2001 BMW 330Ci CONVERTIBLE spare wheel

92n
Tire Pressure Control (RDC)
*
In the event of a flat tireIf there is a tire failure with loss of pres-
sure, the indicator lamp comes on with
a red lamp. In addition, an acoustic
signal is sounded.
If this occurs, reduce vehicle speed
immediately to stop the vehicle in a safe
location. Avoid hard brake applications.
Do not oversteer. Replace the wheel
and flat tire.
The space-saver spare tire is
provided for temporary use only in
the event of a flat tire. It does not have
RDC electronics and is not monitored.<
RDC cannot alert you to severe
and sudden tire damage caused
by external factors.<
Have the tires changed by your
BMW center.
Your BMW center has been trained to
work with the RDC system and is
equipped with the necessary special
tools.<
System interferenceLocal devices using the same radio
frequency can interfere with the RDC.
The yellow indicator lamp will come on
during the malfunction.
The indicator lamp also comes on
>in the event of a system fault.
>if a wheel is mounted without RDC
electronics.
>if additional wheels with RDC elec-
tronics are on board.
Please contact your BMW center for
additional information.

134n
Tire replacement Tire rotationTire ageThe date on which the tire was manu-
factured is indicated by the code on the
sidewall:
DOT ... 4100 means that the tire was
manufactured in week 41of 2000.
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. A tire
in this condition 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 Ð the actual
patterns will vary according to indi-
vidual driving conditions. In the inter-
ests of safety and maintaining optimal
handling characteristics, tire rotation is
not recommended.
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 that might be realized. In
principle, tire rotation must be
performed at short intervals (maximum
3,000 miles/5,000 km). Consult your
BMW center for more information.
Should you decide to rotate the tires,
it is essential to comply with the
following:
Rotate tires on the same side only,
since braking characteristics and road
grip could otherwise be adversely
affected.
Following rotation, the tire inflation
pressure should always be corrected.If different tire sizes are mounted
on the front and rear axles (refer
to page 137), the wheels may not be
rotated from one axle to the other.<

137n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Approved wheel and tire specifications Tire specifications Steel wheel Light-alloy wheel
BMW 325Ci
All season tires
205/55 R 16 91 H M+S 7Jx16 7Jx16
205/50 R 17 93 V M+S extra load 7Jx17 7Jx17
Summer tires
205/55 R 16 91 V
225/50 R 16 92 W
225/50 ZR 16Ð 7Jx16
205/50 R 17 93 W extra load Ð 7Jx17
225/45 R 17 91 W Ð 8Jx17
Front: 225/45 ZR 17
Rear: 245/40 ZR 17Ð
Ð7.5Jx17
8.5Jx17
Winter tires
205/55 R 16 91 Q M + S
225/50 R 16 92 Q M + S7Jx16 7Jx16
205/50 R 17 93 Q M+S extra load 7Jx17 7Jx17
225/45 R 17 91 Q M + S Ð 8Jx17
Space-saver spare tire
T 115/90 R 16 92 M 3.0Bx16 Ð
T 125/90 R 16 98 M 3.5Bx16 Ð
T 125/80 R 17 99 M 3.5Bx17 Ð
Observe the specifications for tires and wheels in the vehicle documents.
If sizes not approved by the manufacturer are mounted, an entry in the
vehicle documents may be necessary.
Light-alloy wheels are the only wheels
permissible for summer tires.Snow chains
** * *
You cannot mount snow chains with the
following tires:
225/50 R 16 92 W
225/50 R 16 92 Q M+S
225/50 ZR 16
225/45 R 17 91 W
225/45 R 17 91 Q M+S
225/40 ZR 17Mixed tiresFor details concerning tire makes for
mixed tires, refer to the vehicle docu-
ments.

138n
Approved wheel and tire specificationsTire specifications Steel wheel Light-alloy wheel
BMW 330Ci
All season tires
205/50 R 17 93 V M+S extra load 7Jx1717 7Jx17
Summer tires
205/50 R 17 93 W extra load Ð 7Jx17
225/45 R 17 91 W Ð 8Jx17
Front: 225/45 ZR 17
Rear: 245/40 ZR 17Ð
Ð7.5Jx17
8.5Jx17
Winter tires
205/50 R 17 93 Q/V M+S extra load 7Jx17 7Jx17
225/45 R 17 91 Q M + S Ð 8Jx17
Space-saver spare tire
T 125/80 R 17 99 M 3.5Bx17 Ð
Observe the specifications for tires and wheels in the vehicle's documents.
If you install tire sizes not approved by the manufacturer, an entry in the
vehicle documents may be necessary.
Light-alloy wheels are the only wheels
permissible for summer tires.Snow chainsYou cannot mount snow chains with the
following tires:
225/45 R 17 91 W
225/45 R 17 91 Q M+S
245/40 ZR 17Mixed tiresFor details concerning tire makes for
mixed tires, refer to the vehicle docu-
ments.

