Wheels and tires
220
Wheels and tires
Tire inflation pressure
Information for your safety
The condition of the tires and the maintenance
of the specified tire pressure are crucial not only
to the tire's service life, but also to driving com-
fort and most importantly, driving safety.
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 increases.
Check the tire inflation pressure regularly
and correct it as needed, even on the
compact tire
*: at least twice a month and before
starting long trips. Otherwise driving instability
or tire damage, and therefore accidents, can
result from incorrect tire inflation pressures.
Do not drive with depressurized, 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 a loss of control over the vehicle.<
After correcting the tire inflation pressure,
reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor, refer to
page95, or reset the Tire Pressure Monitor,
refer to page97.<
Pressure specifications
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 and tire brands respectively
approved and recommended by BMW; a list of
these is available from your BMW center.
ing:
>Tire sizes of your vehicle
>Load conditions
>Maximum allowable driving speed
Tire inflation pressures for speeds
up to 100 mph/160 km/h
For normal driving up to 100 mph/160 km/h,
adjust pressures to the respective tire inflation
pressures listed on the following pages in the
column Traveling speeds up to max. 100 mph/
160 km/h to achieve optimum driving comfort.
These pressure specifications can be found on
the door post when you open the driver's door.
The permissible top speed for these tire
inflation pressures is 100 mph/160 km/h.
Do not exceed this speed, otherwise tire dam-
age and accidents may result.<
Tire inflation pressures for speeds
above 100 mph/160 km/h
In order to drive at maximum speeds in
excess of 100 mph/160 km/h, please
observe, and, if necessary, adjust tire pressures
for speeds exceeding 100 mph/160 km/h from
the relevant table on the following pages.
Otherwise tire damage and accidents could
occur.<
Observe all national and local maximum speed
limits, otherwise violations of the law could
occur.
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528i
Tire sizePressure specifications in psi/kPa
Compact wheel
*:
T 135/80 R 17 102 M61/420
Traveling speeds
up to 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
245/45 R 17 95 W
245/45 R 17 99 V M+S XL32/220 33/230 32/220 33/230 35/240 42/290
225/50 R 17 94 V M+S
225/50 R 17 94 W
245/40 R 18 93 W
225/50 R 17 94 H M+S32/220 36/250 32/220 35/240 36/250 44/300
245/40 R 18 97 V M+S XL 32/220 38/260 32/220 38/260 38/260 45/310
Front: 245/40 R 18 93 W
Rear: 275/35R1895W32/220 33/230 32/220 33/230 36/250 42/290
Front: 245/35 R 19 93 Y XL
Rear: 275/30R1996YXL32/220 38/260 32/220 33/230 35/240 42/290
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page257.
Wheels and tires
222
535i
Tire sizePressure specifications in psi/kPa
Compact wheel
*:
T 135/80 R 17 102 M61/420
Traveling speeds
up to 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
245/45 R 17 95 W
225/55 R 16 95 H M+S
245/45 R 17 99 V M+S XL32/220 35/240 32/220 33/230 35/240 42/290
225/50 R 17 94 M+S W
225/50 R 17 94 W
225/50 R 17 94 H M+S32/220 36/250 32/220 35/240 38/260 45/310
245/40 R 18 93 W 32/220 38/260 32/220 35/240 38/260 45/310
245/40 R 18 97 V M+S XL 32/220 38/260 32/220 38/260 39/270 46/320
Front: 245/40 R 18 93 W
Rear: 275/35 R 18 95 W32/220 35/240 32/220 33/230 38/260 42/290
Front: 245/35 R 19 93 Y XL
Rear: 275/30 R 19 96 Y XL33/230 39/270 32/220 33/230 35/240 42/290
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page257.
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528xi
Tire sizePressure specifications in psi/kPa
Compact wheel
*:
T 135/80 R 17 102 M61/420
Traveling speeds
up to 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
245/45 R 17 95 W
245/45 R 17 99 V M+S XL32/220 35/240 32/220 33/230 35/240 42/290
225/50 R 17 94 V M+S
225/50 R 17 94 W
225/50 R 17 94 H M+S
245/40 R 18 93 W
245/40 R 18 97 V M+S XL32/220 36/250 32/220 36/250 38/260 45/310
Front: 245/40 R 18 93 W
Rear: 275/35R1895W32/220 35/240 32/220 33/230 38/260 42/290
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page257.
