................... 020-19
Catalytic converter and oxygen sensors .. .02 0.19
Power steering fluid, checking level ..... .02 0.20
Spark plugs ........................ .02 0.20
Spark plugs, replacing ................ .02 0.21
Interior ventilation microfilter, replacing ... .02 0.22
Other Mechanical Maintenance ..... .02 0.22
Battery, checking. cleaning. and replacing .02 0-22
Brake fluid. replacing ................. .02 0-24
Brake pad 1 rotor wear. checking ........ .02 0.24
Brake system, inspecting ............. .02 0.25
Parking brake. checking ............... 020-25
Clutch fluid. checking ................. 020-26
Differential oil level. checking ........... 020-26
Drive axle joint (CV joint) boots. inspecting 020-27
Exhaust system. inspecting ............ 020-27
Fuel filter. replacing .................. 020-27
Fuel tank and fuel lines. inspecting ...... 020-28
Suspension. front. inspecting ........... 020-29
Suspension. rear. inspecting ........... 020-29
Tires. checking inflation pressure ........ 020-29
Tires. rotating ....................... 020-29
Transmission service. automatic ........ 020-29
Transmission service. manual .......... 020-30
Transmission fluid. checking and filling
(manual transmission)
................ 020-30
Wheels. aligning ..................... 020-30
Body and Interior Maintenance ..... 020-31
Body and hinges. lubricating ........... 020-31
Exterior washing ..................... 020-31
Interior care ........................ 020-31
Leather upholstery and trim ............ 020-31
Polishing ........................... 020-32
Seat belts .......................... 020-32
Special cleaning ..................... 020-32
Washing chassis ..................... 020-32
Waxing ............................ 020-32
Windshield wiper blade maintenance ..... 020-33

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020-1 1
Maintenance
Table g. Differential oil
(Lifetime fluid; no fluid change required)
Differential
/Approximate. capaclty (in~t~al fill) I Spec~f~cat~on , , .
G 1.6 liter
(1.7 US
at) I
188 Compact I .O liter BMW SAF-XO
(1 .I US ql) synthetic oil
1.4
liler 220 1215 Compact US qt) I
Table h. Engine Coolant
Year, model
latent heater:
V-8 13.5 liter
1997:
6-cylinder
V-8
Table
i. Brake fluid
Bralte system fiuld BMW hlgh
performance, DOT 4
Approximate
capacity
9.9 liter (10.5 US qt)
11.4 liter (12.0 US qt)
With the introduction of synthetic oil and extended oil change
intervals, a new oil filterwith improved filter paper design was
introduced. The new filter paper resists deterioration caused
by high oil temperatures over an extended time.
Specification
Use BMW specified oil to top off the engine oil level between
oil changes.
BMW recommends the following engine oils:
Table
j. Engine Oil Specification
Years
IOii description I BMW part no.
1999 and later mineral
oil
BMW
HP 5W-30
svnthetic oil 07
51 0 017 866

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1 Maintenance
NOTE-
Castrol supplies the mineral and synthetic oil recommend-
ed by
BMW
BMW High Performance synthetic oil may be used in all
E39 models, regardless of year.
The use of engine oil additives is not recommended when
using BMW High
Performance synthetic engine oil.
* BMW is constantly upgrading recommendedmaintenance
procedures and requirements. The information contained
here is as accurate as possible at the time ofpublication. If
there is any doubt about what procedures apply to a spe-
cific
model or model year, or what intervals should be fol-
lowed, remember that an authorized BMW dealer has the
latest information on factory-recommended maintenance.
CAUTIOIG
In the case of cars that accumulate very low mileage per
yea/; BMW recommends that the engine oil should be
changed once
a year at a minimum, regardless of whether
mineral or synthetic based oil is used.
In the interest of engine longevity, use half
tlie recom-
mended engine oil change interval.
Engine oil, checking level
4 Engine oil level is checked with a dipstick (arrow) in the
engine block (6-cylinder oil dipstick shown,
V-8 dipstick is
similar).
- Check oil level with car on level surface, after engine has
been stopped for at least a few minutes.
- Check level by pulling out dipstick and wiping it clean
Reinsert it all the way and withdraw it again.

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4 If oil level is low, add oil by removing oil filler cap (arrow) on
top of cylinder head
(6-cylinder oil cap shown, V-8 is sirnilar).
- Add only amount needed to bring oil level to upper mark on
dipstick, using an oil of correct viscosity and grade.
Engine oil and filter, changing
A complete oil change requires new oil, a new filter insert kit,
and a new drain plug sealing washer. The tools needed, a
17
mm drain plug socket or box wrench, a 36 mm socket or
wrench, and a drain pan (8
- 10 US qt. capacity), are de-
scribed in
010 General.
NOTE-
If using a "fast 1ube"service facility for oil changes, make sure
the technician hand-starts and torques the engine oil drain
plug using hand-tools. Power tools can strip the threads of
the plug and the oil pan.
Run engine for afew minutes to warm engine oil. Shut engine
off.
With car on level ground, place drain pan under oil drain plug.
Using a
36 mm socket, loosen and remove oil filter housing
cover (arrow). Remove filter cartridge and discard any
0-
rings (V-8 engine oil filter housing shown, 6-cylinder oil filter
housing is sirnilar).
Using a socket or box wrench, loosen drain plug at oil drain
pan. Remove plug by hand and let oil drain into pan
(V-8 en-
gine oil drain plug shown, 6-cylinder drain plug is similar).
WARNING -
Pull the loose plug away from the hole quicldy to avoid being
scalded by hot oil. It will run out
quiclcly when the plug is re-

