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Have the system checked as soon as pos-
sible.
Display of the previously described
malfunction on Canadian models.
Dynamic Drive
The concept
Dynamic Drive minimizes body roll and
optimizes vehicle stability during cornering
and evasive maneuvers.
Active stabilizers at the front and rear axles
form the basis for Dynamic Drive. Suspen-
sion compliance adapts to suit driving con-
ditions, varying from performance-oriented
during cornering to smooth and comfort-
oriented when the vehicle is proceeding in
a straight line.
The system assumes operational status
each time you start the engine.
Driving with Dynamic Drive
During vehicle operation, the system con-
tinuously runs through closed-loop control
cycles lasting only fractions of a second.
Malfunction
The warning lamp lights up, accom-
panied by a status message in the
Check Control. Please take note of
the additional information on the Control
Display. A malfunction has occurred in the
system. Have the system checked as soon
as possible.
If the Dynamic Drive system switches
off in response to malfunction, please
remember to adapt your speed accord-
ingly, especially in curves.
The suspension will be noticeably softer
and the vehicle will display a greater ten-
dency to tilt during cornering and in cross-
winds.
If a Check Control message stating that you
should stop appears in addition to the red
symbol, stop immediately and switch off
the engine. In this case the oil level in the
reservoir may have dropped below the min-imum, possibly owing to a leak in the
hydraulic system.
Please observe the additional instructions
provided on the Control Display.<
EDC Electronic Damping
Control*
The suspension responds to changes in
factors such as road surface, or operating
conditions such as steering and braking, by
adapting to the new conditions within frac-
tions of a second.
Two programs are available; they can be
selected in the "Settings" menu.
Comfort mode
The Comfort mode is suitable for use
throughout the vehicle's entire speed range
and regardless of load.
Sport program
You should select the Sport program for
consistently performance-oriented
response from shock absorbers and steer-
ing.
Flat Tire Monitor
The concept
The Flat Tire Monitor keeps track of the
inflation pressures in the four fitted tires as
you drive. The system provides an alert
whenever the inflation pressure drops sig-
nificantly in relation to the pressure another
tire.
Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
96 The check of the tire inflation pressure is
based on monitoring the relative speeds of
the wheels. A flat tire is detected and
reported on the basis of a deviation in cer-
tain speed ratios.
Functional requirements
So that the Flat Tire Monitor can learn the
correct inflation pressure, please perform
the following:
1.Check the inflation pressures in all tires
2.Compare with the inflation pressure
table on page189 and correct if neces-
sary
3.Initialize the system.
System limits
The Flat Tire Monitor cannot indicate
sudden severe tire damage caused by
outside factors and does not detect a natu-
ral, even pressure drop in all four tires.<
In the following situations, on the other
hand, there can be delays in detecting tire
pressure losses, and even system failure:
>When you are driving on snow-covered
or slippery road surfaces
>In the case of performance-oriented
driving: slip on the drive wheels, high
lateral acceleration
>False alarms and undetected loss of
pressure may occur when you are driv-
ing with snow chains fitted.
Initializing system
Perform the initialization immediately
after correcting the inflation pressure,
changing a tire or changing a wheel or all
wheels. A drive is necessary for this pur-
pose.<
1.Start the engine, but do not drive off
2.Select "RPA" from the "Settings" menu
and confirm your selection. The initial-
ization menu appears 3.Select "SET" and confirm your selection
4.Drive off.
"FTM is being initialized" is displayed as the
status.
It takes at least 10 minutes before the Flat
Tire Monitor can detect and report a flat
tire.
When driving with snow chains, do
not initialize the system.<
Select and confirm to exit from the
menu.
Indication of a flat tire
The warning lamp lights up red,
accompanied by a status message
in the Check Control. In addition, an
acoustic signal sounds. A flat tire or a major
air loss has occurred.
1.Reduce speed and stop the vehicle
carefully. Avoid sudden braking and
steering maneuvers
2.Identify damaged tire
If identification is not possible,
contact your BMW center.<
3.Replace the damaged tire, refer to
Changing wheels on page204.
