2005 BMW 330XI IDRIVE SEDAN wheel size

Wheels and tires
170
Wheels and tires
Tire inflation pressure
Information for your safety
It is not merely the tires' service life, but also
driving comfort and, to a great extent, driving
safety that depend on the condition of the tires
and the maintenance of the specified tire pres-
sure.
Check the tire inflation pressure regularly
and correct it, if necessary: at least twice a
month and before starting long trips. If you fail
to observe this precaution you may be driving
on tires with incorrect tire pressures, a condi-
tion that can not only compromise your vehi-
cle's driving stability, but also lead to tire dam-
age and the risk of an accident. Do not drive
with deflated, i.e. flat tires, except when using
Run-Flat Tires. A flat tire will seriously impair
your vehicle's handling and braking response.
Attempts to drive on a flat tire can lead to loss of
control over the vehicle.<
Checking pressure
Only check tire inflation pressure when the
tires are cold. This means after a maximum of
1.25 miles/2 km driving or when the vehicle has
been parked for at least 2 hours. When tires are
warm, the tire inflation pressure is higher.
After correcting tire inflation pressures,
always reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor,
refer to page80.<
Inflation pressure specifications for
factory-installed tires
The inflation pressures for your factory-
installed tires at ambient temperature can be
found on the door post when you open the
driver's door.
Inflation pressure specifications for
other tire sizes
The tables below provide all the correct inflation
pressures for the specified tire sizes at ambient
temperature.
The inflation pressures apply to the tire
sizes approved and tire brands recom-
mended by BMW; a list of these is available
from your BMW center.<
For correct identification of the right tire infla-
tion pressures, observe the following:
>Tire sizes for your vehicle
>Load conditions
>Maximum allowable driving speed
Tire inflation pressures for driving up to
100 mph or 160 km/h
For normal driving up to 100 mph or 160 km/h
adjust pressures to the respective tire inflation
pressures listed on the following pages in the
traveling speeds column for normal driving at
speeds up to a maximum of 100 mph or
160 km/h to achieve optimum driving comfort.
The maximum permissible speed for
these tire pressures is 100 mph or

Wheels and tires
172
Tire inflation pressures for 325i without Sports package
Tire size Pressure specifications in psi/kPa
Traveling speeds
up to a max. of
100 mph / 160 km/hTraveling speeds
including those exceeding
100 mph / 160 km/h
All pressure specifications in
the table are indicated in
psi/kilopascal with cold tires.
Cold = ambient temperature
225/50 R 16 92 V
205/55 R 16 91 H M+S
225/45 R 17 91 H M+S
225/45 R 17 94 V M+S XL29/200 35/240 29/200 35/240 32/220 39/270
Front: 225/45 R 17 91 V 29/200 - 29/200 - 32/220 -
Rear: 255/40 R 17 94 V - 32/220 - 32/220 - 35/240
Front: 225/40 R 18 88 W 32/220 - 29/200 - 32/220 -
Rear: 255/35 R 18 90 W - 35/240 35/240 - 39/270
Front: 225/35 R 19 88 Y XL 35/240 - 32/220 - 35/240
Rear: 255/30 R 19 91 Y XL - 39/270 - 35/240 39/270
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page201.

Wheels and tires
174
Tire inflation pressures for 330i without Sports package
Tire size Pressure specifications in psi/kPa
Traveling speeds
up to a max. of
100 mph / 160 km/hTraveling speeds
including those exceeding
100 mph / 160 km/h
All pressure specifications in
the table are indicated in
psi/kilopascal with cold tires.
Cold = ambient temperature
225/45 R 17 91 H M+S
225/45 R 17 94 V M+S XL29/200 36/250 29/200 36/250 33/230 41/280
Front: 225/45 R 17 91 V 29/200 - 29/200 - 33/230 -
Rear: 255/40 R 17 94 V - 32/220 - 32/220 - 36/250
Front: 225/40 R 18 88 W 32/220 - 32/220 - 36/250 -
Rear: 255/35 R 18 90 W - 36/250 36/250 - 41/280
Front: 225/35 R 19 88 Y XL 36/250 - 32/220 - 36/250
Rear: 255/30 R 19 91 Y XL - 41/280 - 36/250 41/280
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page201.