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020-1 4
Maintenance
- When oil flow has diminished to an occasional drip, reinstall
drain plug with a new metal sealing washer and torque plug.
Tightening torque Engine oil drain plug to oil pan
25 Nrn (1.8 ft-lb)
6-cylinder oil filter assembly
r------ 1
< Working at oil filter housing (1):
Lubricate and install new oil filter O-rings (3, 4).
Install a new filter cartridge (5).
lnstall and tighten housing cover (2).
6-cylinder oil filter assembly shown, V-8 is similar.
Tightening torque Cover to oil filter housing
25 Nm (1.8 it-lb)
- Refill crankcase with oil. Approximate oil capacity is listed in
Tabled. Engine oil with filter change. Use dipstick to
check correct oil level.
- Start engine and check that oil pressure warning light
immediately goes out.
- Allow engine to run fora few minutes to circulate new oil, then
check for leaks at drain plug and oil filter. Stop engine and re-
check oil level
The section describes other routine maintenance done in the
engine compartment. Information on engine oil service is
giv-
enkar~ier inthis group.
For these procedures, it is not necessary for the car to be
raised and supported off the ground.
Accelerator and linkage
The accelerator and linkage at the throttle housing should be
lubricated periodically. Use ageneral purposeoil on the joints
and bearings of the linkage. Use a multipurpose grease on
the bearing points of the throttle plate.
Air filter, replacing
The specified replacement intervals forthe air filter are based
on normal use. If the car is operated primarily in dusty
conditions, the air filter should be serviced more frequently.

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Maintenance
< Release mass air flow sensor clips (A).
Release upper air filter housing clips (B).
4 Lift air filter upper housing, and remove filter element.
NOTE-
V-8 engine air filter assembly shown in illustration. 6-cylinder
air filter assembly is similar but located at the left front of the
engine compartment.
- On installation, install O-ring for mass air flow sensor into
retaining clips in air filter upper housing.
- Replace air filter and upper air filter housing, and attach
upper air filter housing clips.
Cooling system, checking
Antifreeze raises the boiling point and lowers the freezing
~oint of the coolant. BMW recommends enaine coolantthat is
a 50 150 mixture of distilled water and ethGene glycol-based
antifreeze.
Routine cooling system maintenance consists of maintaining
the coolant level and inspecting hoses. Because the coolant's
anticorrosion and antifreeze additives gradually lose their ef-
fectiveness, replacement of the coolant every three years is
recommended.
CAUJION-
Use only BMWapprovedphosphate-free antifreeze when
filing the cooling system. Use of antifreeze containing
phosphates is harmful to the cooling system.
4 Float in radiator tank indicates coolant level. Inspect while
coolant is cold.
When upper mark on float is level with top of filler neck,
coolant is at minimum allowable level.
When lower mark on float is level with top of filler neck,
coolant is at maximum level.
Hose connections should be tight and dry. Coolant seepage
nnection indicates either that hose clamp is

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020-26
Maintenance
NOTE-
The parking brake may lose some of its effectiveness if it is
not used frequently This is due to corrosion build-up on the
parking brake drum. To remove corrosion, apply the parking
brake just until it begins to grip, then pull the lever up one
more stop (click). Drive the car approximately 400 meters
(1,300
ft.) and release the brake. To recheck the adjustment
of the parking brake see
340 Brakes.
Clutch fluid, checking
In cars equipped with manual transmission and clutch, the hy-
draulic clutch and the brake system share the same reservoir
and the same bralte fluid. Clutch fluid level and brake fluid lev-
el are checked at the same time.
NOTE-
* See 340 Brakes for more information.
See
210 Clutch for information on the clutch and the
hydraulic clutch operating system.
Differential oil level, checking
The E39 differential is filled with lifetime oil that ordinarily
does not need to be changed.
BMW recommends using only
a specially formulated synthetic gear oil
(SAF-XO) that is
available through an authorized
BM\N dealer parts depart-
ment. For additional information on this lubricant and any
other lubricants that may be compatible, contact an
authorized
BMW dealer service department.
< Check rear differential oil level at filler plug (arrow).
- Check lubricant level with car on a level surface:
Level is correct when fluid just reaches edge of filler hole.
If necessary, top up fluid.
Replace filler plug sealing ring.
Install and tighten oil filler plug when oil level is correct.
NOTE-
Use either a 14 mm or 17 mm Allen socket to remove the
drain plug.
If the car is raised in the air, it should be level when
checking or filling final drive fluid level.
Tightening torque
Filler plug to final drive housing 70 Nrn (52 it-lb)

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020-30
Maintenance
fluid use and the most-up-to-date information regarding
transmission operating fluids.
The automatic transmission is not equipped with a dipstick.
Therefore, checking the ATF level is an involved procedure
which includes measuring and maintaining a specified ATF
temperature during the checking procedure.
For more complete
ATF service information, including
checking
ATF level and ATF filter replacement procedures,
see
240 Automatic Transmission.
Transmission service, manual
Manual transmission service consists of inspecting for leaks
and checking the fluid. Evidence of transmission leaks is
like-
ly to be seen around the driveshaft mounting flange and at the
bottom of the bellhousing.
NOTE-
For more information on identifying oil
leaks and their
causes, see 230 Manual Transmission and210 Clutch.
Transmission fluid, checking and filling
(manual transmission)
Tne manual transmss'on inslalleo 'n rne E39 models s f;lled
with a special liierime iluid (ivlTF-LT-I). oi. ordinarily
does
not need to be changed.
< Check manual transmission oil level at transmission filler plug
(A). Make sure car is on level surface.
NOTE- Transmission fluid level
checking and replacement
procedures are covered in 230 Manual Transmission.
Wheels, aligning
BMW recommends checking the front and rear alignment
once a year and whenever new tires are installed.
NOTE-
See 320 Steering and Wheel Alignment for a more detailed
discussion of alignment requirements and specifications.