BMW 528I 2012 Owners Manual
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Hot exhaust systemHot exhaust system
High temperatures are generated in the
exhaust system.
Do not remove the heat shields installed and
never apply undercoating to them. When driv‐
ing, standing at idle and while parking, take care
to avoid possible contact between the hot ex‐
haust system and any highly flammable materi‐
als such as hay, leaves, grass, etc. Such contact
could lead to a fire, and with it the risk of serious
personal injury as well as property damage.
Do not touch hot exhaust pipes; otherwise, there
is the danger of getting burned.◀
Climate control windshield
The marked area is not covered with heat re‐
flective coating.
Use this area for garage door openers, devices
for electronic toll collection, etc.
Climate control laminated tinted safety
glass
The vehicle glass provides full protection
against the harmful effects of UV radiation on the
skin.
Mobile communication devices in the
vehicle
Mobile communication devices in the ve‐
hicle
It is advised that you do not use mobile commu‐
nication devices, e.g., mobile phones, inside the
vehicle without connecting them directly to the
external antenna. Otherwise, the vehicle elec‐
tronics and mobile communication devices can
interfere with each other. In addition, there is no
assurance that the radiation generated during
transmission will be discharged from the vehicle
interior.◀
Hydroplaning
On wet or slushy roads, a wedge of water can
form between the tires and road surface.
This phenomenon is referred to as hydroplan‐
ing. It is characterized by a partial or complete
loss of contact between the tires and the road
surface, ultimately undermining your ability to
steer and brake the vehicle.
Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads, re‐
duce your speed to prevent hydroplaning.◀
Driving through water
Drive though calm water only if it is not deeper
than 9.8 inches/25 cm and at this height, no
faster than walking speed, up to 6 mph/10 km/h.
Adhere to water depth and speed limita‐
tions
Do not exceed this water depth and walking
speed; otherwise, the vehicle's engine, the elec‐
trical systems and the transmission may be
damaged.◀
Braking safely
Your vehicle is equipped with ABS as a standard
feature.
Applying the brakes fully is the most effective
way of braking in situations when this is neces‐
sary.
The vehicle maintains steering responsiveness.
You can still avoid any obstacles with a minimum
of steering effort.
Pulsation of the brake pedal and sounds from
the hydraulic circuits indicate that ABS is in its
active mode.Seite 161Things to remember when drivingDriving tips161
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Objects in the area around the pedalsNo objects in the area around the pedals
Keep floor mats, carpets, and any other
objects out of the area of motion of the pedals;
otherwise, the function of the pedals could be
impeded while driving
Do not place additional floor mats over existing
mats or other objects.
Only use floor mats that have been approved for
the vehicle and can be properly fixed in place.
Ensure that the floor mats are securely fastened
again after they were removed for cleaning, for
example.◀
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 72.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.
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LoadingVehicle equipment
All standard, country-specific and optional
equipment that is offered in the model series is
described in this chapter. Therefore, equipment
is also described that is not available in a vehicle,
e. g., because of the selected optional equip‐
ment or country variant. This also applies for
safety-related functions and systems.
General information 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 limit1.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‐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.
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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.▷Do not stack cargo above the top edge of the
backrests.▷Place protective material around any sharp-
edged or pointed objects that could bump
against the rear window while the vehicle is
in motion.
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.
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.
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Fold the cover outward.
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.▷Distribute the roof load uniformly.▷The roof load should not be too large in area.▷Always place 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.Seite 165LoadingDriving tips165
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Saving fuelVehicle equipment
All standard, country-specific and optional
equipment that is offered in the model series is
described in this chapter. Therefore, equipment
is also described that is not available in a vehicle,
e. g., because of the selected optional equip‐
ment or country variant. This also applies for
safety-related functions and systems.
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.
Check the tire inflation
pressure regularly
Check and, if necessary, correct the tire inflation
pressure at least twice a month and before start‐
ing on a long trip.
Low tire inflation pressure increases rolling re‐
sistance and thus raises fuel consumption and
tire wear.
Drive away without delay
Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the
vehicle remains stationary. Start driving right
away, but at moderate engine speeds.
This is the fastest way for the cold engine to
reach its operating temperature.
Look well ahead when driving
Avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking.
By maintaining a suitable distance to the vehicle
driving ahead of you.
Driving smoothly and looking ahead reduces
fuel consumption.
