warning light BMW M5 2010 User Guide

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
86 "TPM active" appears on the Control Display.
One wheel is yellow
Flat tire or a major drop in inflation pressure in
the indicated tire. A message appears on the
Control Display.
All wheels are yellow
Flat tire or a major drop in inflation pressure in
several tires. A message appears on the Control
Display.
Gray
The system cannot detect a flat tire.
Reasons for this can be:
>TPM is being reset
>Temporary interference due to systems or
devices which use the same radio fre-
quency
>Malfunction
Resetting system
Reset the system again after each correc-
tion of the tire inflation pressure and after
every tire or wheel change.<
Resetting finishes during driving, which can be
interrupted at any time. When driving resumes,
resetting is continued automatically.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Vehicle / Tires" and press the con-
troller.5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "TPM" is selected and press
the controller.
6.Start the engine, but do not start driving.
7.Select "Reset" and press the controller.
8.Select "Yes" and press the controller.
9.Start to drive.
The tires are shown in gray and "Resetting
TPM..." is displayed.
After a few minutes of driving, the set tire infla-
tion pressures in the tires are applied as the set
values to be monitored. Resetting finishes dur-
ing driving. The tires are shown in green on the
Control Display.
If a flat tire is detected during resetting
and applying the tire inflation pressures,
all tires are shown in yellow on the Control Dis-
play. The message "Tire low!" is displayed.<
Message with low tire inflation
pressure
The warning lamp lights up yellow. A
message appears on the Control Dis-
play. In addition, an acoustic signal
sounds. There is a flat tire or extensive inflation
pressure loss.

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1.Reduce speed and stop the vehicle care-
fully. Avoid sudden braking and steering
maneuvers.
2.If all four wheels are shown in yellow, iden-
tify the damaged tire on the vehicle.
3.Repairing flat tire with M Mobility System,
refer to page225, or replace the damaged
wheel or wheels, refer to Changing wheels*
on page227.
The spare tire
* is equipped with the necessary
TPM electronics and is also monitored after
mounting and after resetting the system.
Have the tire replaced by a BMW center or a
workshop informed on handling TPM which
works according to BMW repair procedures
with correspondingly trained personnel.
Malfunction
The yellow warning lamp flashes and
then lights up continuously. The tires
are shown in gray on the Control Dis-
play and a message is displayed. No flat tire can
be detected.
A message like this is displayed in the following
situations:
>In case of a malfunction;
have the system checked.
>If a wheel is mounted without TPM elec-
tronics.
>If TPM is temporarily interfered with by
other systems or devices which use the
same radio frequency.
Declaration according to NHTSA/
FMVSS 138 Tire Pressure Monitoring
Systems
Each tire, including the spare*, should be
checked monthly when cold and inflated to the
inflation pressure recommended by the vehicle
manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire infla-
tion pressure label. If your vehicle has tires of a
different size than the size indicated on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label,
you should determine the proper tire inflation
pressure for those tires. As an added safety fea-
ture, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system, TPMS, that illumi-
nates a low tire pressure telltale when one or
more of your tires are significantly underin-
flated. Accordingly, when the low tire pressure
telltale illuminates, you should stop and check
your tires as soon as possible, and inflate them
to the proper pressure. Driving on a significantly
underinflated tire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire failure. Underinflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and
may affect the vehicle's handling and stopping
ability. Please note that the TPMS is not a sub-
stitute for proper tire maintenance, and it is the
driver's responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if underinflation has not reached
the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS low
tire pressure telltale.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is combined
with the low tire pressure telltale. When the sys-
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale will flash
for approximately one minute and then remain
continuously illuminated. This sequence will
continue upon subsequent vehicle startups as
long as the malfunction exists. When the mal-
function indicator lights up, the system may not
be able to detect or signal low tire pressure as
intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for a
variety of reasons, including the installation of
replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the
vehicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.

