steering BMW 525I SEDAN 2004 E60 User Guide

Driving
50 lever in idle position and apply the hand-
brake.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running, as such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.<
Automatic transmission
1.Press the brake pedal
2.Place the selector lever in position P
or N
3.Start the engine.
To prevent the vehicle from rolling,
always select position P or N and
engage the handbrake before leaving the
vehicle with the engine running.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running, as such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.<
Sequential manual transmission
SMG
1.Press the brake pedal
2.Place the selector lever in the idle posi-
tion N
3.Start the engine.
If the engine does not start, engage
the last gear selected, refer to Display
in the instrument cluster, and return the
selector lever to the idle position N.<
Before leaving the vehicle with the
engine running, place the selector
lever in position N and apply the hand-
brake.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running, as such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.<
Switching off engine
Do not remove the ignition key while
the vehicle is rolling, as otherwise the
steering wheel lock would engage while
steering.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove
the ignition key and lock the steering.
When parking on downward inclines, apply
the handbrake.<
Manual transmission
Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
Automatic transmission
1.Engage selector-lever position P
2.Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
Sequential manual transmission
SMG
If the selector lever is in position R or in the
sequential mode and you turn the ignition
key to position 1 or 0, the gear remains
engaged automatically.
If the selector lever is in the idle position N
and you turn the ignition key to position 1
or 0, an acoustic signal and the flashing
gear indicator in the display reminds you
that the vehicle is not secured against roll-
ing away.
The warning stops sounding after approx.
9 seconds.
When parking on downward inclines,
apply the handbrake. Engaging a gear
is not sufficient to secure the vehicle from
rolling away under certain circumstances.<
Handbrake
The handbrake is primarily intended to pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling while parked; it
brakes the rear wheels.
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp lights up with
the handbrake applied, and an
acoustic signal also sounds when
starting off.
Indicator lamp for Canadian mod-
els.
Applying
The lever locks into place automatically;
the indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up in ignition key position 2.

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Releasing
Pull slightly upwards, press the button and
lower the lever.
If exceptional circumstances should
make it necessary to engage the
handbrake while the vehicle is in motion,
do not pull it too strongly. In doing so, con-
tinuously press the button of the handbrake
lever.
Strong application of the handbrake can
lead to overbraking of the rear axle and
associated 'fishtailing' of the vehicle rear
end.
The brake lamps do not light up when the
handbrake is applied.
Vehicles with manual or SMG transmission:
When parking on inclines, apply the hand-
brake, as under certain circumstances
even engaging the first or reverse gear
might not secure the vehicle against mov-
ing.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Place selector lever in position P.<
To prevent corrosion and one-sided
braking action, occasionally apply the
handbrake lightly when the vehicle is
slowly coming to a standstill if the traffic
conditions are suitable.<
Manual transmission
While shifting gear in the 5th/6th gear
level, make sure that you press the
gearshift lever to the right to prevent inad-
vertently selecting a gear in the 3rd/4th
gear level. On inclines, do not hold the
vehicle with the clutch; use the handbrake.
Holding with the clutch causes high clutch
wear.<
Reverse gear
Select R only when the vehicle is com-
pletely stopped. When pressing the gear-
shift lever to the left, overcome some resis-
tance.
The backup lamps automatically come on
in ignition key position 2.
Sequential manual
transmission SMG*
The concept
The Sequential manual transmission SMG
is an automated manual transmission in
which an electro-hydraulic system handles
the clutching and gear changes.
You operate the SMG using the selector
lever in the center console and two shift
paddles on the steering wheel.
It provides you with the following functions:
>Sequential mode: manual mode
>Drive mode: automatic mode
>Choice between two drive programs:
Normal, Sport, refer to page 54
>Operating reliability with protection
against incorrect gearshifts