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Vehicles with run-flat tires:
1.Cautiously reduce the vehicle speed to
below 50 mph/80 km/h. Avoid sudden
braking and steering maneuvers. Do not
exceed a vehicle speed of 50 mph/80
km/h
Due to the reinforcement on the
side walls of the run-flat tires,
inflation pressure loss can not usually
be recognized from the outside, refer to
Run-flat tires on page206.<
2.To continue driving, comply with the
instructions for driving with damaged
tires on page206.
Malfunction
The indicator lamp lights up yellow,
accompanied by a status message
in the Check Control. The Flat Tire
Monitor has malfunctioned or failed. Have
the system checked as soon as possible.
Self-leveling suspension*
Malfunction
A Check Control message appear-
ing together with this symbol indi-
cates a malfunction in the self-level-
ing suspension. Please take note of the
additional information on the Control Dis-
play.
Stop and inspect the vehicle. If the rear of
the vehicle is visibly lower than the front,
possibly accompanied by a tilt noticeable
when you compare the left rear with the
right rear, please respond by immediately
proceeding to the nearest BMW center.
Drive with appropriate caution in the mean-
time. The vehicle has reduced ground
clearance and driving comfort may be
noticeably reduced. Even if the attitude of
the vehicle is normal, you should consult
the nearest BMW center if the warning
lamp indicates a system fault.
Brake Force Display
The Brake Force Display indicates the
intensity with which you are applying your
brakes to drivers of following vehicles.
The display consists of two stages:
>Normal braking:
The brake lamps in the tail lamp assem-
blies and the high-mount brake lamp on
the rear tray light up during braking
>Heavy braking and braking with ABS:
The rear lamps also light up with the
same intensity as the standard brake
lamp units to enhance the warning
effect of the brake lamps.
Wheels and tires
188
Wheels and tires
Tire inflation pressure
Information for your safety
It is not merely the tire's service life, but
also driving comfort and – to a great extent
– driving safety that depend on the condi-
tion of the tires and the maintenance of the
specified tire pressure.
Check the tire inflation pressure regu-
larly and correct it if necessary,
including the spare tire: at least every two
weeks and before beginning a longer trip.
If you fail to observe this precaution you
may be driving on tires with incorrect tire
pressures, a condition that can not only
compromise your vehicle's stability, but
also lead to tire damage and the risk of an
accident.
Do not drive with deflated, i.e. flat tires,
except 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 vehi-
cle.<
Checking inflation 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 infla-
tion pressure increases.
After correcting the inflation pressure(s),
always reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor,
refer to page96.
Inflation pressures for standard tires
The inflation pressures for your standard
tires can be found on the door pillar when
you open the driver's door.
Inflation pressures for other tire
sizes
The table below provides all the correct
inflation pressures for the specified tire
sizes at ambient temperature.
After correcting the inflation pres-
sure(s), always reinitialize the Flat Tire
Monitor, refer to page96.<
Tire size
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.
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Temperature
The temperature grades are A, the highest,
B and C, representing the tire's resistance
to the generation of heat and its ability to
dissipate heat when tested under con-
trolled conditions on a specified indoor lab-
oratory 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.<
RSC: 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 page192.
M+S
Winter and all-season tires.
These have better winter properties than
summer tires.
Tire condition
Inspect your tires frequently for treadwear,
signs of damage and for foreign objects
lodged in the tread. Check the tread depth.
Tire tread
The tread depth should not drop below
εin/3 mm, although, for example, Euro-
pean legislation only specifies a minimum
tread depth of κ/ΦΚin/1.6 mm. At tread
depths below εin/3 mm, there is an
increased risk of high-speed hydroplaning, 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 κ/Κin/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 – Tread Wear Indicator.
These indicators signal at a tread depth of
κ/ΦΚin/1.6 mm that the legally permitted
wear limit has been reached.
Wheel/tire damage
Due to low-profile tires, please note
that wheels, tires and suspension
parts are more susceptible to road hazard
and consequential damages.