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emergency or undesired airbag triggering,
either of which could result in personal injury.<
Warnings and information on the airbags is also
provided on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of front
passenger airbags
The occupation of the seat is detected by eval-
uating the impression on the occupied seat sur-
face of the front passenger seat. The front and
side airbags on the front passenger side are
activated or deactivated accordingly by the sys-
tem.
The current status of the front passenger
airbag, i.e. deactivated or activated, is
indicated by the indicator lamp over the interior
rearview mirror, refer to Operating state of front
passenger airbags in the following.<
Before transporting a child on the front
passenger seat, observe the safety infor-
mation and handling instructions under Trans-
porting children safely refer to page54.
The front and side airbags on the front passen-
ger side can be deactivated for teenagers and
adults in certain sitting positions; then the indi-
cator lamp for the front passenger airbags lights
up. In these cases, change the sitting position
so that the front passenger airbags are acti-
vated and the indicator lamp goes out. If the
desired status cannot be produced by changing
the sitting position, transport the correspond-
ing person on the rear seat. Do not fit seat cov-
ers, seat cushion padding, ball mats or other
items onto the front passenger seat unless they
are specifically recommended by BMW. Do not
lay objects under the seat which could press
against the seat from below. Otherwise a cor-
rect evaluation of the occupied seat surface
cannot be ensured.<
Operating state of front passenger
airbags
Depending on the vehicle's equipment, the
arrangement of the switches and indicator
lamps may differ somewhat.
The indicator lamp for the front passenger air-
bags indicates the operating status of the front
and side airbags on the front passenger side
depending on the seat occupation. The indica-
tor lamp shows whether the front passenger
airbags are activated or deactivated.
>The indicator lamp lights up when a child in
a child restraint system intended for the
purpose is properly detected on the seat.
The front and side airbags on the front pas-
senger side are not activated.
Most child's seats are detected by the
system. Especially the child's seats
required by the NHTSA at the time the vehicle is
manufactured. After installing a child's seat,
make sure that the indicator lamp for the front
passenger airbags lights up. This indicates that
the child's seat has been detected and the front
passenger airbags are not activated.<
>The indicator lamp does not light up if, for
example, the system detects a person of
sufficient size seated correctly on the seat.
The front and side airbags on the front pas-
senger side are activated.
>The indicator lamp does not light up when
the seat is empty.
However, the front and side airbags on the
front passenger side are not activated.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
90
Operational readiness of airbag system
From radio readiness, refer to page57, the
warning lamp lights up briefly, indicating the
operational readiness of the entire airbag sys-
tem and the safety belt tensioners.
Airbag system malfunction
>Warning lamp does not light up from radio
readiness.
>Warning lamp lights up continuously.
Have the airbag system checked immedi-
ately in case of a malfunction, otherwise
there is a danger that the airbag system may not
respond in the expected manner in an accident
despite an impact of corresponding intensity.<
Head-Up Display*
The concept
With the Head-Up Display important informa-
tion is projected into the driver's field of view,
e.g. navigation instructions. This enables you to
take in this information without looking away
from the road.
Switching on/off
Press the button.
Selecting displays
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Display settings" and press the
controller.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Head-Up Display" is
selected and press the controller.
6.Change into the second field from the top.
Turn the controller until "Head-Up Display"
is selected and press the controller.

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7.Select desired information of Head-Up Dis-
play.
8.Press the controller.
The information appears in the Head-
Up Display.
"M View": the M view appears in the
Head-Up Display. Information unavailable in
the M view appears on the Control Display
in gray and cannot be selected.
"M View": the default view is displayed.
The M view for the Head-Up Display can also be
selected with the button on the steering
wheel, refer to MDrive on page52.
The settings are stored for the remote control
currently in use.
Default view
1Navigation instructions
2Stored desired speed of cruise control
3Speed
M view
1Current engine speed, highlighted
2Advance warning field of tachometer
3Red warning field of tachometer, also refer
to Tachometer on page67
4Speed
5Gear display
For information on the shift lights in the
tachometer, refer to page63.
Setting brightness
The brightness of the display is adapted to the
ambient lighting conditions. However, you can
change the basic setting.
With the low beams switched on, the brightness
can also be adjusted with the knurled wheel of
the instrument lighting.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Display settings" and press the
controller.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Head-Up Display" is
selected and press the controller.