Wheels and tires
176
Tire identification marks
Knowledge of the labeling on the side of the tire
makes it easier to identify and choose the right
tires.
Tire size
Speed code letter
Q = up to 100 mph or 160 km/h
T = up to 118 mph or 190 km/h
H = up to 131 mph or 210 km/h
V = up to 150 mph or 240 km/h
W = up to 167 mph or 270 km/h
Y = up to 186 mph or 300 km/h
Tire Identification Number
Tires with DOT codes meet the guidelines of
the U.S. Department of Transport.
DOT code:
Tire age
The manufacturing date of tires is contained in
the tire coding: DOT … 0705 means that the
tire was manufactured in week 7 of 2005.
BMW recommends that you replace all tires
after 6 years at most, even if some tires may last
for 10 years.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For example:
Tread wear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
DOT Quality Grades
Tread wear
Traction AA A B C
Temperature A B C
All passenger car tires must conform to
Federal Safety Requirements in addition
to these grades.<
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified gov-
ernment test course. For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and one-half (1γ) times as
well on the government course as a tire graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, how-
ever, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road characteris-
tics and climate.
Traction
The 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 specified government test sur-
faces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor-
nering, hydroplaning, or peak traction charac-
teristics.< e.g.
Nominal width in mm
Aspect ratio in Ξ
Radial belt construction
Rim diameter in inches
Load rating,
not on ZR tires
Speed code letter, in
front of the R on ZR tires
225/45 R1791 V
e.g.
Manufacturer's code
for tire make
Tire size and
tire design
Tire ageDOT xxxx xxx 0705

Wheels and tires
178
Servicing tires
Unprofessional attempts by laymen to
service tires can lead to damage and acci-
dents. 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 special-
ized equipment.<
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, page81.
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
hazards. Make sure that the new wheels are bal-
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.<
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 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.

Mobility
179Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
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.
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, as the instru-
ment might issue an incorrect reading.
When driving with snow chains, you may find it
helpful to switch on DTC temporarily, refer to
page79.<

Everything from A - Z
218 Temperature display
– ice warning64
– outside temperature64
– setting the units68
"Terminate services"163
"Text language"76
"Theater" tone settings136
Thigh support40
Third brake lamp, refer to
Center brake lamp190
Tilt alarm sensor35
Tilt function, passenger-side
mirror44
"Time"72
"Time format"72
Tire inflation pressures170
Tire pressure
– loss81
Tire pressure monitoring,
refer to Flat Tire Monitor80
Tire puncture, refer to Flat Tire
Monitor81
Tire Quality Grading176
Tires
– age176,178
– breaking in106
– changing, refer to Changing
wheels191
– condition177
– damage177
– inflation pressure170
– minimum tread depth177
– new tires178
– pressure monitoring, refer to
Flat Tire Monitor80
– puncture81
– Run-Flat Tires178
– size176
– wear indicators, refer to
Minimum tread depth177
– winter tires179
"Tone"135
Tone in audio mode
– adjusting135
– middle setting137
Tools, refer to Onboard tool
kit187
"Top 8" for portable
phone155Torque200
Touch tone dialing156
Tow bar196
Tow fittings195
Tow fittings for tow-starting
and towing away195
Towing195
– methods
196
Towing away
– car with automatic
transmission195
"Town / City" in destination
entry116
Tow rope196
Tow-starting195
Tracks
– random play sequence147
Track width, refer to
Dimensions200
Traction-assist feature, refer
to DSC78
Traction control, refer to DSC
Dynamic Stability
Control78
Trailer towing
– towing loads and gross
weight201
Transmission
– automatic transmission with
Steptronic51
– manual transmission51
Transporting children
safely46
Transport securing device,
refer to Securing cargo109
Tread depth, refer to Minimum
tire tread177
Treble, tone control135
"Trip computer"66
Trip computer66
Trip-distance counter, refer to
Trip odometer64
"Triple turn signal
activation"53,85
Trip odometer64
Trunk lid, refer to Luggage
compartment lid32
Trunk lights, refer to Luggage
compartment lamp87Turning circle, refer to
Dimensions200
Turn signals53
– indicator lamp12
– replacing bulbs189
Tying down loads, refer to
Cargo loading109
U
Underbody protection, refer to
Caring for your vehicle
brochure
Uniform Tire Quality Grading/
UTQR176
"Units"68
Units
– average consumption68
– temperature68
Universal garage door opener,
refer to Integrated universal
remote control93
Universal remote control93
"Unlock button"30
Unlocking
– from inside32
– from outside30
"Update services"163
V
Vehicle
– battery191
– breaking in106
– care, refer to Caring for your
vehicle brochure
– cargo loading108
– dimensions200
– Identification Number, refer
to Engine compartment181
– parking50
– washing, refer to Caring for
your vehicle brochure
– weight201
Vehicle jack191
Vehicle position, refer to
Displaying current
position129
"Vehicle settings"80