air condition BMW 540I SEDAN 2003 Owners Manual

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

Controls and features

Passenger safety systems:

Airbags59
Transporting children safely62
Vehicle Memory, Key
Memory67

Driving:

Steering/Ignition lock68
Starting the engine68
Switching off the engine70
Parking brake70
Manual transmission71
Automatic transmission72
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic75
Indicator/Headlamp flasher78
Washer/Wiper system/Rain
sensor78
Cruise control80

Everything under control:

Odometer, outside temperature
display82
Tachometer83
Energy control83
Fuel gauge83
Coolant temperature gauge84
Service Interval Display84
Check Control85
Computer88
Multi-Information Display
(MID)89
Digital clock in the MID90
Computer in the MID93

Technology for safety and
driving convenience:

Park Distance Control (PDC)98
Automatic Stability Control plus
Traction (ASC+T)/Dynamic
Stability Control (DSC)99
Self-leveling suspension 101
Tire Pressure Monitor (RDC)101

Lamps:

Parking lamps/Low beams103
Instrument lighting104
High beams/Standing
lamps104
Fog lamps104
Interior lamps105
Reading lamps105

Controlling the climate for
pleasant driving:

Air conditioning106
Automatic climate control109
Roller sun blind114
Parked-car ventilation
system114

Cabin convenience:

BMW Universal Transmitter115
Glove compartment118
Storage compartments118
Cellular phone119
Beverage holder119
Ashtray, front119
Cigarette lighter120
Ashtray, rear120

Loading and transporting
cargo:

Through-loading system121
Ski bag122
sport wagon:
Cargo area125
Roll-up cover125
Partition net125
Storage areas in the luggage
compartment126
Cargo loading128
Roof-mounted luggage rack129

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OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

Status at time of printing

BMW pursues a policy of continuous,
ongoing development designed to
ensure that our vehicles continue to
embody the highest quality and safety
standards combined with advanced,
state-of-the-art technology. For this
reason, it is possible that the features
described in this Owner's Manual could
differ from those on your vehicle. Nor
can errors and omissions be entirely
ruled out. We therefore request your
understanding for the fact that we are
unable to recognize any legal claims
based on the data, illustrations or
descriptions in this manual.

For your own safety

Use unleaded gasoline only. Fuels
containing up to and including
10 % ethanol or other oxygenates with
up to 2.8 % oxygen by weight Ð i.e.
15 % MTBE or 3 % methanol plus an
equivalent amount of co-solvent Ð will
not void the applicable warranties
covering defects in materials or work-
manship. Field experience has indi-
cated significant differences in fuel
quality Ð volatility, composition, addi-
tives, etc. among gasolines offered for
sale in the United States and Canada.
The use of poor-quality fuels may result
in driveability, starting and stalling
problems, especially under certain
environmental conditions, such as high
ambient temperature and high altitude.
Should you encounter driveability prob-
lems that you suspect could be related
to the fuel you are using, we recom-
mend that you respond by switching to
a recognized high-quality brand.
Failure to comply with these recom-
mendations may result in unscheduled
maintenance.
Obey pertinent safety rules when you
are handling gasoline.

<



Important safety information!
For your own safety, use genuine
parts and accessories approved by
BMW.
When you purchase accessories tested
and approved by BMW and Original
BMW Parts, you simultaneously acquire
the assurance that they have been thor-
oughly tested by BMW to ensure
optimum performance when installed
on your vehicle.
BMW warrants these parts to be free
from defects in material and workman-
ship.
BMW will not accept any liability for
damages resulting from installation of
parts and accessories not approved by
BMW.
BMW cannot test every product from
other manufacturers to verify if it can be
used on a BMW safely and without risk
to either the vehicle, its operation, or its
occupants.
Original BMW Parts, BMW Accessories
and other products approved by BMW,
together with professional advice on
using these items, are available from all
BMW centers.