Unusual vibrations encountered during
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.
In these cases reduce speed immediately.
Drive carefully to the next BMW center or
tire dealer, or have the vehicle towed to one
of these locations if necessary.
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
Run-flat tires*
You will recognize run-flat tires by a circular
symbol containing the letters RSC on the
side of the tire.
The run-flat tires consist of self-supporting
tires and special rims. The tire reinforce-
ment ensures that the tire retains some
residual safety in the event of pressure
drop and driving remains possible to a
restricted degree.
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. 155 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 infla-
tion pressure loss, the driving characteris-
tics change, for example reduced track
stability on braking, extended braking dis-tance, and altered self-steering character-
istics.
For safety reasons BMW recommends that
you do not have damaged run-flat tires
repaired, and that you go to a BMW center
in this case.<
New wheels and tires
Only have new wheels and tires
mounted by a specialist. If this work is
not carried out properly, there is a danger
of subsequent damage and related safety
hazards.<
You can ask your BMW center for the right
wheel and tire combination. Have the
wheel and tire assemblies balanced every
time either a wheel or a tire is replaced.
The correct wheel and tire combination
affects various systems whose function
would otherwise be impaired, e.g. ABS
or DSC.
BMW does not recommend the use of
retread tires, as otherwise driving
safety may be reduced. Possible variations
in the design and the age – which could be
substantial – 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 – 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
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remounted on the vehicle as soon as pos-
sible.
Recommended tire sizes and 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 tire 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 better
winter traction than summer tires, they
generally fail to provide the same levels of
cold-weather performance as winter tires.
Run-flat tires
When mounting new tires or switching from
summer to winter tires, or vice versa, use
run-flat tires, as in the event of a break-
down there is no spare wheel available.
Your BMW center will be glad to advise
you.
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.<
Storage
Always store wheels and tires in a cool, dry
pl ace w it h as l itt le exp osu r e t o li gh t a s po s-
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.
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.
Use on summer or winter tires is only per-
missible in pairs on the rear wheels.
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 page94.<
Replacing components
204
Light-emitting diodes LEDs
Light-emitting diodes installed behind
translucent lenses serve as the light source
for many of the controls and displays in
your vehicle. These light-emitting diodes,
which operate using a concept similar to
that applied in conventional lasers, are offi-
cially designated as Class 1 light-emitting
diodes.
Do not remove the covers, and never
stare into the unfiltered light for sev-
eral hours, as irritation of the iris could
result.<
Changing wheels
Safety precautions to observe in the
event of a flat and during all tire
changes:
Park the vehicle as far as possible from
passing traffic. Park on a firm, flat, surface.
Switch on the hazard warning flashers.
Engage the parking brake and move the
transmission's selector lever to P.
Have all vehicle occupants get out of the
vehicle and ensure that they remain outside
the immediate area in a safe place, such as
behind a guardrail.
If a warning triangle or portable hazard
warning lamp is required, set it up on the
roadside at an appropriate distance from
the rear of the vehicle. Comply with all
safety guidelines and regulations.
Change the wheel only on a level, firm sur-
face which is not slippery. The vehicle or
the jack could slip to the side if you attempt
to raise the vehicle on a soft or slippery sur-
face such as snow, ice, tiles, etc.
Position the jack on a firm support surface.
Do not use a wooden block or similar
object as a support base for the jack, as
this would prevent it from extending to its
full support height and reduce its load-
carrying capacity.
To avoid serious or fatal injury: never lie
under the vehicle, and never start the
engine while it is supported by the jack.<
What you will need
To avoid rattling noises, note the positions
of the tools before removing them, then
return them to their initial positions after
completing work.
>Lug wrench
Located beside the spare tire
>Wheel chock
The chock is located next to the spare
tire, or behind the trim panel on the left
side of the luggage compartment on
vehicles equipped with a trailer cou-
pling.
Remove the floor mat and the cover
above the spare tire.
Unscrew the wingnut and remove the
wheel chock
>Vehicle jack
Located in the luggage compartment
behind the right-hand side panel.