Page 118 of 166

Wheels and tires
116
Tire age
For various reasons, such as the development
of brittleness, BMW recommends tire replace-
ment after no more than 6 years, regardless of
the actual wear of the tires.
The manufacturing date of tires is contained in
the tire coding:
DOT ... 0705 means that the tire was manufac-
tured in week 07 of 2005.
Run-Flat Tires
The symbol identifying Run-Flat Tires is a circle
with the letters RSC on the sidewall.
Run-Flat Tires comprise a conditionally self-
supporting tire and a special rim. The reinforce-
ment in the sidewalls ensures that the tire can
continue to be used subject to certain restric-
tions, even if depressurized.
For information on continuing to drive with a flat
tire, refer to Indication of a flat tire, page72.
New wheels and tires
Have new wheels and tires installed only
by your BMW Center or tire shop that
works according to BMW repair procedures
with correspondingly trained personnel. If this
work is not carried out properly, there is a dan-
ger of subsequent damage and related safety
h a z a r d s . M a k e s u re t h a t t h e n e w w h ee l s a r e b a l-
anced.<
Retreaded tires
BMW recommends that you do not use
retreaded tires, since driving safety may be impaired. The causes for this include poten-
tially different tire casing structures and often
wide variations in tire age, which can result in a
limited service life.<
Correct 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 manufac-
turing tolerances mean that even wheels and
tires with identical official size ratings could
actually have different dimensions, which could
lead to body contact and thus to severe acci-
dents. If non-approved wheels and tires are
used, BMW cannot evaluate their suitability,
and therefore cannot guarantee their driving
safety.<
You can inquire about the right wheel/tire com-
bination at your BMW Center.
The correct combination of wheels and tires is
also necessary to ensure reliable operation of
various vehicle systems such as ABS and DSC.
To maintain good handling and vehicle
response, use only tires of a single brand and
tread configuration. After a tire has been dam-
aged, mount the previous wheel and tire combi-
nation again as soon as possible.
Recommended tire brands
Certain makes of tire are recommended by
BMW for each tire size. They are marked with a
clearly visible BMW designation on the sidewall
of the tire.
When properly used, these tires meet the high-
est standards in terms of safety and handling
characteristics.
Page 119 of 166

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
117
Run-Flat Tires
When mounting new tires or changing over
from summer to winter tires and vice versa,
mount Run-Flat Tires for your own safety. In the
event of a flat, moreover, no spare wheel is
available. Your BMW Center will be glad to
advise you.
For safety reasons, BMW recommends
that damaged Run-Flat Tires be replaced
rather than repaired.<
Special characteristics of winter tires
BMW recommends winter tires for use in cold
winter driving conditions. Although all-season
M+S tires provide better winter traction than
summer tires, they generally fail to provide the
same levels of cold-weather performance as
winter tires.
Pay attention to speed
Always comply with the speed limit for the
winter tires mounted on your car; failure
to do so could result in tire damage and acci-
dents.<
If the car is capable of speeds higher than that
permitted for the winter tires, a label stating the
maximum permitted speed for the mounted
tires must be displayed in your field of view.
Specialist tire dealers and your BMW Center
can supply these labels.
Storage
Always store wheels and tires in a cool, dry
place with as little exposure to light as possible.
Always protect tires against all contact with oil,
grease and fuels. Do not exceed the maximum
tire inflation pressure indicated on the sidewall
of the tire.
Snow chains*
Only certain fine-link snow chains have been
tested by BMW, classified as safe for use and
recommended. Consult your BMW Center for
more information. Attach snow chains in pairs
and only to the rear wheels. Observe the manu-facturer's instructions when mounting snow
chains. Do not exceed a speed of 30 mph or
50 km/h.
You are not permitted to mount snow chains to
tires of the following sizes:
>255/40 R 17
>255/35 R 18
>255/30 R 19
Do not initialize the Flat Tire Monitor if
snow chains are mounted, otherwise the
instrument might issue an incorrect reading.
When driving with snow chains, you may find it
helpful to activate DTC temporarily, refer to
page68.<
Page 163 of 166

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
161
Steering wheel38
– adjustment38
– buttons on steering
wheel11
– lock42
Steering with variable ratio,
refer to Active steering73
Steptronic, refer to Automatic
transmission with
Steptronic47
Storage compartments90
Storing seat positions, refer to
Seat and mirror memory35
Storing tires117
Stowage, refer to Storage
compartments90
Summer tires, refer to Wheels
and tires108
Sun blinds89
Switches, refer to Cockpit10
Switching off
– engine43
Switching off the engine
– start/stop button42
Switching the cooling function
on and off85
Symbols4
T
Tachometer59
Tailgate
– locking or unlocking
separately24
– opening and closing23
– opening from inside23
– opening from outside23
Tail lamps127
– replacing bulbs128
Tank contents, refer to
Capacities151
Technical data148
Technical modifications5
Telephone
– installation location, refer to
Center armrest89
– refer to separate Owner's
ManualTemperature adjustments
– air conditioner81
– automatic climate control83
Temperature display
– ice warning59
– outside temperature59
– setting the units62
Temperature of the coolant,
refer to Coolant
temperature59
Tensioning straps, refer to
Securing cargo101
The individual vehicle5
Thigh support33
Third brake lamp, refer to
Center brake lamp128
Tilt alarm sensor25
Tilt function, passenger-side
mirror37
Tire inflation pressures108
Tire pressure
– loss72
Tire pressure monitoring,
refer to Flat Tire Monitor71
Tire puncture, refer to Flat Tire
Monitor72
Tire Quality Grading114
Tires
– age114,116
– breaking in98
– changing, refer to Changing
wheels129
– condition115
– damage115
– inflation pressure108
– minimum tread depth115
– new tires116
– pressure monitoring, refer to
Flat Tire Monitor71
– puncture72
– Run-Flat Tires116
– size114
– wear indicators, refer to
Minimum tread depth115
– winter tires117
Tools, refer to Onboard tool
kit125
Torque148
Tow bar134Tow fitting
– screw thread133
Tow fittings133
Tow fittings for tow-starting
and towing away133
Towing133
– methods134
Towing away
– car with automatic
transmission133
Tow rope134
Tow-starting133
– sequential manual gearbox
SMG134
Track width, refer to
Dimensions149
Traction-assist feature, refer
to DSC68
Traction control, refer to DSC
Dynamic Stability
Control68
Trailer towing
– towing loads and gross
weight150
Transmission
– automatic transmission with
Steptronic47
– manual transmission44
– overriding selector lever lock
for automatic transmission
with Steptronic48
– sequential manual gearbox
SMG45
Transporting children
safely39
Transport securing device,
refer to Securing cargo101
Tread depth, refer to Minimum
tire tread115
Trip-distance counter, refer to
Trip odometer59
Triple turn signal activation49
Trip odometer59
Trunk
– lid, refer to Luggage
compartment lid23
Trunk lamp, refer to Luggage
compartment lamp79