Mobility
191Reference
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Temperature
The temperature grades are A Ð the
highest Ð, B, and C, representing the tire's
resistance to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions 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 temperature
can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C
corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and A repre-
sent 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 load-
ing, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire
failure.<
Run-flat tires
You will recognize run-flat tires by a circular
symbol containing the letters RSC on the
side of the tire, refer to page 193.
M+S
Winter and all-season tires.
These have better winter properties than
summer tires.
Tire condition
Inspect your tires frequently for tread wear,
signs of damage and for foreign objects
lodged in the tread. Check the tread depth.
Tire tread
The tread depth should not fall below e in/
3 mm.
At tread depths below e in/3 mm, there is
an increased risk of high-speed hydroplan-
ing, even when only small amounts of
water are present on the road surface.As winter tires display a noticeable loss in
their ability to cope with cold-weather driv-
ing conditions once the tread wears to
below k/K in/4 mm, to ensure continued
safety you should always have such tires
replaced.
Wear indicators at the tread-groove base,
refer to arrow, are distributed over the tire's
circumference and are marked on the side
of the tire with TWI Ð Tread Wear Indicator.
These indicators signal at a tread depth
of k/FK in/1.6 mm that the legally permitted
wear limit has been reached.
Tire damage
Unusual vibrations encountered dur-
ing normal vehicle operation can
indicate tire failure or some other vehicle
defect. This can, for example, be caused
by driving over curbs.
These kinds of problems may also be
signaled by other changes in vehicle
response, such as a strong tendency to
pull to the left or right. Should this occur,
respond by immediately reducing your
speed. Carefully proceed Ð or have your
vehicle towed Ð to the nearest BMW center
or tire dealer to have the wheels or tires
inspected.
Tire damage, extending to sudden and
complete loss of pressure in extreme
cases, can pose a potentially lethal safety
hazard for the vehicle's occupants and
other road users alike.<
Wheels and tires
192
Replacing wheels/tires
Unprofessional attempts by laymen to
service tires can lead to damage and
accidents.
Have this work performed by skilled pro-
fessionals only. The technicians at your
BMW center will be glad to assist you with
the required professional knowledge and
specialized equipment.<
The correct wheel and tire combination
affects various systems whose function
would otherwise be impaired, e.g. ABS or
DSC.
Have the wheel and tire assemblies bal-
anced every time either a wheel or a tire is
replaced.
BMW does not recommend the use
of retreaded tires, as otherwise driv-
ing safety may be reduced. Possible varia-
tions in the design and the age Ð which
could be substantial Ð of the carcasses can
lead to unusually rapid wear.<
The right wheels and tires
BMW recommends that you use only
wheel and tire combinations that
BMW has tested and approved for your
particular vehicle. Variations in factors such
as manufacturing tolerances mean that
even wheels and tires with identical official
size ratings could actually have different
dimensions than the approved units Ð these
differences could lead to body contact, and
with it the risk of severe accidents. If non-
approved wheels and tires are used, BMW
cannot evaluate their suitability, and there-
fore cannot be held liable for driving
safety.<
To maintain good handling and vehicle
response, use only tires of a single tread
configuration from a single manufacturer.
After a flat tire, always remember to have
the original wheel and tire combination
remounted on the vehicle as soon as pos-
sible.
Recommended tire brands
BMW tests certain tire brands for each tire
size, classifies them as road-safe and
approves them. You can find out about
these at specialized dealers or at your
BMW center. Observe any country-specific
regulations, e.g. on making a correspond-
ing entry in the vehicle documents.
The factory-mounted tires have been spe-
cially selected to provide optimized perfor-
mance when installed on your vehicle; if
properly cared for, they will provide a com-
bination of safety and excellent ride com-
fort.
Run-flat tires
If your BMW is equipped with run-flat tires,
refer to Run-flat tires, only use these tires,
as in the event of a breakdown there is no
spare wheel available.
