2007 BMW 6 SERIES run flat

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For better control
The indicator lamp flashes:
DSC is controlling the drive forces and
brake forces.
The indicator lamp lights up:
DTC is activated.
Deactivating DTC
Press the button again; the DTC indicator lamp
in the instrument cluster goes out.
Malfunction in driving stability control
systems
The warning lamp for the brake system
lights up, together with the Indicator
and warning lamps for ABS, DSC and
Tire Pressure Monitor or Flat Tire Mon-
itor. A message appears on the Control
Display. The driving stability control
systems have failed. Conventional
braking efficiency remains available
without limitations. While you may con-
tinue, you should remember to proceed
cautiously and drive defensively while avoiding
full brake applications. In addition, the Tire
Pressure Monitor or the Flat Tire Monitor has
also failed. Have the system checked as soon as
possible.
Display of the previously described
malfunction on Canadian models.
The DSC indicator lamp lights up. A
message appears on the Control Dis-
play. A malfunction has occurred in the
DSC and DTC. The stability maintenance func-
tions are no longer available. The vehicle
remains operational. Have the system checked
as soon as possible.The brake system warning lamp lights
up yellow. A message appears on the
Control Display. The brake assistant is
defective. Have the system checked as soon as
possible.
Display of the previously described
malfunction on Canadian models.
Dynamic Drive*
The concept
Dynamic Drive minimizes body roll and opti-
mizes vehicle stability during cornering and
evasive maneuvers.
Dynamic Drive is based on active stabilizers on
the front and rear axles. Suspension compli-
ance adapts to suit driving conditions, varying
from performance-oriented during cornering to
smooth and comfort-oriented when the vehicle
is proceeding in a straight line. During vehicle
operation, the system continuously runs
through closed-loop control cycles lasting only
fractions of a second.
The system assumes operational status each
time you start the engine.
FTM Flat Tire Monitor*
The concept
The Flat Tire Monitor keeps track of the infla-
tion pressures in the tires as you drive. The sys-
tem provides an alert whenever the inflation
pressure drops significantly in relation to the
pressure in another tire.
In the event of a pressure loss, the rolling radius
and therefore the rotation speed of the wheels
change. This change is detected and signaled
as a flat tire.
Functional requirement
To ensure the reliable signaling of a flat tire, the
system must be initialized at the correct tire
inflation pressure.

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
90 The initialization must be repeated after
every correction of the tire inflation pres-
sure and after every tire or wheel change.<
System limits
The Flat Tire Monitor cannot indicate
sudden severe tire damage caused by
outside factors and does not detect a natural,
even pressure drop in all four tires.<
In the following situations, the system could be
delayed or malfunction:
>System has not been initialized
>Driving on snow-covered or slippery roads
>Sporty driving style: slip in the drive wheels,
high lateral acceleration
>Driving with snow chains
*
Initializing system
The initialization finishes during driving,
which can be interrupted at any time.
When driving resumes, the initialization is auto-
matically continued.
Do not initialize the system when driving with
snow chains
*.<
iDrive, for explanation of principle, refer to
page16.
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Turn the controller until "Settings" is
selected and press the controller.
4.Select "Vehicle / Tires" and press the con-
troller.5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "FTM" is selected and press
the controller.
6.Start the engine, but do not start driving.
7.Select "Reset" and press the controller.
8.Select "Yes" and press the controller.
9.Start to drive.
The message "resetting FTM …" is dis-
played.
The initialization is completed during driving.
Indication of a flat tire
The warning lamp lights up in red. A
message appears on the Control Dis-
play. In addition, an acoustic signal
sounds. There is a flat tire or extensive inflation
pressure loss.
1.Cautiously reduce the vehicle speed to
below 50 mph/80 km/h. Avoid severe brak-
ing and steering maneuvers and do not
exceed a speed of 50 mph/80 km/h.
Stop driving if the vehicle is no longer
equipped with run-flat tires, as it was
when it came from the factory, refer to
page204. Continued driving after a flat tire
can result in serious accidents.<

