BMW 5 Series: Things to remember when driving

BMW 5 Series: Things to remember when driving

• Vehicle equipment
• Breaking-in period
• General driving notes

Vehicle equipment

All standard, country-specific and optional equipment that is offered in the model series is described in this chapter. Therefore, equipment is also described that is not available in a vehicle, e. g., because of the selected optional equipment or country variant. This also applies for safety-related functions and systems.

Breaking-in period

General information

Moving parts need to be broken in to adjust to each other.

The following instructions will help achieve a long vehicle life and good economy.

Engine and differential

Always obey the official speed limit.

Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km

Do not exceed the maximum engine and road speed:

▷ For gasoline engine, 4,500 rpm and 100 mph/160 km/h.

Avoid full-throttle operation and use of the transmission's kickdown mode for the initial miles.

From 1,200 miles/2,000 km

The engine and vehicle speed can gradually be increased.

Tires

Due to technical factors associated with their manufacture, tires do not achieve their full traction potential until after an initial breaking-in period.

Drive conservatively for the first 200 miles/ 300 km.

Brake system

Brakes require an initial break-in period of approx.

300 miles/500 km to achieve optimized contact and wear patterns between brake pads and discs. Drive moderately during this break-in period.

Clutch

The function of the clutch reaches its optimal level only after a distance driven of approx.

300 miles/500 km. During this break-in period, engage the clutch gently.

Following part replacement

The same breaking in procedures should be observed if any of the components mentioned above have to be renewed in the course of the vehicle's operating life.

General driving notes

Closing the trunk lid

Drive with the trunk lid closed
Only drive with the tailgate closed; otherwise, in the event of an accident or braking or evasive maneuvers, passengers or other road users may be injured or the vehicle may be damaged.

In addition, exhaust fumes may enter the passenger compartment.◀

If driving with the tailgate open cannot be avoided:

▷ Close all windows and the glass sunroof.
▷ Greatly increase the blower speed.
▷ Drive moderately.

Hot exhaust system

Hot exhaust system
High temperatures are generated in the exhaust system.

Do not remove the heat shields installed and never apply undercoating to them. When driving, standing at idle and while parking, take care to avoid possible contact between the hot exhaust system and any highly flammable materials such as hay, leaves, grass, etc. Such contact could lead to a fire, and with it the risk of serious personal injury as well as property damage.

Do not touch hot exhaust pipes; otherwise, there is the danger of getting burned.◀

Climate control windshield

Climate control windshield

The marked area is not covered with heat reflective coating.

Use this area for garage door openers, devices for electronic toll collection, etc.

Climate control laminated tinted safety glass

The vehicle glass provides full protection against the harmful effects of UV radiation on the skin.

Mobile communication devices in the vehicle

Mobile communication devices in the vehicle
It is advised that you do not use mobile communication devices, e.g., mobile phones, inside the vehicle without connecting them directly to the external antenna. Otherwise, the vehicle electronics and mobile communication devices can interfere with each other. In addition, there is no assurance that the radiation generated during transmission will be discharged from the vehicle interior.◀

Hydroplaning

On wet or slushy roads, a wedge of water can form between the tires and road surface.

This phenomenon is referred to as hydroplaning.

It is characterized by a partial or complete loss of contact between the tires and the road surface, ultimately undermining your ability to steer and brake the vehicle.

Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads, reduce your speed to prevent hydroplaning.◀

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 exceed this water depth and walking speed; otherwise, the vehicle's engine, the electrical systems and the transmission may be damaged.◀

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.

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.

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