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EnglishMobility -> Under the hood for your BMW 5 Series 2004-2010
Under the hood
Never attempt to perform any service or
repair operations on your vehicle without
the required professional technical training.
If you do not know what repair procedures to
follow, have work on your vehicle done 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.<
Closing
Close the hood from a height of approx. 16 in/
40 cm with momentum. It must be clearly heard
to engage.
Hood
Make sure that the closing path of the
hood is clear, otherwise injuries may
result.
Releasing
If you see any signs that the hood is not com-
pletely closed while driving your vehicle, you
should stop at once and close it securely.<
Pull lever.
Opening
Press the release handle and open the hood.
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Engine compartment
1
Filler spout for engine oil, refer to Adding
engine oil
2
3
Starting-aid terminal, refer to page 248
Filler neck for washer fluid of the headlamp
and windshield cleaning systems, refer to
page 69
4
Expansion tank for coolant, refer to
page 233
231
6. Change to the second field from the top if
necessary. Turn the controller until "Engine
oil level" is selected and press the control-
ler. The oil level is displayed.
Engine oil
The engine oil consumption is dependent on
driving style and driving conditions.
Checking engine oil level
Possible messages
Your vehicle is equipped with an electronic oil
level check.
>
"Engine oil level O.K."
>
"No measurement available: Updating
engine oil level measurement...":
Engine oil level is being measured. This
process can take approx. 1 minute when
stopped on a level surface with the engine
running and approx. 5 minutes while driv-
ing.
If the engine oil has been topped off, the
measurement of the oil level can take up to
30 minutes.
The condition for the most accurate indication
of the oil level possible is measurement with the
engine at operating temperature, i.e. following
an uninterrupted drive of at least 6 miles/10 km.
You can display the oil level on the Control Dis-
play while driving or when stopped on a level
surface with the engine running.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page 16.
1. Press the
button.
>
"Oil level at the minimum! Refill with 1 quart
of engine oil.":
This opens the start menu.
2. Press the controller to open the menu.
Add a maximum of 1 US quart/1 liter of
engine oil at the next opportunity, refer to
Adding engine oil below. Add at least
0.5 US quart/0.5 liter. Otherwise the oil
level control may not display the new value
correctly.
3. Turn the controller until "Info sources" is
selected and press the controller.
If the oil level displayed is below minimum,
add engine oil immediately. Failure to do so
may lead to engine damage.
>
>
"Engine oil level too high"*:
Have the vehicle checked immedi-
ately, otherwise engine damage may
result if too much oil has been added.<
4. Turn the controller until "Service Info" is
selected and press the controller.
"Please observe recalculated service inter-
val for engine oil":
5. Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Service requirements" is
selected and press the controller.
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 page 81. Have the
system checked as soon as possible.
232
Your BMW center will be happy to answer
detailed questions on BMW High Perfor-
mance Synthetic Oil or approved synthetic
oils.<
Adding engine oil
You can also call BMW of North America at
1-800-831-1117 or visit the website at
Viscosity grades
Viscosity is a measure of an oil's flow rating and
is specified in SAE grades.
Do not add 1 US quart/1 liter of oil until a corre-
sponding message is shown on the Control Dis-
play.
The choice of the right SAE grade is based on
the climatic conditions in the region in which
you normally drive your BMW.
Add oil within the next 125 miles/200 km,
otherwise the engine could be dam-
aged.<
Approved oils belong to the SAE grades
5W-40 and 5W-30.<
These oils can be used for driving at all outside
temperatures.
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.<
Coolant
Do not add coolant to the cooling system
when the engine is hot. Escaping coolant
can cause burns.<
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.
Coolant is composed of equal parts water and a
coolant additive. Not all commercially available
additives are suitable for your BMW. Ask your
BMW center for suitable additives.
Only use suitable additives, otherwise
engine damage may result. The additives
present a health hazard; observe the instruc-
tions on the containers.<
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.
Comply with the appropriate environ-
mental protection regulations when dis-
posing of coolant additives.<
Do not use oil additives, as these may
result in engine damage.<
Checking coolant level
Only use approved BMW High Performance
Synthetic Oil.
1. Do not open the hood until the engine has
cooled down.
If BMW High Performance Synthetic Oil is
unavailable, you can add small quantities of
other synthetic oils between oil changes. Only
use oils of the specification API SM or higher.
2. Turn the cap of the expansion tank counter-
clockwise to allow any accumulated pres-
sure to escape, then continue turning to
open.
233
3. The coolant level is correct when the cool-
ant level is between the MIN and MAX
marks, refer to the diagram adjacent to the
filler neck.
4. If the coolant is low, slowly add coolant up to
the specified level – do not overfill.
5. Turn the cap until there is an audible click.
6. Have the reason for the coolant loss elimi-
nated as soon as possible.
234