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2.Check the air pressure in all four tires at the
next opportunity.
If the tire inflation pressure in all four
tires is correct, the Flat Tire Monitor
may not have been initialized. The system
must then be initialized.<
3.In the event of complete tire pressure loss,
0 psi/0 kPa, you can estimate the possible
distance for continued driving on run-flat
tires, based on the following 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. 94 miles/150 km.
>With full load:
4 persons, luggage compartment full:
approx. 30 miles/50 km.
Drive reservedly and do not exceed a
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h. In the
event of pressure loss, vehicle handling
changes. This includes reduced tracking
stability in braking, extended braking dis-
tances and altered natural steering charac-
teristics.
If unusual vibrations or loud noises occur
while the vehicle is being driven, this can
indicate final failure of the damaged tire.
Reduce speed and stop at a suitable loca-
tion as soon as possible; otherwise, pieces
of the tire could become detached and
cause an accident. Do not continue driving,
but instead contact your BMW center. The concept
TPM checks the tire inflation pressure in the
four mounted tires. The system reports when
the tire inflation pressure has dropped consid-
erably in one or several tires.
Functional requirement
In order to assure the reliable reporting of a flat
tire, the system must have been reset with the
correct tire inflation pressure.
Always use wheels with TPM electronics, oth-
erwise fault-free operation of the system is not
ensured.
Reset the system again after each correc-
tion of the tire inflation pressure and after
every tire or wheel change.<
System limits
TPM cannot announce sudden serious
tire damage caused by external influ-
ences.<
The system does not function properly if it has
not been reset, e.g. a flat tire is reported despite
correct tire inflation pressures.
The system is inactive and cannot display a flat
tire if a wheel has been mounted without TPM
electronics, or if TPM is temporarily interfered
with by other systems or devices which use the
same radio frequency.
Status display on Control Display
The tire and system status is indicated by the
color of the tires.
TPM takes the fact that the tire pressure
changes during driving into account. A correc-
tion is only required if requested by TPM with
the color.
Green
The tire pressure matches the learned set state.
"TPM active" is displayed on the Control Dis-
play.

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Stop driving if the vehicle is no longer
equipped with run-flat tires, as it was
when it came from the factory, refer to
page204. Continued driving after a flat tire
can result in serious accidents.<
2.In the event of complete tire pressure loss,
0 psi/0 kPa, you can estimate the possible
distance for continued driving on the basis
of the following 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. 95 miles/150 km
>With full load:
4 persons, luggage compartment full:
approx. 30 miles/50 km
Drive reservedly and do not exceed a
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h. In the event of
pressure loss, vehicle handling changes. This
includes reduced tracking stability in braking,
extended braking distances and altered natural
steering characteristics.
If unusual vibrations or loud noises occur while
the vehicle is being driven, this can indicate final
failure of the damaged tire. Reduce speed and
stop at a suitable location as soon as possible;
otherwise, pieces of the tire could become
detached and cause an accident. Do not con-
tinue driving, but instead contact your BMW
center.<
Malfunction
The yellow warning lamp flashes and
then lights up continuously. The tires
are shown in gray on the Control Dis-
play and a message is displayed. No flat tire can
be detected.
A message like this is displayed in the following
situations:
>In case of a malfunction;
have the system checked.
>If a wheels is mounted without TPM elec-
tronics.>If TPM is temporarily interfered with by
other systems or devices which use the
same radio frequency.
Declaration according to NHTSA/
FMVSS 138 Tire Pressure Monitoring
Systems
Each tire should be checked monthly when cold
and inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label. If
your vehicle has tires of a different size than the
size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire infla-
tion pressure label, you should determine the
proper tire inflation pressure for those tires. As
an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring sys-
tem, TPMS, that illuminates a low tire pressure
indicator when o ne or m ore of your tires a re sig-
nificantly under-inflated. Accordingly, when the
low tire pressure indicator illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the proper pres-
sure. Driving on a significantly under-inflated
tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure. Under-inflation also reduces fuel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect the
vehicle's handling and stopping ability. Please
note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's
responsibility to maintain correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire
pressure indicator.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is combined
with the low tire pressure indicator. When the
system detects a malfunction, the indicator will
flash for approximately one minute and then
remain continuously illuminated. This
sequence will continue upon subsequent vehi-
cle startups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated,
the system may not be able to detect or signal
low tire pressure as intended. TPMS malfunc-
tions may occur for a variety of reasons, includ-
ing the installation of replacement or alternate
tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent the
TPMS from functioning properly. Always check

