BMW 525I 2006 Owners Manual

The Ultimate
Driving Machine
Owner's Manual
for Vehicle

525i
530i
550i
525xi
530xiOwner'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 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

© 2005 Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts,
only with the written consent of
BMW AG, Munich.
Order No. 01 41 0 159 736
US-English VIII/05, 05 09 510
Printed in Germany
Printed on environmentally friendly paper,
bleached without chlorine, suitable for recycling.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Contents
The fastest way to find specific topics is to use
the index, refer to page227.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
Reporting safety defects 7
At a glance
10Cockpit
16iDrive
22Voice command system
Controls
28Opening and closing
43Adjustments
52Transporting children safely
56Driving
72Everything under control
83Technology for comfort, convenience
and safety
94Lamps
98Climate
104Practical interior accessories
Driving tips
116Things to remember when driving
Navigation
124Starting navigation system
125Destination entry
136Destination guidance
141What to do if …
Entertainment
144On/off and tone
148Radio
157CD player and CD changer
Communications
166Telephoning
179TeleService, BMW Assist
Mobility
186Refueling
188Wheels and tires
196Under the hood
201Maintenance
203Replacing components
211Giving and receiving assistance
Reference
218Technical data
223Short commands of voice command
system
227Everything 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
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 tech-
nology, 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.
{...} Verbal instructions to use with the voice
command system.
{{...}} Identifies the answers generated by the
voice command system.
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
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
The individual vehicle
When purchasing your BMW, you have decided
in favor of a model with individualized equip-
ment and features. This Owner's Manual
describes the entire array of options and equip-
ment available 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.
For your own safety
Maintenance and repairs
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 performed only
by your BMW center or a workshop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. If this work is
not carried out properly, there is a danger of
subsequent damage and related safety haz-
ards.<
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. Wash
your hands after handling.
Used engine oil contains chemicals that have
caused cancer in laboratory animals. Always
protect your skin by washing thoroughly with
soap and water.<

Notes
6
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 mobile 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. See
your BMW center for additional information.<
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.<
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.

7Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Reporting safety defects
For U.S. customers
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 call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-800-327-4236
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to
http://www.safercar.gov; or write to: Adminis-
trator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20590. You can also obtain
other information about motor vehicle safety
from http://www.safercar.gov
For Canadian customers
Canadian customers who wish to report a
safety-related defect to Transport Canada,
Defect Investigations and Recalls, may tele-
phone the toll free hotline 1-800-333-0510,
or contact Transport Canada by mail at: Trans-
port Canada, ASFAD, Place de Ville Tower C,
330 Sparks Street, Ottawa ON K1A 0N5.

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