173n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Changing a wheel
Take these precautionary
measures if you have either a flat
tire or are changing the tire:
Stop the vehicle as far as possible from
passing traffic. Park on a firm, flat
surface. Switch on the hazard warning
flashers. Turn the steering wheel to the
straight-ahead position, remove the key
and engage the steering lock. Shift into
1st or reverse gear (selector lever in
"Park" with automatic transmission) and
engage the parking brake.
All passengers should be outside the
vehicle and well away from your imme-
diate working area (behind a guardrail,
for instance).
Set up a warning triangle
* or portable
hazard warning on the roadside at an
appropriate distance from the rear of
the vehicle. Comply with all safety
guidelines and regulations.
Change the wheel only on a level, firm
surface which is not slippery. Avoid
jacking the vehicle on a soft or slippery
support surface (snow, ice, loose
gravel, etc.), as it could slide sideways.
Position the jack on a firm support
surface.
Do not place wooden blocks or similar
objects under the jack. If this is done,
the jack might not be able to reach its
full support capacity because of the
limited height.
Do not lie under the vehicle or start the
engine when the vehicle is supported
by the jack. Failure to comply with this
creates a risk of fatal injury.<
Your BMW has a space-saver spare tire
for temporary use to ensure your
mobility.
To remove the space-saver spare
tire, take out the floor panel in the
luggage compartment completely (refer
to page 41).<
You will need the following:In order to avoid rattling noises later,
note the position of the tools when you
remove them and return them to their
original position when you are through
using them.
>Jack (1)
Raise the floor panel in the luggage
compartment (refer to page 41) and
unclip the jack from where it is stored
(arrow).
After use, swing the crank back and
clip into place.
>Wedge (2)
Located behind the jack on the wall
in the luggage compartment. Loosen
the wing nut to remove it.46cde038

174n
Changing a wheel>Space-saver spare tire
Next to the jack.
Loosen the wing nut (arrow) by hand,
remove the storage shelf and take the
wheel out.
>Lug wrench Ð in the onboard tool kit
on the underside of the luggage
compartment lid (refer to page 166).46cde039
Procedure1 Read and comply with the safety
precautions provided on the
previous page.
2 Secure the vehicle from 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
securely in front of this tire. If the
wheel must be changed on a
surface with a more severe slope,
take additional precautions to
secure the vehicle from rolling.
3 If your wheels are equipped with full
wheel covers
*: reach into the venti-
lation openings and pull the cover
off.
46cde055
4 Loosen the lug bolts with a g turn.
5 Position the jack at the jacking point
closest to the flat tire (refer to the
center illustration) 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.
6 Crank the vehicle up until the wheel
in question is raised from the
ground.
7 Unscrew the lug bolts and remove
the wheel.
8 Remove accumulations of mud or
dirt from the mounting surfaces of
the wheel and hub; clean the lug
bolts.462de252

175n
IndexDataTechnologyRepairsCar careControlsOverview
Changing a wheel9 Position the new wheel or the
space-saver spare tire on the hub
and screw at least two lug bolts
finger-tight into opposite bolt holes.
10 Screw in the remaining lug bolts.
Tighten all the bolts securely.
11 Lower the jack and remove it from
beneath the vehicle.
12 Tighten the lug bolts in a diagonal
pattern.462de266
13 If your wheels are equipped with full
wheel covers
*: position the wheel
cover with the valve opening over
the valve (arrow) and press it onto
the wheel with both hands.
14 Check and correct the tire's inflation
pressure at the earliest possibility.
For vehicles with Tire
Pressure Control (RDC):
Reactivate the system after
mounting the space-saver spare tire
or after correcting the air pressure.
Refer to page 91.
Only use original BMW full wheel
covers, otherwise, the trim piece
may not fit securely. The full wheel
cover may not be installed on the
space-saver spare tire since this could
damage the cover.<
462de279
The vehicle jack is designed for
changing wheels only. Do not
attempt to raise another vehicle model
with it or to raise any load of any kind.
To do so could cause accidents and
personal injury.
To ensure continued safety, have the
tightness of the lug bolts checked with
a calibrated lug wrench [torque specifi-
cation: 72 lb.ft (100Nm)] at the earliest
opportunity.<
When storing the wheel, be sure that
you do not damage the retaining pin in
the spare tire recess.
If light-alloy wheels other than original
BMW light-alloy wheels have been
mounted, it may be necessary to use
different lug bolts for those wheels.
Replace the defective tire as soon as
possible and have the new wheel/tire
balanced.

176n
Changing a wheel Battery Driving with the space-saver
spare tireDrive cautiously and do not exceed a
speed of 50 mph (80 km/h).
Be aware that vehicle handling will be
altered. Slower brake response time,
longer braking distances and changed
steering characteristics may be
anticipated when approaching limit
conditions.
The changes in handling characteristics
will be even more pronounced in
conjunction with winter tires.
Only one space-saver spare tire
*
may be mounted at a time. Mount
a wheel and tire with the same size
and specifications as the others at the
earliest possible opportunity. Maintain
correct tire pressures. Refer to
page 28.<
LocationThe battery is located at the right-rear
of the luggage compartment. Remove
the luggage compartment floor panel
(refer to page 40), and give a screw-
driver or a coin a f-turn counter-clock-
wise to release and remove the two
fasteners, plus an additional fastener in
the top center side trim panel. In order
to remove the storage tray, slide the
side trim panel slightly upward.
Battery posts, terminals, and
related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds. Wash hands after
handling.<46cde045
Charge conditionYou can read the charge condition of
the battery with the "Magic Eye"
*
(a hydrometer):
>Green: adequate charge.
>Black: not adequately charged. The
battery must be recharged. Please
contact your BMW center for addi-
tional information.
>Yellow: replace the battery.
The service life specified for the
battery can be achieved only if it is
always kept adequately charged. If the
vehicle is primarily used for stop-and-
go traffic, be sure to check the charge
state more often.<
46cde044