The individual vehicle
Status at time of printing

Notes

22n
Steering wheel with multifunction buttonsThe controls integrated within the multi-
function steering wheel (MFL) and the
sports steering wheel
* have been
designed to allow you to operate a
number of accessories both quickly and
safely, without taking your eyes from
the road:
>selected control functions for the
radio along with CD and cassette
player
>recirculated-air control of the air
conditioner system or the steering
wheel heating
* (MFL only)
>the cruise control
>selected phone functions
* and
>voice entry
*.
The controls are active only when
the corresponding systems and
accessories are switched on.<
Press briefly:
Receive a phone call, initiate dialing,
terminate a call.
Extended pressure:
Activate/deactivate voice entry.
Switch between phone and radio, cas-
sette and CD.
Forward:
>Radio
Press briefly: station scan in FM band
Extended pressure: search function
>CD
Press briefly: track scan
Extended pressure: search function
in track
>Cassette
Press briefly: stop track scan or fast
forward
Extended pressure: fast forward
>Phone
Scan personal phone book.
Reverse: functions as forward.
Volume
Cruise control: to select a stored set-
ting.
Cruise control: store and accelerate (+)
or decelerate and store (Ð).
Cruise control: activate/interrupt/deac-
tivate.
Recirculated-air mode and automatic
recirculated-air control (AUC) or
steering wheel heating: activate/deacti-
vate.

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Luggage compartment lid/TailgateClosing Ð sport wagonYou can pull the tailgate down by
placing both hands in the handle
recesses (arrows).
To close the tailgate, merely press it
down gently. The closing process will
then be carried out automatically.392de689
To avoid injuries, be sure that the
travel path of the luggage com-
partment lid/tailgate is clear when it is
closed, observing the same precautions
as with all closing procedures.
Operate the vehicle only when the lug-
gage compartment lid/tailgate or rear
window is completely closed. Other-
wise, exhaust fumes could penetrate
the interior of the vehicle. Should it be
absolutely necessary to operate the
vehicle with the luggage compartment
lid/tailgate or rear window open:
>Close all windows. Shut the sliding/
tilt sunroof
>Increase the air supply for the air
conditioner or automatic climate
control to a high level. Refer to
page 107 or 111.<
Emergency release Ð sedan onlyThis lever releases the luggage com-
partment lid from the luggage compart-
ment's interior.390de792

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Automatic transmission
*
Before leaving the vehicle when
the engine is running, move the
selector lever to the "Park" or "Neutral"
position and apply the parking brake to
prevent the vehicle from rolling.
Never leave the vehicle unattended
with the engine running. An unattended
vehicle with a running engine repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.
If you should accidentally select
"Neutral" while traveling at high speed,
remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal immediately. Allow the engine
speed to drop to idle before selecting
the desired drive position. Damage
could otherwise occur due to excessive
engine speed.<
P ParkSelect only when the vehicle is com-
pletely stopped. The transmission locks
to prevent the rear wheels from turning.R ReverseSelect only when the vehicle is com-
pletely stopped.
N Neutral (idle)Select only if your journey is interrupted
for a longer period.D Drive
(automatic shift program)This position is designed for driving
under all normal operating conditions.
All forward gears are available.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel
consumption is lowest when driving in
position D.4 Ð Sport ProgramThe Sport Program is designed for per-
formance-oriented driving.
3 and 2 Ð shift limiterSelect this range when you wish to limit
gear changes (on steep uphill or down-
hill slopes, for instance). The transmis-
sion shifts up only as far as the selected
gear limit."Kickdown" In the "kickdown" mode, you achieve
maximum performance.
Depress the accelerator pedal past the
resistance point at the full-throttle posi-
tion.

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Automatic transmission with Steptronic
*
You can drive as with a normal auto-
matic transmission. In addition, you can
also shift manually.
When you move the selector lever from
the "D" position to the left into the M/S
range, the performance-oriented shift
programs of the automatic transmission
are engaged. Steptronic enters the
manual selection mode and executes
the desired shift whenever you tap the
selector lever in the direction indicated
by "+" or "Ð." When you wish to use the
automatic transmission mode again,
move the selector lever to the right into
the "D" position.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel
consumption is lowest when driving in
position D.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S
Starting the engineThe engine can only be started in
selector lever positions P or N.390us607
Range selectionA detent prevents inadvertent shifts to
the "Reverse" or "Park" selector lever
positions. To disengage the detent,
press the button on the front side of
the selector lever knob (arrow).
While the vehicle is stationary and
before shifting out of "Park" or
"Neutral," depress the footbrake in
order to disengage the selector lever's
lock mechanism (Shiftlock).
Hold the footbrake down until starting
off. The vehicle will otherwise "creep"
when a drive position is engaged.< 390de718