Avoid high engine speeds
Use 1st gear to get the vehicle in motion. Be‐
ginning with 2nd gear, accelerate rapidly. When
accelerating, shift up before reaching high en‐
gine speeds.Seite 166Driving tipsSaving fuel166
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When you reach the desired speed, shift into the
highest applicable gear and drive with the en‐
gine speed as low as possible and at a constant
speed.
As a rule: driving at low engine speeds lowers
fuel consumption and reduces wear.
The gear shift indicator of your vehicle indicates
the most fuel efficient gear.
Use coasting conditions
When approaching a red light, take your foot off
the accelerator and let the vehicle coast to a halt.
On a downhill gradient, take your foot off the ac‐
celerator and let the vehicle roll.
The flow of fuel is interrupted while coasting.
Switch off the engine during
longer stops
Switch off the engine during longer stops, e.g.,
at traffic lights, railroad crossings or in traffic
congestion.
Fuel savings are achieved after the vehicle is
switched off for only approx. 4 seconds.
The Automatic Engine Start/Stop Function of
your vehicle automatically switches off the en‐
gine during a stop.
Switch off any functions that
are not currently needed
Functions such as seat heating and the rear win‐
dow defroster require a lot of energy and con‐
sume additional fuel, especially in city and stop-
and-go traffic.
Therefore, switch off these functions if they are
not actually needed.Have maintenance carried out
Have vehicles maintained regularly to achieve
optimal vehicle economy and operating life.
Have the maintenance carried out by your serv‐
ice center.
Please also note the BMW Maintenance Sys‐
tem, refer to page 288.
ECO PRO
The concept
ECO PRO supports a driving style that saves on
fuel consumption. For this purpose, the engine
control and comfort functions, e. g. the climate
control output, are adjusted.
In addition, context-sensitive instructions can
be displayed that assist in driving in a manner
that optimizes fuel consumption.
The extension of the range that is achieved as a
result can be displayed in the instrument cluster.
Activating ECO PRO Button should be pressed and held until
ECO PRO is displayed in the instru‐
ment cluster.
Display in the instrument cluster
ECO PRO bonus range An extension of the range can be
achieved by an adjusted driving
style.
This is displayed as the bonus
range in the instrument cluster.
Driving style In the tachometer, a mark in the
bar indicator indicates the cur‐
rent efficiency of the driving style
corresponding to the accelerator
pedal position.Seite 167Saving fuelDriving tips167
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▷Blue display: efficient driving style as long as
the mark moves within the blue range.▷Gray display: adjust driving style, e. g. by
backing off the accelerator pedal.
The display switches to blue as soon as all con‐
ditions for fuel-economy-optimized driving are
met.
ECO PRO Tip - driving instruction The arrow indicates that the driv‐
ing style can be adjusted to be
more fuel efficient by backing off
the accelerator.
Additional symbols
SymbolMeasureFor efficient driving style, back off the
accelerator.Reduce speed to the selected ECO
PRO speed.Automatic transmission: switch from
S to D or avoid manual shift interven‐
tions.Manual shift transmission: follow
shifting instructions.Manual shift transmission: engage
neutral for engine stop.
Configuring ECO PRO
1."Settings"2."Driving mode"3."Configure ECO PRO"4.Configure the program.
ECO PRO Tip
▷"ECO PRO limit:":
Set ECO Pro speed at which an ECO PRO
Tip is to be displayed.▷"ECO PRO speed warning":
A reminder is displayed if the set ECO PRO
speed is exceeded.
ECO PRO climate control
"ECO PRO climate control"
The climate control is adjusted to be fuel-effi‐
cient.
The following settings are optimized:
▷Cooling or heat output of the automatic cli‐
mate control▷Exterior mirror heating▷Seat heating
ECO PRO Potential
The percentage of potential savings that can be
achieved with the current configuration is dis‐
played.
Indications on the Control Display
EfficientDynamics
Information on fuel consumption and technol‐
ogy can be displayed during driving.
1."Vehicle Info"Seite 168Driving tipsSaving fuel168
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2."EfficientDynamics"
Displaying fuel consumption history
The average fuel consumption can be displayed
within an adjustable time frame.
"Consumption history"
Adjusting fuel consumption history
time frame
Select the symbol.
Resetting fuel consumption history
1."Options" Open.2."Reset consumption history"
Displaying EfficientDynamics info
The current efficiency can be displayed.
"EfficientDynamics Info"
The following systems are displayed:
▷Automatic engine start/stop function.▷Energy recovery.▷Climate control output.Seite 169Saving fuelDriving tips169
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