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towards D or change the current gear using
the shift paddles or selector lever.
Gear changes
Using selector lever
>To shift up, briefly press the selector
lever towards +
>To shift down, briefly press towards Ñ.
Using shift paddles on steering
wheel
>To shift up, pull one of the shift paddles
>To shift down, press.
You accelerate from higher gears, e.g.
when overtaking, by shifting down manu-
ally.
In the following situations, the SMG in the
sequential mode assists you:
>Upshifts and downshifts are executed
only when they will result in a plausible
combination of engine and vehicle
speed; thus, for example, a downshift
that would cause the engine to overrev
will not be executed by the system
>When the vehicle is stopped, the trans-
mission automatically downshifts into
first gear
>Shortly before dropping below a gear-
dependent minimum speed, the trans-
mission downshifts automatically even
without your intervention.
Display in the instrument cluster
Gear display
R N 1 2 3 4 5 6
D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6
The gear currently selected, the selected
shifting mode and, if applicable, malfunc-
tions are displayed in the instrument clus-
ter.
Malfunctions
Indicator lamp
If the indicator lamp lights up, a
malfunction has occurred in the
transmission system.
While it will remain still possible to move
the selector lever to any desired position,
the transmission will revert to operation in
its default mode with only a limited number
of forward gears.
If this happens, avoid extreme engine loads
and consult the nearest BMW center.
Warning tone
In case of overheating in the area of the
transmission, an acoustic signal indicates
that you should stop or start off quickly if
possible so that the system can cool down
again.
Information on jump-starting and towing
begins on page 192.

Driving
54
Dynamic Driving Control
With Dynamic Driving Control, you can
choose between a standard and a sport
program.
Sport program
>The engine responds more spontane-
ously to accelerator pedal movements
>The steering becomes more direct and
provides even better road contact.
In addition, with SMG and an automatic
transmission:
>The shifting times are shorter
>The engine speed range is used opti-
mally in the Drive mode.
Activating the Sport program
In ignition key position 2.
Press the SPORT button.
The LED in the button lights up.
With an automatic transmission:
Activating the Dynamic Driving Con-
trol activates the Sport program of the
automatic transmission. This makes mov-
ing the selector lever form D to M/S unnec-
essary.<
Deactivating the Sport program
Press the SPORT button again.
The LED in the button goes out.
Acceleration assistant with SMG
The acceleration assistant enables opti-
mized vehicle acceleration at racing car
level on road surfaces with good adhesion.Do not use the acceleration assistant
too often, as otherwise components
will wear prematurely.<
1.Activate the Sport program
2.Press the DSC button, refer to page 79,
for longer than three seconds
3.Press the accelerator pedal down fully Ð
kickdown. The ideal starting-off engine
speed is set.
To maintain driving stability, drive
with the DSC on whenever possible.<
Information on jump-starting and towing
begins on page 192.
Automatic transmission
with Steptronic*
While you can drive as with any conven-
tional automatic transmission, you also
enjoy the option of shifting manually, refer
to page 55.
If you move the selector lever from posi-
tion D to the left into gearshift gate M/S,
this activates the sports-style shift pro-
grams of the automatic transmission. As
soon as you move the selector lever slightly
towards + or Ð, the Steptronic shifts gear
and manual operation is activated. If you
wish to use the automatic function again,
move the selector lever to the right into
position D.
Selector-lever positions
P R N D M/S + Ð
Possible displays
P R N D DS M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6

Driving
58 children. Always observe the instructions
for use provided on the containers.<
Washer fluid reservoir
Capacity: approx. 3.2 US quarts/3 liters for
the windshield washer system or approx.
5.3 US quarts/5 liters in conjunction with
headlamp washer system.
Fill with water and Ð if required Ð with a
washer antifreeze, according to manufac-
turer's recommendations.
In order to keep to the mixture ratio,
mix the washer fluid before filling.<
Cruise control*
The concept
The cruise control is available for use at
speeds of approx. 20 mph/30 km/h and
higher. The vehicle maintains and stores
the speed that you set using the lever
mounted on the steering column.
Do not use the cruise control when
driving on winding roads, in heavy
traffic or in poor road conditions Ð e.g.
snow, rain, ice, loose road surface Ð that do
not permit a constant speed.<
One lever for all functions
1 Maintaining and storing speed,
accelerating
Press the lever up to the resistance point:
The current speed is maintained and
stored. The display 1 in the speedometer
indicates this regulated speed, refer to
page 59. Every time you briefly press the
lever, the vehicle's speed increases by
roughly 1 mph/1 km/h.
Press the lever for longer:
The vehicle accelerates without pressure
on the accelerator pedal. The system main-
tains and stores your current speed as
soon as you release the lever.
Press the lever beyond the resistance
point:
Speed is increased by 5 mph/10 km/h.
The vehicle may accelerate beyond the
regulated speed on steep downhill
stretches where the engine's braking effect
alone may not be sufficient to slow the
vehicle. Speed can drop on uphill grades if
the engine output is insufficient.
2 Maintaining and storing speed,
decelerating
Pull the lever up to the resistance point:
Functions same as 1, only the vehicle
speed is reduced.
3 Interrupting cruise control
With the cruise control active, briefly press
the lever up or down.
In addition, cruise control is interrupted
automatically
>when you apply pressure to the brake
pedal

