Fuel - BMW 5 series Owner's Manual

Mobility

Fuel

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 equip‐
ment or country variant. This also applies for
safety-related functions and systems.
Fuel quality
Gasoline
For the best fuel economy, the gasoline should
be sulfur-free or very low in sulfur content.
Fuels that are marked on the gas pump as con‐
taining metal must not be used.
Refuel only with unleaded gasoline with‐
out metallic additives.
Do not refuel with any leaded gasoline or gaso‐
line with metallic additives, e. g. manganese or
iron, or permanent damage to the catalytic con‐
verter and other components.◀
Fuels with a maximum ethanol content of 10 %,
i. e., E10, may be used for refueling.
Ethanol should satisfy the following quality stan‐
dards:
US: ASTM 4806–xx
CAN: CGSB-3.511–xx
xx: comply with the current standard in each
case.
Do not refuel with ethanol E85
Do not refuel with E85, i.e., fuel with an
ethanol content of 85 %, or with Flex Fuel, as this
would damage the engine and fuel supply sys‐
tem.◀
The engine is knock controlled. Therefore, you
can refuel with different gasoline qualities.
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Fuel
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Recommended fuel quality
BMW recommends AKI 91.
Minimum fuel grade
BMW recommends AKI 89.
Minimum fuel grade
Do not use any gasoline below the mini‐
mum fuel grade as this may impair engine per‐
formance.◀
If you use gasoline with this minimum AKI Rat‐
ing, the engine may produce knocking sounds
when starting at high outside temperatures.
This has no effect on the engine life.
Minimum fuel grade
The use of poor-quality fuels may result in
harmful engine deposits or damage. Addition‐
ally, problems relating to drivability, starting and
stalling, especially under certain environmental
conditions such as high ambient temperature
and high altitude, may occur.
If drivability problems are encountered, we rec‐
ommend switching to a high quality gasoline
brand and a higher octane grade — AKI number
— for a few tank fills. To avoid harmful engine
deposits, it is highly recommended to purchase
gasoline from BP or Top Tier retailers.
Failure to comply with these recommendations
may result in the need for unscheduled mainte‐
nance.◀