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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 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 Vehi-
cle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A
represent 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 loading, either sep-
arately 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 page204.
M+S
Winter and all-season tires.
These have better winter properties than sum-
mer tires.
Tire condition
Inspect your tires frequently for tread wear,
signs of damage and foreign objects lodged in
the tread, and check the tread depth.
Minimum tread depth
The tread depth should not drop below 0.12 in/
3 mm, although, for example, European legisla-
tion only specifies a minimum tread depth of
0.063 in/1.6 mm. At tread depths below 0.12 in/
3 mm, there is an increased risk of high-speed
hydroplaning, even when only small amounts of
water are present on the road surface.Winter tires noticeably loose their suitability for
winter use below a tread depth of 0.16 in/4 mm.
New tires should be mounted in the interest of
safety.
Wear indicators at the tread-groove base, refer
to arrow, are distributed over the tire's circum-
ference and are marked on the side of the tire
with TWI – Tread Wear Indicator. If the tire tread
has been driven down to the wear indicators, a
tread depth of 0.063 in/1.6 mm has been
reached.
Wheel/tire damage
Please note that low-profile tires cause wheels,
tires and suspension parts to be more suscep-
tible to road hazards and consequential dam-
ages.
Unusual vibrations encountered during normal
vehicle operation can indicate tire failure or
some other vehicle defect. This can, for exam-
ple, 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 your speed imme-
diately and have the wheels and tires
inspected immediately. To do this, carefully
drive to the nearest BMW center or a special-
ized tire dealer that works in accordance with
BMW guidelines and uses appropriately trained
personnel. Have the vehicle towed to the repair
shop if necessary. Tire damage can be
extremely dangerous to vehicle occupants and
other road users.<

Wheels and tires
204
Run-flat tires
You will recognize run-flat tires by the circular
symbol containing the letters RSC on the side
of the tire.
Run-flat tires consist of self-contained tires and
special rims. The sidewall reinforcement
ensures that the tire retains some residual
safety in the event of pressure drop and driving
remains possible to a restricted degree.
To continue driving with a damaged tire:
>With Flat Tire Monitor, refer to Indication of
a flat tire, page90
>With Tire Pressure Monitor, refer to Mes-
sage with low tire inflation pressure,
page92
New wheels and tires
Only have new wheels and tires mounted
by a BMW center or a repair shop that
works in accordance with BMW guidelines and
uses appropriately trained personnel. If this
work is performed inexpertly, there is a danger
of damage and associated safety risks. Make
sure that the new wheels are balanced.<
Retreaded tires
BMW does not recommend the use of
retreaded tires; otherwise, driving safety
may be reduced. Potentially substantial varia-
tions in the design and the age of the carcasses
can result in a reduced 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 than the
approved units – these differences could lead to
body contact, and with it the risk of severe acci-
dents. If non-approved wheels and tires are
used, BMW cannot evaluate their suitability,
and therefore cannot be held liable for driving
safety.<
You can find out the right wheel-tire combina-
tion from your BMW center.
The right wheel-and-tire combination is
another vital factor in ensuring reliable opera-
tion of various vehicle systems such as ABS
and DSC.
To maintain good handling and vehicle
response, use only tires of a single tread config-
uration from a single manufacturer. After a tire is
damaged, always remember to have the original
wheel and tire combination remounted on the
vehicle as soon as possible.
Wheels with electronics for
TPM Tire Pressure Monitor
When mounting new tires or converting from
summer to winter tires or vice versa, only use
wheels with TPM electronics, otherwise the
Tire Pressure Monitor cannot detect a flat tire,
refer to page91. Your BMW center will be
happy to advise you on this subject.
Recommended tire brands
BMW recommends particular tire brands for
each tire size. You can recognize these from the
clearly visible BMW marking on the tire sidewall.

