BMW 525I 2005 Owners Manual

The Ultimate
Driving Machine
Owner's Manual
for Vehicle

525i
530i
545iOwner'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 fea-
tures. The manual also contains information on maintenance
designed to enhance operating safety and contribute to main-
taining 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 Infor-
mation Booklet for US models or a Warranty and Service Guide
Booklet for Canadian models.
We wish you an enjoyable driving experience.
BMW AG

© 2004 Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts,
only with the written consent of
BMW AG, Munich.
Order No. 01 41 0 158 518
US-English VIII/04, 09 04 500
Printed in Germany
Printed on environmentally friendly paper,
bleached without chlorine, suitable for recycling.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communication
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Contents
The fastest way to find specific topics is to use
the index on page202.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
Reporting safety defects 7
At a glance
10Cockpit
16Control Center
22Voice command system
Controls
28Opening and closing
38Adjustments
47Transporting children safely
51Driving
65Everything under control
76Technology for comfort, convenience
and safety
87Lamps
90A congenial climate
96Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
106Things to remember when driving
Navigation
114Starting navigation system
115Destination entry
124Destination guidance
128What to do if …
Entertainment
132On/off and tone
138Radio
145CD player and CD changer
Communications
152Telephoning
161TeleService, BMW Assist
Mobility
168Refueling
170Wheels and tires
176Under the hood
180Maintenance
182Replacing components
189Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
196Technical data
199Short commands of voice command
system
202Everything from A to Z

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 refer to the detailed
index at the back of the manual. If you wish to
gain an initial overview 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 component of your vehi-
cle.
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. technol-
ogy, on the Internet at www.bmwusa.com.
Symbols used
Indicates precautions that must be fol-
lowed precisely in order to avoid the pos-
sibility of personal injury and serious damage to
the vehicle.
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.
tion.
*Indicates special equipment, country-spe-
cific equipment and optional extras, as well as
equipment and functions not yet available at the
time of printing.
"..." Identifies Control Display texts used to
select individual functions.
Symbols on vehicle components
Indicates that you should consult the rel-
evant section of this Owner's Manual for
information on a particular part or assembly.

5Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communication
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
The individual vehicle
On purchasing your BMW, you have decided in
favor of a model with individualized equipment
and features. This Owner's Manual describes
the entire array of options and equipment avail-
able with a specific BMW model.
Please bear in mind that the manual may con-
tain information on accessories and equipment
that you have not specified for your own vehicle.
Sections describing options and special equip-
ment are marked by asterisks
* to assist you in
identifying possible differences between the
descriptions in this manual and your own vehi-
cle's equipment.
If equipment in your BMW is not described in
this Owner's Manual, please refer to the accom-
panying Supplementary Owner's Manuals.
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
r e a s o n , i t i s p o s s i b l e t h a t t h e f e a t u r e s d e s c r i b e d
in this Owner's Manual could differ from those
on your vehicle.

Notes
6
For your own safety
Maintenance and repair
Advanced technology, e. g. the use of
modern materials and high-performance
electronics, requires specially adapted mainte-
nance and repair methods. Therefore, have cor-
responding work on your BMW carried out only
by a BMW center or a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. If work is car-
ried out improperly there is a danger of conse-
quential damage and the related safety risks.<
California Proposition 65 Warning
California law requires us to issue the following
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of
automobile components and parts,
including components found in the interior fur-
nishings in a vehicle, contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to cause cancer
and birth defects and reproductive harm. In
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
Battery posts, terminals and related accesso-
ries contain lead and lead compounds. Batter-
ies also contain other chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer. Wash your
hands after handling. Used engine oil contains
chemicals that have caused cancer in labora-
tory animals. Always protect your skin by wash-
ing thoroughly with soap and water.<
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 performance 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 damage
resulting from installation of parts and accesso-
ries 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 vehi-
cle, its operation, or its occupants.
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-talkies, ham radios or
similar accessories, may cause extensive dam-
age to the vehicle, compromise its safety, inter-
fere with the vehicle's electrical system or affect
the validity of the BMW Limited Warranty. Refer
to your BMW center for additional informa-
tion.<
Maintenance, replacement, or repair of
the emission control devices and sys-
tems may be performed by any automotive
repair establishment or individual using any cer-
tified automotive part.<

7Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communication
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Service and warranty
We recommend that you read this publication
thoroughly.
Your BMW is covered by the following warran-
ties:
>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 warranties 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 applies only 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 notifying 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 information about motor vehicle safety
from the Hotline.

At a glance
This overview of buttons, switches and displays
is intended to familiarize you with
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.
At a glance