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
78
CBC Cornering Brake Control
CBC is a supplement to ABS. It provides
further enhancements in vehicle stability
and steering response during lane changes
and cornering at high rates of lateral accel-
eration.
EBV Electronic Brake Force
Distribution
EBV controls the brake system's applica-
tion pressure at the rear wheels to ensure
stable deceleration.
In case of malfunction
If the brake system warning lamp
lights up in red, appearing together
with the yellow indicator lamps for
ABS and DSC:
The driving stability control has
failed.
If all three lamps light up yellow:
Fault in the driving stability control.
The EBV electronic brake-force distribution
is active.
While you may continue, you should
remember to proceed cautiously and drive
defensively while avoiding full brake appli-
cations.
Please have the system checked at the
nearest BMW center.
If a message appears on the Control Dis-
play, please note the supplementary infor-
mation.
You can find more information on the
Check Control starting on page 68.
Indicator and warning lamps for
Canadian models.
Driving stability control/
DSC Dynamic Stability
Control
The concept
DSC maintains vehicle stability, even in
critical driving situations.
The DSC is operational every time you start
the engine. DSC includes the functionality
of the DTC Dynamic Traction Control and
DBC Dynamic Brake Control, refer to
page 79.
The system optimizes vehicle stability dur-
ing acceleration and when starting from a
full stop, as well as optimizing traction. The
system recognizes any tendency for the
vehicle to assume an unstable attitude
such as oversteer or understeer; it then
counteracts this tendency with a combina-
tion of graduated reductions in engine
torque and selective braking intervention at
individual wheels. DSC provides optimal
stability within the limits defined by the
laws of physics.
Indicator lamps
The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out soon after you start
the engine.
If the indicator lamp flashes:
DSC is regulating the drive and braking
forces.
If the indicator lamp lights up permanently:
DSC has been switched off using the but-
ton.
If the indicator lamp and the brake
warning lamp light up permanently:
Malfunction in DSC, DTC and DBC.
When the system is off, the stability main-
tenance functions described above are no
longer available. The vehicle will remain
completely operational, however, without
DSC.
Please respond to any malfunctions by
referring the problem to your BMW center.

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natural, even pressure drop in all four
tires.<
In the following situations, on the other
hand, there can be delays in detecting tire
pressure losses, and even system failure:
>When you are driving on snow-covered
or slippery road surfaces
>If you are using a sports driving style:
slip on the drive wheels, high lateral
acceleration
>False alarms and undetected loss of
pressure may occur when you are driv-
ing with snow chains fitted
>When you are driving with the compact
wheel, the Flat Tire Monitor is unable to
function.
Initializing the system
Perform the initialization immediately
after correcting the inflation pressure,
after changing a tire or changing a wheel or
all wheels. A drive is necessary for this pur-
pose.<
Control Center, for principle details, refer to
page 16:
1.Before beginning driving, start the
engine, but do not drive off
2.Open the menu
3.Select "Vehicle settings" and press the
controller
4.Select "FTM" and press the controller
5.Select "Set tire pressure" and press the
controller
6.Select "Yes" and press the controller
7.Drive off.
The message "Initializing" is displayed.It takes a few minutes before the Flat Tire
Monitor can detect and report a flat tire.
After the initialization is completed, the
message "Active" is displayed.
If a flat tire is detected during initialization,
a message appears on the Control Display.
When driving with snow chains or
with the compact wheel, do not initial-
ize the system.<
Flat tire
Indicator lamp
The symbol in the instrument clus-
ter lights up in red and a simulta-
neous message appears on the
Control Display. In addition, an acoustic
signal sounds.
Please note any supplementary information
that appears on the Control Display. You
can find more information on the Check
Control starting on page 68.
1.Reduce speed and stop the vehicle
carefully. Avoid sudden braking and
steering maneuvers
2.Identify damaged tire
If identification is not possible,
contact your BMW center.<
3.Replace the damaged wheel, refer to
Changing a tire on page 187.
Vehicles with run-flat tires:
1.Cautiously reduce the vehicle speed to
below 50 mph/80 km/h. Avoid sudden
braking and steering maneuvers. Do
not exceed a vehicle speed of 50 mph/
80 km/h
Due to the reinforcement on the
edges of the run-flat tires, inflation
pressure loss can not usually be recog-
nized from the outside, refer to Run-flat
tires on page 175.<
2.To continue driving, comply with the
instructions for driving with damaged
tires on page 175.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
82
System malfunctions
Indicator lamp
The symbol in the instrument clus-
ter lights up yellow and a message
appears on the Control Display.
Please contact your BMW center.
Please note any supplementary information
that appears on the Control Display.
Active steering*
The concept
The active steering is a system that actively
varies the steering angle of the front wheels
in relation to the steering wheel move-
ments.
When you are driving in the low road speed
range, e.g. in a town or when parking, the
steering angle is reinforced, i.e. the steer-
ing becomes very direct and significantly
improves the handling capability of your
BMW.
In the higher road speed range, on the
other hand, the steering angle is reduced,
also optimizing the handling capability.
In critical situations, the system can make
targeted changes to the steering angle pro-
vided by the driver and thus stabilize the
vehicle before the driver intervenes.
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp lights up perma-
nently: malfunction in the system.
Please have the system inspected
at your BMW center.
Conventional steering efficiency remains
available without limitations.
Brake Force Display
The Brake Force Display indicates the
intensity with which you are applying your
brakes to drivers of following vehicles. The display consists of two stages:
>Normal braking:
The brake lamps in the tail assemblies
and the high-mount brake lamp on top
of the rear window light up during brak-
ing
>Heavy braking and braking with ABS:
The tail lamps also light up with the
same intensity as the standard brake
lamp units to enhance the warning
effect of the brake lamps.