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With proper use, these tires meet the highest
standards for safety and handling characteris-
tics.
Run-flat tires
When installing new tires or when changing
from summer tires to winter tires, for your own
safety, use run-flat tires. No spare wheel is pro-
vided in the event of a flat. Your BMW center will
be glad to advise you.
For safety reasons, BMW recommends
that you do not have damaged run-flat
tires repaired; they should be replaced.<
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.
Watch speed
Always observe the maximum permissi-
ble speed for the winter tires, otherwise
tire damage may occur, which can result in acci-
dents.<
Storage
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 side wall of
the tire.
Rotating wheels between axles
BMW does not recommend moving the front
wheels to the rear or vice versa, as otherwise
the handling characteristics may be impaired.
Snow chains*
BMW only tests certain fine-link snow chains,
classifies them as road-safe and recommends
them. Consult your BMW center for more infor-
mation.
These snow chains are approved exclusively for
use in pairs on the rear wheels with the tire size:
>245/50 R 17 Y
>245/45 R 18 Y
Observe the manufacturer's instructions when
mounting snow chains. Do not exceed a speed
of 30 mph/50 km/h with the chains mounted.
Do not initialize the Flat Tire Monitor after
installing snow chains as this could cause
the Flat Tire Monitor to malfunction.
When driving with snow chains, it may be prac-
tical to briefly activate DTC, refer to page88.<

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License plate lamps
5-watt bulb, W5W
1.Push a screwdriver from the left under the
lamp and pry out the lamp toward the right.
2.Turn the bulb holder to the left by 905 and
remove.
3.Remove and replace the bulb.
Changing wheels
Your BMW is equipped with run-flat tires as a
standard feature. An immediate wheel change
in the event of a flat tire is therefore no longer
required.
To continue driving with a damaged tire:
>With Flat Tire Monitor, refer to Indication of
a flat tire, page90
>With Tire Pressure Monitor, refer to Mes-
sage with low tire inflation pressure,
page92
You will recognize run-flat tires by a circular
symbol containing the letters RSC on the side
of the tire, refer to Run-flat tires on page204.
If you have new tires mounted or switch from
summer to winter tires, or vice versa, use run-
flat tires because no spare tire is provided in
case of a flat. Your BMW center will be glad to
advise you.
Also refer to New wheels and tires, page204.
The suitable tools for changing tires are
available as accessories from your BMW
center.<
Car jacking points
The jacking points for the car jack are located in
the positions shown.
Vehicle battery
Maintenance
The battery is 100 % maintenance-free, i.e., the
electrolyte will last for the life of the battery
when the vehicle is operated in a temperate cli-
mate.
Your BMW center will be glad to advise in all
matters concerning the battery.
Charging battery
Only charge the battery in the vehicle via the
terminals in the engine compartment with the
engine switched off. For the connections, refer
to Jump starting on page218.
Disposal
After replacement, have old batteries dis-
posed of by your BMW center or deposit
them at a recycling center. Maintain the battery
in an upright position for transport and storage.
Always secure the battery to prevent it from tip-
ping over during transport.<
Power failure
Following a temporary interruption of the power
supply, the operation of some equipment is lim-
ited and must be reinitialized. Individual settings
are also lost and must be updated:
>Seat, mirror and steering wheel memory
The position must be stored again, refer to
page50.