brake fluid BMW 550I GRAN TURISMO 2011 Owners Manual

For your own safety
Maintenance and repairs
Advanced technology, e.g., the use of modern
materials
and high-performance electronics, re‐
quires suitable maintenance and repair meth‐
ods.
Therefore, have this work performed only by a
BMW center or a workshop that works accord‐
ing to BMW repair procedures with appropri‐
ately trained personnel.
If this work is not carried out properly, there is
the danger of subsequent damage and related
safety hazards.
Parts and Accessories
For your own safety, use genuine parts and ac‐
cessories approved by BMW. When you pur‐
chase accessories tested and approved by
BMW and Genuine BMW Parts, you simultane‐
ously 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 de‐
fects in material and workmanship. BMW will not
accept any liability for damage resulting from in‐
stallation of parts and accessories 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
vehicle, its operation, or its occupants. Genuine
BMW Parts, BMW Accessories and other prod‐
ucts approved by BMW, together with profes‐
sional 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 trans‐
ceiver equipment, for instance, CBs, walkie-
talkies, ham radios or similar accessories, may
cause extensive damage to the vehicle, com‐
promise its safety, interfere with the vehicle's
electrical system or affect the validity of the
BMW Limited Warranty. See your BMW center for additional information. Maintenance, re‐
placement,
or repair of the emission control de‐
vices and systems may be performed by any au‐
tomotive repair establishment or individual
using any certified automotive part.
California Proposition 65 Warning
California laws require us to state the following
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of automobile
components and parts, including components
found in the interior furnishings in a vehicle, con‐
tain or emit chemicals known to the State of Cal‐
ifornia to cause cancer and birth defects and re‐
productive 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 accessories
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.
Service and warranty
We recommend that you read this publication
thoroughly. Your vehicle is covered by the fol‐
lowing warranties:
▷ 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.
Your vehicle has been specifically adapted and
designed to meet the particular operating con‐
ditions and homologation requirements in your
country

and continental region in order to deliver
the full driving pleasure while the vehicle is op‐
erated under those conditions. If you wish to op‐
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7Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 606 445 - 03 11 490

Reference Mobility Communication Entertainment Navigation Driving tips Controls At a glance

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.
You can increase the engine's braking effect by
shifting down in the manual mode of the auto‐
matic transmission, refer to page 73.
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.
Loading
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 limit 1.
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. Seite 148
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Things to remember when driving

Maintenance
BMW Maintenance System
The maintenance system directs you to re‐
quired
maintenance measures and thereby sup‐
ports you in maintaining road safety and the op‐
erational reliability of the vehicle.
Condition Based Service CBS
Sensors and special algorithms take into ac‐
count the driving conditions of your vehicle.
Based on this, Condition Based Service deter‐
mines the maintenance requirements.
The system makes it possible to adapt the
amount of maintenance you need to your user
profile.
Details on the service requirements, refer to
page 82, can be displayed on the Control Dis‐
play.
Service data in the remote control
Information on the required maintenance is con‐
tinuously stored in the remote control. Your
service center will read out this data and suggest
the right array of service procedures for your ve‐
hicle.
Therefore, hand your service specialist the re‐
mote control that you used most recently.
Storage periods
Storage periods during which the vehicle bat‐
tery was disconnected are not taken into ac‐
count.
If this occurs, have a service center update the
time-dependent maintenance procedures,
such as checking brake fluid and, if necessary,
changing the engine oil and the microfilter/acti‐
vated-charcoal filter. Service and Warranty
Information Booklet for US
models and Warranty and
Service Guide Booklet for
Canadian models
Please
consult your Service and Warranty Infor‐
mation Booklet for US models and Warranty and
Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models for
additional information on service requirements.
Maintenance and repair should be performed by
your service center. Make sure to have regular
maintenance procedures recorded in the vehi‐
cle's Service and Warranty Information Booklet
for US models, and in the Warranty and Service
Guide Booklet for Canadian models. These en‐
tries are proof of regular maintenance.
Socket for OBD Onboard
Diagnosis There is an OBD socket on the driver's side for
checking

the primary components in the vehicle
emissions.
Emissions
▷The warning lamp lights up:
Emissions are deteriorating. Have
the

vehicle checked as soon as pos‐
sible.
▷ The warning lamp flashes under cer‐
tain circumstances: Seite 256
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Maintenance

Everything from A to Z
Index
A
ABS, Antilock Brake Sys‐
tem 99
ACC, Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go 106
Activated-charcoal filter 130
Active Blind Spot Detec‐ tion 96
Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go, ACC 106
Active seat, front 52
Active seat ventilation, front 52
Active seat ventilation, rear 55
Active Steering, integral 102
Adaptive brake assistant 99
Adaptive brake lights, refer to Brake force display 98
Adaptive drive 101
Adaptive light control 86
Adaptive
light control, bulb re‐
placement 259
Additional telephone 210
Additives, oil 254
Adjustments, seats/head re‐ straints 49
Airbags 89
Airbags, indicator/warning light 90
Air circulation, refer to Recir‐ culated-air mode 128
Air distribution, manual 127
Air drying, refer to Cooling function 129
Air pressure, tires 243
Air vents, refer to Ventila‐ tion 130
Air volume, automatic climate control 128
Alarm system 44
Alarm, unintentional 45 All around the center con‐
sole 17
All around the headliner 18
All around the steering wheel 12
ALL program, automatic cli‐ mate control 129
All-season tires, refer to Win‐ ter tires 249
All-wheel-drive 100
Alternating-code hand-held transmitter 134
Alternative oil types 254
AM/FM station 174
Announcement, navigation, refer to Spoken instruc‐
tions 163
Antifreeze, washer fluid 73
Antilock Brake System, ABS 99
Anti-slip control, refer to DSC 99
Appointments 226
Approved engine oils 254
Apps 236
Armrest, refer to Center arm‐ rest 140
Arrival time 80
Ashtray 135
Assist 232
Assistance, Roadside Assis‐ tance 265
Assistance when driving off 99
Audio playback 181
Audio playback, Blue‐ tooth 196
AUTO intensity 128
Automatic car wash 269
Automatic climate con‐ trol 127
Automatic Cruise Control with Stop & Go 106 Automatic Curb Monitor
60
Automatic deactivation, front passenger airbags 90
Automatic headlamp con‐ trol 86
Automatic Hold 69
Automatic locking 39
Automatic recirculated-air control 128
Automatic Soft Closing, doors 39
Automatic Soft Closing, tail‐ gate 40
Automatic transmission with Steptronic 73
Automatic trunk lid 40
AUTO program, automatic cli‐ mate control 128
AUTO program, intensity 128
AUX-IN port 192
Average fuel consumption 79
Average speed 79
Axle loads, weights 275
B
Backrest curvature, refer to Lumbar support 51
Backrest, seats 49
Backrest, width 51
Back seats, adjusting 53
Backup camera 119
Backup lamps, bulb replace‐ ment 261
Balance 172
Band-Aids, refer to First aid kit 265
Bar for tow-starting/tow‐ ing 267
Basic position, rear seats 54
Bass 172
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Everything from A to Z