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Airbags
The following airbags are located under the
marked covers:
1Front airbags for driver and front pas-
senger
2Head airbags in front and rear
3Side airbags in front and rear
Protective effect
The front airbags help protect the driver
and front passenger by responding to fron-
tal impacts in which safety belts alone can-
not provide adequate restraint. When
needed, the head and side airbags help
provide protection in the event of side
impact. The relevant side airbag helps to
restrain the side upper body area. The rel-
evant head airbag helps to support the
head and provides protection against
objects entering the vehicle.
The airbags are deliberately not triggered
in every impact situation, e.g. less severe
accidents, certain roll-over conditions, or
rear-end collisions.
The rear seat side airbags may
already have been deactivated by a
BMW center. Labels in the rear door open-
ing should indicate the status of your rear
seat side airbags. If you are uncertain of
their status, or wish to have the airbags
activated or deactivated, please contact
your BMW center.<
For information on the correct sitting posi-
tion, refer to page 36.
Do not apply adhesive materials to
the cover panels of the airbags, cover
them or modify them in any other way.
Do not attempt to remove the airbag reten-tion system from the vehicle. Never modify
or tamper with either the wiring or the indi-
vidual components in the airbag system.
This category includes the upholstery in the
center of the steering wheel, on the instru-
ment panel, the side trim panels on the
doors and the roof pillars along with the
sides of the headliner. Do not attempt to
remove or dismantle the steering wheel.
Do not touch the individual components
directly after the system has been trig-
gered, because there is a danger of burns.
If you note any indication of system mal-
function, if you desire to have an airbag
deactivated, or if the airbag retention sys-
tem is triggered in response to an accident,
you should always entrust all inspection,
repair and dismantling operations to your
BMW center.
Unprofessional attempts to service the sys-
tem could lead to failure in an emergency
or undesired airbag activation, either of
which could result in personal injury.
To ensure compliance with official safety
regulations, please also entrust disposal of
airbag generators to a BMW center.<
Airbag warning information is also provided
on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of the front
passenger airbags
Your BMW has a seat occupation detection
system. By evaluating the weight on the
front passenger's seat, the system detects
whether or not the seat is occupied by a
child in the child-restraint system or an
adult.

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Head-Up Display*
The concept
The Head-Up Display can be used to
project important information into the field
of vision of the driver, e.g. instructions of
the navigation system. You can assimilate
this information without taking your eyes off
the road.
Switching on/off
In ignition key position 2:
Press button 2 to activate or deactivate this
system.
1Instructions of the navigation system
2Cruise control or
Active cruise control
3Speed The Head-Up Display can also be activated
and deactivated with the two programma-
ble function buttons on the steering wheel.
Programing button functions, refer to
page 44.
Specifying selected displays
You can specify which information is to
appear in the Head-Up Display for a spe-
cific key.
Make all entries with the vehicle sta-
tionary. If you are inattentive, you may
be in violation of the law, and can endanger
vehicle occupants and other road users.<
Control Center, for principle details, refer to
page 16:
1.Open the start menu by pressing the
button.
1.Open the menu by pressing the con-
troller
2.Select "Display settings" and press the
controller
3.Select "HUD selection" and press the
controller