Wheels and tires
224
535xi
535xi Sports Wagon
Tire sizePressure specifications in psi/kPa
Compact wheel
*:
T 135/80 R 17 102 M61/420
Traveling speeds
up to 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
245/45 R 17 95 W
245/45 R 17 99 V M+S XL32/220 35/240 32/220 33/230 35/240 42/290
225/50 R 17 94 W M+S
225/50 R 17 94 W
225/50 R 17 94 H M+S32/220 36/250 32/220 36/250 38/260 45/310
245/40 R 18 93 W 33/230 36/250 33/230 36/250 38/260 45/310
245/40 R 18 97 V M+S XL 35/240 38/260 35/240 38/260 38/260 45/310
Front: 245/40 R 18 93 W
Rear: 275/35 R 18 95 W32/230 35/240 33/230 33/230 38/260 42/290
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page257.
Tire sizePressure specifications in psi/kPa
Compact wheel
*:
T 135/80 R 17 102 M61/420
Traveling speeds
up to 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 17 94 W M+S
225/50 R 17 94 W
245/45 R 17 95 W
225/50 R 17 94 H M+S
245/45 R 17 99 V M+S XL33/230 41/280 33/230 41/280 38/260 45/310
245/40 R 18 93 Y 32/220 39/270 32/220 38/260 35/240 42/290
245/40 R 18 97 V M+S XL 36/250 44/300 36/250 44/300 41/280 48/330
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page258.
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550i
Tire identification marks
Knowledge of the labeling on the side of the tire
makes it easier to identify and choose the right
tires.
Tire sizeSpeed letter
Q= up to 100 mph/160 km/h
T = up to 118 mph/190 km/h
H = up to 131 mph/210 km/h
V = up to 150 mph/240 km/h
W = up to 167 mph/270 km/h
Y = up to 186 mph/300 km/h
Tire Identification Number
Tires with DOT codes meet the guidelines
of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
DOT code:
Tire sizePressure specifications in psi/kPa
Compact wheel
*:
T 135/80 R 17 102 M61/420
Traveling speeds
up to 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
245/40 R 18 93 Y 32/220 38/260 32/220 35/240 33/230 41/280
245/45 R 17 95 W
245/45 R 17 99 V M+S XL
225/50 R 17 94 H M+S
225/50 R 17 94 W32/220 38/260 32/220 38/260 38/260 45/310
245/40 R 18 97 V M+S XL 33/230 39/270 33/230 39/270 39/270 46/320
Front: 245/40 R 18 93 Y
Rear: 275/35R1895Y32/220 35/240 32/220 32/220 33/230 38/260
Front: 245/35 R 19 93 Y XL
Rear: 275/30R1996YXL35/240 39/270 33/230 38/260 38/260 45/310
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page257.
e.g.
Nominal width in mm
Aspect ratio in Ξ
Belted construction – radial
Rim diameter in inches
Carrying capacity ID-code
(not in ZR tires)
Speed code letter
(in ZR tires before the R)225/50 R1794 W
e.g.
Manufacturer code
for tire make
Tire size and tire design
Tire ageDOT xxxx xxx 3307
Wheels and tires
226
Tire age
The manufacturing date of tires is contained in
the tire coding: DOT ... 3307 indicates that the
tire was manufactured in week 33 of 2007.
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.
These grades represent the tire's ability to stop
on wet pavement, as measured under con-
trolled conditions on specified government test
surfaces 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.<
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 page227.
M+S
Winter and all-season tires.
These have better winter properties than sum-
mer tires.
XL
Indicates specially reinforced tires.
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Tire condition
Inspect your tires frequently for tread wear,
signs of damage and for foreign objects lodged
in the tread. 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.
When winter tires wear down past a tread depth
of 0.16 in/4 mm, they become perceptibly less
suitable for winter conditions. For the sake of
safety, new tires should be installed.
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 speed immedi-
ately and have wheels and tires thor-
oughly checked. To do so, drive carefully to the
nearest BMW center or tire shop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. If necessary,
have the vehicle towed there. Otherwise, tire
damage can be extremely dangerous to vehicle
occupants and other road users.<
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 partially self-contained
tires and special rims. The sidewall reinforce-
ment 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, page96
>With Tire Pressure Monitor, refer to Mes-
sage with low tire inflation pressure,
page98
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.<