Page 96 of 211

95n
RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Tire Pressure Control (RDC)
*
Flat tireIf there is a tire failure with a loss of air 
pressure, the message "TIRE DEFECT" 
appears in the Check Control. In addi-
tion, a gong sounds.
If this occurs, reduce vehicle speed im-
mediately and stop the vehicle. Avoid 
hard brake applications. Do not over-
steer. Replace the wheel and flat tire.
The spare tire which is available in 
your vehicle as standard equip-
ment is equipped with the electronics 
required for RDC and, following activa-
tion of the system, is also monitored af-
ter it is mounted.< 
The RDC cannot alert you to se-
vere and sudden tire damage 
caused by external factors.< 
Have the tires changed by your 
authorized BMW center.
Your authorized BMW center has been 
trained to work with the RDC system 
and is equipped with the necessary 
special tools to do so.< 
System interferenceUnder certain local conditions, the RDC 
may malfunction for brief periods be-
cause of interference from outside sys-
tems or electronic devices which have 
the same radio frequency.
During the period of the malfunction, 
the message "TIRE CONTROL INAC-
TIVE" appears in the Check Control.
You will also see the same message
>in the event of a system fault
>if a wheel is mounted without the 
RDC electronics
>if, in addition to the spare tire, addi-
tional wheels with RDC electronics 
are on board.
Please contact your authorized BMW 
center for additional information. 
     
        
        Page 134 of 211

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RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Tire replacement Tire rotationTo maintain good handling and vehicle 
response, use only tires of a single 
tread configuration from a single manu-
facturer. BMW tests and approves 
wheel/tire combinations. Refer to 
page 136.
Do not use retreaded tires, since 
driving safety may be impaired by 
their use. This is due to the possible 
variations in casing structures and, in 
some cases, to their extreme age, 
which can lead to a decrease in their 
durability.< Tire ageThe date on which the tire was manu-
factured is indicated by the code on the 
sidewall:
DOT ... 178 means that the tires were 
manufactured in the 17th week of 1998.
BMW recommends the replacement of 
all tires when the tires are no more than 
6 years old, even if a tire life of 10 years 
is possible.
Spare tires over 6 years old should be 
used only in case of emergency. Such a 
tire should be replaced by a new tire 
immediately, and should not be 
mounted together with new tires.
Between the axlesThe tread wear patterns at the front end 
differ from those at the rear - the actual 
patterns will vary according to individ-
ual driving conditions. In the interests of 
safety and maintaining optimal handling 
characteristics, tire rotation is not rec-
ommended.
If a proposed interaxle rotation of tires 
is based on economic considerations, 
one should consider whether the costs 
for the rotation are likely to be recap-
tured by any increase in the service life 
of the tires which might be realized. Ro-
tation should always be carried out at 
short intervals, with a maximum of 
3,000 miles (5,000 km). Consult your 
authorized BMW center for more infor-
mation.
Should you decide to rotate the tires, it 
is essential to comply with the follow-
ing:
Rotate tires on the same side only, 
since braking characteristics and road 
grip could otherwise be adversely af-
fected.
Following rotation, correct the tire infla-
tion pressure.If different tire sizes are mounted 
on the front and rear axles 
(page  136), the tires may not be rotated 
from one axle to the other.<  
     
        
        Page 172 of 211

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RepairsIndexOverview Controls Car care Technology Data
Changing tires>Spare tire and adapter
* for removal 
of the lug bolt cover
* 
Both are stored in the luggage com-
partment below the floor mat. Fold 
back the mat for access.
Remove the adapter (arrow), unscrew 
the wing nut by hand and remove the 
wheel
>Wheel lug wrench, alignment tool and 
screwdriver
are in the onboard tool kit on the un-
derside of the luggage compartment 
lid (refer to page 162).
380de091
Procedure1 Read carefully and comply with the 
safety precautions on the preceding 
page
2 Secure the vehicle against rolling:
Place the wedge against the rear 
surface of the front tire on the side 
opposite the side being raised. If 
the vehicle is parked on a down-
ward slope, place the wedge se-
curely in front of the tire. If the 
wheel must be changed on a sur-
face with a more severe slope, take 
additional precautions to secure the 
vehicle from rolling
3 If equipped with adapters
*: Place 
the adapter on the lug bolt cover, 
position the lug wrench and press 
to the left (refer to the illustration)
4 Wheels with hub cover
*: Pry the 
hub cover off with the screwdriver in 
the slot
380de092
5 Loosen lug bolts 1/2 turn
6 Position the jack at the jacking point 
closest to the flat tire (refer to the 
arrow on the sill trim) so that the 
jack base is vertically below the 
jacking point and the entire surface 
of the head of the jack will move 
into the square recess of the jacking 
point (refer to the illustration detail) 
when the jack is cranked
7 Jack the car up until the wheel you 
are changing is raised from the 
ground
8 Unscrew the lug bolts and remove 
the wheel
9 Remove accumulations of mud or 
dirt from the mounting surfaces of 
the wheel and hub; clean the lug 
bolts390de350 
     
        
        Page 173 of 211

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Changing tires10 Take the alignment tool from the 
onboard tool kit and insert it to-
gether with the plastic insert into 
one of the bolt sockets (arrow)
11 Position on the spare wheel. Secure 
it by screwing at least two lug bolts 
into opposite sockets. Remove the 
alignment tool
12 Screw in the remaining lug bolts. 
Tighten all the bolts securely
13 Lower the jack and remove it from 
beneath the car
14 Tighten the lug bolts, alternating 
between bolts positioned opposite 
one another
15 Wheels with hub covers: Position 
the hub cover and press on tightly390de093
16 If equipped with lug bolt covers: 
Align the arrow on the cover with 
the line in the wheel and press the 
cover into place
17 Check and correct the air pressure 
as soon as possible.
The vehicle jack is designed for 
changing tires only. Do not at-
tempt to raise another vehicle model 
with it or to raise any load of any kind. 
To do so could cause accidents and 
personal injury.
Have the lug bolts checked for proper 
tightness with a calibrated torque 
wrench at the earliest possibility (torque 
specification: 72 lb.ft./100 Nm).< 
When storing the wheel, take care to 
ensure that you do not damage the re-
taining pin in the spare tire recess.
When light-alloy wheels other than 
Original BMW light-alloy wheels are fit-
ted to the car, it may be necessary to 
use different lug bolts.
Replace the defective tire as soon as 
possible and have the new wheel/tire 
balanced. 
     
        
        Page 209 of 211
Owner service procedures from A to ZSSecurity glass, care153
Sliding/tilt sunroof, closing 
after electrical fault178
Sliding/tilt sunroof, power 
supply interruption45
Snow chains135
Spare tire171
Starting assistance179
Starting problems
59,124,179,180TTail lamps, bulb 
replacement166
Tilt sensor alarm system, 
deactivation41
Tire damage132
Tire failure170
Tire inflation pressure26
Tools162
Towing180
Towing eyes180
Tow-starting180
Turn signal, 
replace the bulb165UUse of antifreeze, 
radiator146
WWarning lamps20
Warnings75
Washer fluid reservoir, 
filling142
Wheel change170
Windows, demisting102
Windshield washer nozzle 
adjustment142
Wiper blades, replacing162
Work in the engine 
compartment137