2005 BMW 330XI SEDAN tire size

Technology for driving comfort and safety
84
Operational readiness of airbag system
When the remote control is inserted into the
ignition lock or the car is radio-ready, refer to
page49, the warning lamp comes on briefly to
indicate that the entire airbag system and the
belt tensioners are operational.
Airbag system malfunction
>The warning lamp does not come on after
the remote control has been inserted into
the ignition switch
>Warning lamp remains permanently on
In the event of a fault in the airbag system,
have it checked without delay, as other-
wise there is the risk that the system will not
function as intended even if a sufficiently severe
accident occurs.<
Passenger airbag status lamp
The indicator lamp located above the rearview
mirror indicates whether the front passenger
airbag system is active or not active/OFF.
The indicator lamp is used only for the
front passenger airbag system. The indi-
cator lamp illuminates to show that the front
passenger airbag system is OFF/not active.<>The lamp illuminates briefly during startup,
but then goes out if the seat is empty, or an
adult or child of sufficient size is detected.
>The lamp remains illuminated when a child
in a rear-facing child-restraint system is
detected and indicates that the passenger
airbag system is off.
If the lamp is illuminated when the seat is
occupied by a very light adult or teenager,
it is recommended that the person sit in the
rear.<
Find more information about the front passen-
ger airbag system and seat occupancy detec-
tion in the section Automatic deactivation of
front passenger airbags on page83.

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.

Mobility
173Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Tire inflation pressures for 325i with 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
225/45 R 17 94 V M+S XL29/200 35/240 29/200 36/250 35/240 42/290
205/55 R 16 91 H M+S
225/45 R 17 91 H M+S29/200 35/240 29/200 35/240 32/220 39/270
Front: 225/45 R 17 91 V 29/200 - 29/200 - 35/240 -
Rear: 255/40 R 17 94 V - 32/220 - 33/230 - 38/260
Front: 225/40 R 18 88 W 32/220 - 33/230 - 38/260 -
Rear: 255/35 R 18 90 W - 35/240 36/250 - 42/290
Front: 225/35 R 19 88 Y XL 35/240 - 33/230 - 38/260
Rear: 255/30 R 19 91 Y XL - 39/270 - 36/250 42/290
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.

Mobility
175Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Tire inflation pressures for 330i with 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 94 V M+S XL 29/200 36/250 32/220 38/260 38/260 45/310
225/45 R 17 91 H M+S 29/200 36/250 29/200 36/250 33/230 41/280
Front: 225/45 R 17 91 V 29/200 - 32/220 - 38/260 -
Rear: 255/40 R 17 94 V - 32/220 - 35/240 - 41/280
Front: 225/40 R 18 88 W 32/220 - 35/240 - 38/260 -
Rear: 255/35 R 18 90 W - 36/250 38/260 - 45/310
Front: 225/35 R 19 88 Y XL 36/250 - 35/240 - 38/260
Rear: 255/30 R 19 91 Y XL - 41/280 - 38/260 45/310
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.