Under the hood
214 Do not add engine oil. Before continuing to
drive, note the recalculated remaining mile-
age until the next oil change service, refer to
Service requirements on page70. Have the
system checked as soon as possible.
Adding engine oil
Do not add oil until a value slightly above the
minimum of 0.0 US quarts/liters is displayed by
the oil level measurement. In this area a mes-
sage is also shown on the Control Display.
Add oil within the next 125 miles/200 km,
otherwise the engine could be damaged.
Add a maximum of 1 US quart/1 liter of oil; oth-
erwise, the engine may be damaged by adding
too much oil.
Add at least 0.5 US quart/0.5 liter of oil; other-
wise, the oil level check cannot reliably display
the current oil level.<
Please conduct a fast measurement after
adding engine oil to check the oil quantity
added and to update the display.<
Continuous exposure to used oil has
caused cancer in laboratory testing.
For this reason, any skin areas that come into
contact with oil should be thoroughly washed
with soap and water.
Keep oil, grease etc. out of reach of children and
observe the warnings on the containers to pre-
vent health risks.<
Oil change
Have oil changed only at your BMW center or
at a workshop that works according to BMW
repair procedures with correspondingly trained
personnel.
Approved engine oils
The quality of the engine oil selected has critical
significance for the operation and service life of
an engine. BMW continuously approves spe-
cific oils after confirming their suitability for use
in its vehicles with extensive testing.
Do not use oil additives, as these may
result in engine damage.<
Your BMW center will be happy to answer
detailed questions on BMW High Perfor-
mance Synthetic Oil or approved synthetic
oils.<
You can also call BMW of North America at
1-800-831-1117 or visit the website at
www.bmwusa.com to obtain this information.
Viscosity grades
Viscosity is a measure of an oil's flow rating and
is specified in SAE grades.
Approved oils belong to the SAE grade
10W-60.<
Alternative oil grades
If BMW High Performance Synthetic Oil is
unavailable, you can add small quantities of
other synthetic oils between oil changes.
Only use oils with the following specifications:
>Viscosity
preferred: SAE 10W-60;
alternative: SAE 10W-40, SAE 5W-50 or
SAE 10W-50
>Specification
API SJ/CF, API SK/CF or higher
Low ambient temperatures
The oils used by BMW from the factory for your
vehicle model can be used at virtually all ambi-
ent temperatures. However, if the vehicle is
operated for a longer period at temperatures
below –47/–206, your BMW center will be
happy to recommend a suitable oil.

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Socket for OBD Onboard
Diagnostics interface
Components which are decisive for the
exhaust-gas composition can be checked via
the OBD socket with a device.
This socket is located to the left on the driver's
side, on the underside of the instrument panel
under a cover.
Exhaust-gas values
The warning lamp lights up. The
exhaust-gas values worsen. Have the
vehicle checked as soon as possible.
Display of the previously described
malfunction in Canadian models.
The lamp flashes under certain condi-
tions. This is a sign of excessive misfiring of the
engine. In this case you should reduce speed
and drive to the nearest BMW center as soon as
possible. Heavy engine misfiring causes seri-
ous damage to the emission-relevant compo-
nents, especially the catalytic converter, within
a short time.
If the fuel filler cap is not properly tight-
ened, the OBD system will assume that
fuel vapor escapes. Then a display lights up. If
the cap is then tightened, the display will go out
within a few days.<
Event Data Recorders
Your vehicle may be equipped with one or sev-
eral measuring and diagnosis modules, or with
a device for recording or transmitting certain
vehicle data or information. If you have also sub-
scribed to BMW Assist, certain vehicle data can be transmitted or recorded to enable corre-
sponding services.

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4.Screw dust cap off valve of defective wheel
and screw filling hose2 of sealant bottle
onto valve.
5.Insert sealant bottle on compressor hous-
ing so that it is positioned upright.
6.Make sure that the device is switched off,
position 0.
7.Insert connector3 into lighter socket in
vehicle interior, refer to page109.
8.With the ignition switched on:
Switch on the device and allow to run for
approx. 3 minutes to fill wheel with sealant.
It is not important what inflation pressure
the tire has after filling.
9.Switch off device.
10.Remove connecting hose from connection
of sealant bottle and tire valve.
Stow the M Mobility System in the vehicle
again.
Distributing sealant
Immediately drive approx. 2 miles/3 km so that
sealant is evenly distributed in tire.
Do not exceed a maximum speed of
35 mph/60 km/h. Do not drop below
12 mph/20 km/h if possible.<
Producing tire inflation pressure
1.After approx. 2 miles/3 km, stop at suitable
location.
2.Screw compressor hose9 directly onto tire
valve.
3.Insert connector 3 in lighter socket in vehi-
cle interior.4.Correct tire inflation pressure to 29 psi/
200 kPa. With the ignition switched on:
>Increase inflation pressure: switch on
compressor, position I. To check cur-
rently set inflation pressure, briefly
switch off device.
Do not allow compressor to run
longer than 10 minutes, otherwise
the device will overheat and may be dam-
aged.<
>Reduce inflation pressure: press
button8 or turn screw8 on pressure
gauge.
If the inflation pressure is not held, drive
the vehicle again, refer to Distributing
sealant. Then repeat steps 1 to 4 once.
Using the M Mobility System can be ineffective
in the event of tire damage greater than
approx. 0.16 in/4 mm in size. Please contact the
nearest BMW center, refer to page232, or a
workshop that works according to BMW repair
procedures with correspondingly trained per-
sonnel if the tire cannot be made ready for driv-
ing with the M Mobility System.<
The tire inflation pressure must be at least
29 psi/200 kPa. Otherwise do not con-
tinue driving.<
Continue driving
Do not exceed the permissible maximum
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h, otherwise
accidents can occur.<
Reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor.
For details, refer to page84.
Have the defective tire and the sealant bottle of
the M Mobility System replaced as soon as
possible.<
Changing wheels*
Safety precautions in the event of a flat
tire or wheel change: Park the vehicle as
far as possible from passing traffic and on solid
ground. Switch on the hazard warning flashers.
Apply the handbrake and shift into first gear or
reverse with the manual transmission, or move