Special characteristics of winter
tires
BMW recommends winter tires for use in
cold winter driving conditions. Although
so-called all-season M+S tires provide bet-
ter winter traction than summer tires, they
generally fail to provide the same levels of
cold-weather performance as winter tires.
When switching to winter tires, observe the
description at Tire condition, and Replac-
ing wheels/tires, refer to page 191.
Run-flat tires
If your BMW is equipped with run-flat tires,
refer to Run-flat tires, only use these tires,
as in the event of a breakdown there is no
spare wheel available.
Observing speed ratings
Never exceed the maximum speed
for which the winter tires are rated.
Unprofessional attempts by laymen to ser-
vice tires can lead to damage and acci-
dents. Have this work performed by skilled
professionals only. The technicians at your
BMW center will be glad to assist you with
the required professional knowledge and
specialized equipment.<
Mobility
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Storage
Always store wheels and tires in a cool, dry
place with as little exposure to light as pos-
sible. Always protect tires against all con-
tact with oil, grease and fuels.
Do not exceed the maximum tire inflation
pressure indicated on the side wall of the
tire.
Run-flat tires*
You will recognize run-flat tires by a circular
symbol containing the letters RSC on the
side of the tire. They consist of self-con-
tained tires and special rims. The tire rein-
forcement ensures that the tire retains
some residual safety in the event of pres-
sure drop and driving remains possible to
a restricted degree.
If you switch from summer to winter
tires, or vice versa, use run-flat tires,
as in the event of a breakdown there is no
spare wheel available. In this case, BMW
recommends that you consult your BMW
center. Your BMW center is qualified to
handle run-flat tires and equipped with the
necessary special tools.<
Continuing driving with a damaged
tire
Driving on run-flat tires can continue,
depending on the vehicle load and the
severity of the tire damage, at a maximum
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h.
In the case of complete inflation pressure
loss, 0 psi/kPa, or obvious tire damage,
you can estimate the possible distance for continued driving on the basis of the fol-
lowing guide values:
>With low load:
1 to 2 persons without luggage:
Approx. 150 miles/250 km
>With medium load:
2 persons, luggage compartment full, or
4 persons without luggage:
Approx. 90 miles/150 km
>With full load:
More than 4 persons, luggage compart-
ment full:
Approx. 30 miles/50 km.
Drive reservedly and do not exceed
a speed of 50 mph/80 km/h. With
inflation pressure loss, the driving charac-
teristics change, for example reduced track
stability on braking, extended braking dis-
tance, and altered self-steering character-
istics.<
Snow chains*
BMW only tests certain snow chains, clas-
sifies them as road-safe and approves
them. Consult your BMW center for more
information. BMW recommends only using
these approved, narrow-link snow chains.
These snow chains are approved exclu-
sively for use in pairs on the rear wheels,
and should only be mounted on tires
with the dimensions 245/50 R 18. Observe
the manufacturer's instructions when
installing snow chains.Do not exceed a
vehicle speed of 30 mph/50 km/h with the
chains mounted.
After mounting snow chains, do not
activate the Flat Tire Monitor.
When you are driving with snow chains, it
can be beneficial to switch off DSC briefly,
refer to page 93.<
Reference 227
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Mobility
Windshield wiper blade
replacement 200
Windshield wiper
system 70, 71
Winter tires 192
Ð speed limit selection 86
Wiper blade
replacement 200
Wiper system 70
"With highway" 137
"With map" for
navigation 134, 135
Wordmatch principle for
navigation 138
Working in the engine
compartment 194
X
Xenon lamps 201
Refueling
To ensure that you always have all the
essential data at hand when refueling, we
recommend that you fill in the following
tables with the specifications and infor-
mation that apply to your vehicle. Consult
the index for individual specifications.Fuel
Engine oil
The oil quantity between the two marks
on the dipstick is approx. 1.65 US quarts/
1.5 liter.
Tire inflation pressures
Designation
Please enter your preferred fuel here.
Quality
Summer tires
FrontRearWinter tires
FrontRear
Up to 4 persons
5 persons or 4 plus luggage