BMW 5 Series: Braking safely
Your vehicle is equipped with ABS as a standard feature.
Applying the brakes fully is the most effective way of braking in situations when this is necessary.
The vehicle maintains steering responsiveness.
You can still avoid any obstacles with a minimum of steering effort.
Pulsation of the brake pedal and sounds from the hydraulic circuits indicate that ABS is in its active mode.
Objects in the area around the pedals
No objects in the area around the pedals
Keep floor mats, carpets, and any other
objects out of the area of motion of the pedals;
otherwise, the function of the pedals could be
impeded while driving
Do not place additional floor mats over existing
mats or other objects.
Only use floor mats that have been approved for the vehicle and can be properly fixed in place.
Ensure that the floor mats are securely fastened again after they were removed for cleaning, for example.◀
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.
Manual transmission:
You can increase the engine's braking effect by shifting down, going all the way to first gear, if necessary.
Automatic transmission:
You can increase the engine's braking effect by shifting down in the manual mode of the automatic transmission
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 possibly
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 effect that generally cannot be corrected.
Driving through water
Drive though calm water only if it is not deeper
than 9.8 inches/25 cm and at this height, no
faster than walking speed, up to 6 mph/10 km/h.
Adhere to water depth and speed limitations
Do not ...
Condensation under the parked vehicle
When using the automatic climate control, condensation
water develops that exits underneath
the vehicle.
Therefore, traces of condensed water under the
vehicle are normal. ...
See also:
Front passenger’s SRS frontal airbag
The front passenger’s SRS frontal airbag uses a dual stage inflator. The inflator
operates in different ways depending on the severity of impact.
The total load on the seat is monitored by the pa ...
Bluetooth (Overview)
For vehicles equipped with the
MyLink or IntelliLink infotainment
system, see the separate MyLink/IntelliLink Features and Functions
Guide for more information.
For vehicles equipped with
Blu ...
Coolant
General information
Danger of burns from hot engine
Do not open the cooling system while the
engine is hot; otherwise, escaping coolant may
cause burns.◀
Suitable additives
Only use su ...