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Giving and receiving assistance
Emergency request
Conditions for an emergency request:
>Full preparation package mobile phone.
With this equipment, an emergency request
is still possible when no mobile phone is
paired with the vehicle.
>BMW Assist is activated.
Activating BMW Assist, refer to page197.
>Radio readiness is activated.
>The BMW Assist system is logged on to a
mobile phone network.
>The emergency request system is opera-
ble.
Once your BMW Assist subscription expires,
the BMW Assist system can be deactivated by
a BMW center without you having to visit a
workshop. Once the BMW Assist system has
been deactivated, emergency requests are not
possible. The BMW Assist system can be reac-
tivated by a BMW center after signing a new
contract.
Initiating an emergency request
1.Briefly press protective cover to open.
Depending on the vehicle's equipment, the
arrangement of the switches and indicator
lamps may differ somewhat.
2.Press the SOS button for at least
2seconds.
The LED in the button lights up. As soon as the
voice connection to the BMW Assist Response
Center has been established, the LED flashes.Even if you are unable to answer, the BMW
Assist Response Center can take further steps
to help you under certain conditions.
If conditions allow, remain in the vehicle until
the connection has been established. You will
then be able to provide a detailed description of
the situation.
If the current position of your vehicle can be
determined, it will be transmitted to the BMW
Assist Response Center.
If the LED is flashing but the BMW Assist
Response Center cannot be heard over the
hands-free system, it is possible that the
hands-free system is malfunctioning. The BMW
Assist Response Center may still be able to
hear you, though.
Under certain conditions, an emergency
request is automatically initiated immediately
after a severe accident. Pressing the button
does not interfere with this.
For technical reasons, the emergency request
cannot be guaranteed under unfavorable condi-
tions.
You can also use other services of
BMW Assist with this button, refer to
page191.<
Warning triangle*
The warning triangle is located in the luggage
compartment lid.
Loosen the wing nut to open.

Giving and receiving assistance
234 This then requires increased effort for braking
and steering.<
Switch on the hazard warning flashers depend-
ing on the local regulations. If the electrical sys-
tem fails, mark the vehicle to be towed, e.g. with
a sign or warning triangle in the rear window.
Manual transmission
Gearshift lever in neutral position.
Sequential Manual Transmission with
Drivelogic
Make sure that selector lever position N is
engaged with the ignition switched on, as
otherwise the engine can be damaged during
towing.<
Towing methods
Do not lift vehicle by tow fitting or body
and chassis parts, otherwise damage may
result.<
In some countries, towing with tow bars or
ropes in public traffic is not permitted. Familiar-
ize yourself with the regulations on towing in the
respective country.
With tow bar
The towing vehicle may not be lighter
than the vehicle to be towed, otherwise it
will not be possible to reliably control vehicle
response.<
The tow fittings used should be on the same
side on both vehicles. Should it prove impossi-
ble to avoid mounting the tow bar at an offset
angle, please observe the following:
>Clearance and maneuvering capability will
be sharply limited during cornering.
>When mounted at an angle, the tow bar will
exert lateral forces, tending to push the
vehicle sideways.
Only attach the tow bar to the tow fittings,
as attachment to other vehicle parts can
lead to damage.<
With tow rope
When starting off in the towing vehicle, make
sure that the tow rope is taut.
To avoid jerking and the associated
stresses on vehicle components when
towing, always use nylon ropes or nylon straps.
Only attach tow ropes to the tow fittings, as
attachment to other vehicle parts can lead to
damage.<
With tow truck
Do not tow the vehicle with only the front
or rear axle raised, as otherwise the
engine may be damaged or the steering can
turn to the left or right.<
Have the BMW transported only on a flatbed
surface.
Tow-starting
Do not tow-start the vehicle if possible, but
instead start the engine by means of jump start-
ing, refer to page232. With a catalytic con-
verter, the vehicle should only be tow-started
with the engine cold.
Manual transmission
1.Switch on the hazard warning flashers,
comply with country-specific regulations.
2.Switch on the ignition, refer to page57.
3.Shift into 3rd gear.
4.Tow-start with the clutch completely
depressed and slowly release the clutch.
After the engine starts, immediately
depress the clutch again completely.