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Tachometer Energy control Fuel gaugeDo not operate the engine with the
needle in the red overspeed zone of the
gauge.
To protect the engine, the engine-man-
agement system interrupts the fuel
supply when you approach this sector.390us004
Indicates the current fuel consumption
in mpg (in liters/100 km on Canadian
vehicles). This allows you to see
whether your current driving style is
conducive to fuel economy with
minimum exhaust emissions.
When the vehicle is stationary, the dis-
play goes to "Maximum" (zero on Cana-
dian models).390us005
When you switch on the ignition, the
indicator lamp comes on briefly to
confirm that the system is operational.
If the indicator lamp stays on, there are
approx.
>2.0 gal (8 liters) Ð
BMW 525i, BMW 530i
>2.5 gal (10 liters) Ð BMW 540i
of fuel still in the tank.
Tank capacity: refer to page 175
Certain operating conditions (such as
those encountered in mountainous
areas) may cause the needle to fluc-
tuate slightly.
Please refuel early, since driving
to the last drop of fuel can result in
damage to the engine and/or catalytic
converter.< 390us006

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1 Airflow directed toward the
windshield and side windows
2 Airflow for the upper body
area108
3 Footwell ventilation
4 Rear footwell ventilation 5 Airflow for the upper body area
in the rear seat108
6 Temperature107
7 Air distribution 1078 Air supply107
9 Rear window defroster107
10 Cooling107
11 Recirculated-air mode107
Air conditioning
390us742

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Air conditioningTemperature
The graduations on the dial
provide general reference
values for the interior temper-
ature. We recommend 70 7
(22 6) as a comfortable setting. When
you start the vehicle, this system
adjusts the air to the selected tempera-
ture as quickly as possible, and then
maintains that temperature constantly.
Air distribution
You can direct the emerging
air toward the windows ,
toward your upper body or
into the footwell . All inter-
mediate settings are also available. In
the setting, there is a low flow of air
onto the windows to keep them free of
condensation.
Air supply
You can control the emerging
air's flow rate through an infi-
nitely-variable range. The
heating and ventilation
become more and more effective as the
air supply settings are increased. In the
"0" setting, the blower and climate con-
trol are switched off and the outside air
supply is blocked.
Rear window defroster
The indicator lamp comes
on to indicate that the rear
window defroster is in operation. The
rear window defroster switches off
automatically.
Cooling
The air conditioning cools
and dehumidifies the
incoming air before reheating it to the
selected temperature. Depending on
the weather, the windshield may fog
over briefly when the engine is started.
You can reduce condensation forming
on the windows by switching on the air
conditioning.
Condensation forms in the air
conditioning system during opera-
tion, which then exits under the vehicle.
Traces of condensed water of this kind
are thus normal.<
Recirculated-air mode
You can respond to
unpleasant odors in the sur-
rounding environment by using this
mode to temporarily suspend the flow
of outside air into the vehicle's interior.
The system then recirculates the air
currently within the vehicle.
If your vehicle is equipped with a multi-
function steering wheel
featuring a
recirculated-air button then you can
also select the recirculated-air mode
from this location (refer to page 22).
If the windows should fog over in
the recirculated-air mode, switch
the recirculated-air mode off and
increase the air supply as required.<

108n
Air conditioningDraft-free ventilation You can adjust the vent outlets for the
upper body area for optimal personal
comfort:
1 Rotary dials for opening and closing
the vent outlets through an infinitely-
variable range
2 Levers for adjusting airflow direction
3 Rotary dial allows you to control the
temperature of the airflow as desired:
>Turn toward blue Ð colder
>Turn toward red Ð warmer.390de685
Rear passenger area ventilation1 Rotary dial for opening and closing
the vent outlets through an infinitely
variable range
2 Levers for selecting airflow direction.
The air that flows out here is somewhat
cooler than the air delivered to the foot-
well.Microfilter The microfilter removes dust and pollen
from the incoming air. Your BMW
center will replace it during routine
maintenance. A substantial reduction in
airflow indicates that the filter needs to
be replaced early.390de687
To defrost windows and remove
condensation 1. Use the rotary temperature dial to set
the system for an interior tempera-
ture that you find comfortable, such
as 70 7 (22 6)
2. Set the air distribution rotary dial
to
3. Set the blower/air supply rotary dial
completely to the right
4. Close the vent outlets in the rear
seating area
5. Switch on the rear window defroster
to defrost the rear window.390us710