2003 BMW 320i SEDAN traction control

118
ceed carefully to the nearest BMW cen-
ter or professional tire center, or have
the vehicle towed in to have it, its
wheels or its tires inspected.
Tire damage up to and including sud-
den and complete air loss can endan-
ger the lives of both the vehicle occu-
pants and other road users.<
Tire replacementTo maintain good handling and vehicle
response, use only tires of a single
tread configuration from a single manu-
facturer.DOT quality gradesTread wear
Traction AA A B C
Temperature A B C
All passenger car tires must con-
form to Federal Safety Require-
ments in addition to these grades. rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled condi-
tions on a specified government test
course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would
wear one and one-half – 1
1/2 – times as
well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance
of tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the norm due
to variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road char-
acteristics and climate.
TractionThe traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C.
Those grades represent the tire's ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on speci-
fied government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction.
The traction grade assigned to
this tire is based on straight-
ahead braking traction tests, and does
not include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction charac-
teristics. highest – B, and C, representing the
tire's resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled condi-
tions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause
the material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and excessive tem-
perature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger car
Tire condition

119
tires must meet under the Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels
of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by
law.
The temperature grade for this tire
is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded.
Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause heat buildup
and possible tire failure. applicable on the tire sidewall between
tread shoulder and maximum section
width. For example:
Tread wear 200
Traction AA
Temperature A
BMW advises against using
retreaded tires, since driving
safety may be impaired. This is due to
the possible variations in casing struc-
tures 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... 3502 indicates that the tire was
manufactured in week 35 of the year
2002.
BMW recommends the replacement of
all tires – including the spare tire* –
when the tires are no more than 6 years
old, even if a tire life of 10 years is pos-
sible.Run Flat tires*Run Flat tires consist of self-supporting
tires and special rims. The tire rein-
forcement ensures that the tire retains
some residual safety in the event of
pressure drop and driving remains pos-
sible to a restricted degree. The vehicle
is equipped with a Tire Pressure Moni-
tor (TPM) or Flat Tire Monitor, which
indicate a flat tire.
For additional information on the Tire
Pressure Monitor (TPM) or Flat Tire
Monitor, refer to page 85 or 86.
Run Flat tires are only possible in
conjunction with the Tire Pres-
sure Monitor (TPM) or Flat Tire Moni-
tor.<
Tire replacement
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

Everything from A to ZA
ABS Antilock Brake System
18, 115
Accessories 5
Activated-charcoal filter 100
ADB Automatic Differential
Braking 78
Adding brake fluid 129
Air conditioning 92, 98
Air distribution 94, 98
Air nozzles 92, 96
Air outlets 92, 96
Air pressure 117
check 25
Air supply 94, 98
Airbags 19, 53
Alarm system 38
Antifreeze 128
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
18, 115
Anti-theft system 38
Armrest 102
ASC+T Automatic Stability
Control plus Traction 18,
19, 78
Ashtray
front 104
rear 105
AUC Automatic recircu-
lated-air control 99Automatic car wash, refer to
the Caring for your vehicle
brochure
Automatic climate control 96
Automatic cruise control 69
Automatic Differential Brak-
ing (ADB) 78
Automatic dimming, interior
rearview mirror 52
Automatic headlamp
control 89
Automatic recirculated-air
control (AUC) 99
Automatic Stability Control
plus Traction (ASC+T) 18,
19, 78
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic 19, 64
Average fuel
consumption 76
Average speed 76
Avoiding unintentional
alarms 39
Axle loads 154
B
Backrest, adjusting 45
Backup lamps 63
replacing bulb 139
Battery
charge 146
discharged 146Battery charge current 18
Belts 47
Beverage holder 102, 103
Blower 94, 98
BMW High Performance
Synthetic Oils 127
BMW sports seat 45
Bore 152
Bottle holder, see Beverage
holder 102
Brake hydraulic system 18
Brake lamps
replacing bulb 139
Brake pads 19
Brake, parking 62
Brakes
malfunctions 116
Break-in procedures 114
Bulb, replacing 137
C
California Proposition 65
warning 131
Can holder, see Beverage
holder 102
Capacities 155
Car care, refer to the Caring
for your vehicle brochure
Car radio
refer to the Owner's Man-
ual for RadioCar telephone
refer to the separate
Owner's Manual
Car vacuum cleaner, con-
necting 104
Car wash, refer to the Caring
for your vehicle brochure
Cargo loading 108
Cassette player operation,
refer to the Owner's Man-
ual for Radio
Cassette player operation,
see Owner's Manual for
Radio
CBC Cornering Brake
Control 18, 115
CD player operation, refer to
the Owner's Manual for
Radio
Cellular phone 104
Center armrest 102
Center high-mount brake
lamp 140
Central locking system 30
button 34
Changing a wheel 141
Charge indicator lamp 18
Check Control 73
Child-restraint mounting
system (LATCH) 57
Cigarette lighter 104
Cleaning windshield 69

Everything from A to Z
159
Clock 74
setting, refer also to the
radio or onboard com-
puter Owner's Manual
Cockpit 14
Code, refer to the Owner's
Manual for Radio
Coin box 102
Compartments 102
Compression ratio 152
Computer 75
Condensation, removing
from windows 95, 98
Consumption 76
display 72
Coolant 128, 155
Cooling system 155
Copyright 4
Cornering Brake Control
(CBC) 18, 115
Cruise control 69
Cup holder, see Beverage
holder 102
Curb weight 154
Cushion height 153
D
Data
dimensions 153
engine 152
technical 152
weights 154Daytime driving lamps 89
DBC Dynamic Brake
Control 115
Defrost position 95, 98
Defrosting
rear window 94, 99
windows 95, 98
Digital clock 74
Dimensions 153
Dipstick, engine oil 126
Displacement 152
Display lighting 90
Displays 16
Distance warning 77
Divided rear backrest 106
Door key 30
Door lock buttons 34
Doors
emergency operation 33
unlocking and locking 31
Driving notes 115
DSC Dynamic Stability
Control 18, 19, 80
DTC Dynamic Traction
Control 80
Dynamic Brake Control
(DBC) 115
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC) 18, 19, 80
Dynamic Traction Control
(DTC) 80E
Electric power windows 40
Electrical accessories, fail-
ure 146
Electrical malfunction
fuel filler door 24
sliding/tilt sunroof 43
Emergency operation
doors 33
fuel filler door 24
sliding/tilt sunroof 43
Emergency release
luggage compartment
lid 37
Emissions, minimum, refer
to Energy control 71
Energy control 71
Engine
starting 60
switching off 62
Engine compartment 124
Engine coolant 155
adding 128
temperature gauge 72
Engine data 152Engine oil
adding 126
capacity 155
consumption 126
pressure 18
quality 127
types 127
viscosity 127
Engine oil level 19
check 126
Engine speed 152
Environmentally-friendly
driving, refer to Energy
control 71
Exterior mirrors 51
Eyelet, towing 148
F
Failure messages 73
False alarm, avoiding 39
Fault displays 73
First-aid kit 23
Flashlight 102
Flat tire 117, 141
Flat Tire Monitor 86
Fog lamps 91
Folding rear backrest 106
Follow me home lamps 89
Front fog lamps 91
Front seat adjustment 44
Frost protection
radiator 128
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex