
Wheels and tires
228 DOT code:
Tire age
The manufacturing date of tires is contained in 
the tire coding: DOT ...1008 indicates that the 
tire was manufactured in week 10 of 2008.
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 page229.
M+S
Winter and all-season tires. 
These have better winter properties than sum-
mer tires. e.g.
Manufacturer code
for tire make
Tire size and tire design
Tire age
DOT xxxx xxx 1008 

Mobility
 229Reference
At a glance
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XL
Indicates specially reinforced tires.
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  

Wheels and tires
230 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 does not recommend that you use 
retreaded tires, as driving safety may be 
impaired. The causes for this include the possi-
bly different tire casing structures and the often 
wide variations in their 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 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 inquire about the right wheel/tire com-
bination at your BMW center.
The correct wheel/tire combination also affects 
various systems whose function would other-
wise be impaired, e.g. ABS, DSC or xDrive.
To maintain good handling and vehicle 
response, use only tires of a single tread config-
uration from a single manufacturer. Following 
tire damage, 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 page97. Your BMW center will be 
happy to advise you on this subject.
Recommended tire brands
Certain tire makes are recommended by BMW 
depending on the tire size. You can recognize 
these from the clearly visible BMW marking on 
the tire sidewall.
When used properly, these tires comply with 
the most demanding standards for safety and 
vehicle response.
Run-flat tires
When mounting new tires, or changing from 
s u m m e r  t o  w i n t e r  t i r e s  o r  v i c e  v e r s a ,  u s e  r u n - f l a t  
tires for your own safety. In addition, no spare 
tire is available in case of a flat tire. Your BMW 
center will be glad to advise you.
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.
Paying attention to 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  

Mobility
 251Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
3.Check and correct the tire inflation pressure 
at the earliest opportunity.
Protect valve stems with valve stem 
seal caps against dirt and contamina-
tion. Dirt in valve stems is a frequent source 
of gradual air loss.<
4.Initialize the Flat Tire Monitor, refer to 
page95, or reset the Tire Pressure Monitor, 
refer to page97.
5.Replace the damaged tire as soon as possi-
ble and have the new wheel/tire balanced.
Driving with compact wheel
Drive reservedly and do not exceed a speed of 
50 mph/80 km/h.
The driving characteristics change, for example 
reduced track stability on braking, extended 
braking distance, and altered self-steering 
characteristics in the limit range. In conjunction 
with winter tires, these characteristics are more 
pronounced.
Only one compact wheel may be 
mounted. Restore the wheels and tires to 
their original size as quickly as possible. Failure 
to do so is a safety risk.<
Vehicle battery
Battery care
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. Connections, refer to 
Jump starting on page254.
Disposal
Have old batteries disposed of by your 
BMW center or hand them in to a recy-
cling center. Maintain the battery in an upright position for transport and storage. Always 
restrain the battery to prevent it from tipping 
over during transport.<
Power failure
Following a temporary power failure, e.g. due to 
a discharged battery, the use of some equip-
ment will be restricted, requiring its reinitializa-
tion. In the same way, individual settings are lost 
and must be updated again:
>Seat, mirror and steering wheel memory 
The positions must be stored again, refer to 
page50.
>Time and date
Must be updated again, refer to page87.
>Radio 
Radio stations must be stored again, refer 
to page174.
>Navigation system 
You must wait until the system becomes 
functional again, refer to page142.
>Glass roof, electric
It may only be possible to raise the glass 
roof. The system must be initialized, refer to 
page44.
>Panorama glass roof
It may only be possible to raise the glass 
roof. The system must be reinitialized, refer 
to page46.
>Active steering
The system is deactivated and must be 
reinitialized, refer to page99. Until then, 
larger steering wheel movements are 
required.
>Power windows 
The pinch prevention system for the power 
windows must be reinitialized, refer to 
page42.
Talk to your BMW center before placing 
the stored vehicle back in service.<
Fuses
Never attempt to repair a blown fuse and 
do not replace a defective fuse with a sub- 

Everything from A to Z
270
Everything from A to Z
Index
"..." Identifies Control Display 
texts used to select 
individual functions and 
refers you to the page where 
these texts can be found.
A
ABS Antilock Brake 
System91
– indicator lamp94
ACC, refer to Active cruise 
control71
Accepted calls202
Accessories6
Accident, refer to Emergency 
request253
Acoustic signal, refer to Check 
Control84
Activated-charcoal filter for 
automatic climate 
control118
"Activation time" for parked 
car ventilation119
Active cruise control71
– indicator lamp75
– radar sensors75
– selecting distance73
– warning lamps75
Active front head restraints51
Active seat54
Active seat ventilation54
Active steering99
– warning lamp100
Adapter for spare key30
Adaptive brake assistant92
Adaptive brake lamps, refer to 
Brake force display100
Adaptive Head Light110
"Add digits" in mobile phone 
mode202Additives
– coolant235
– engine oil, refer to Approved 
engine oils235
"Address book" in 
navigation152
Address for navigation
– deleting153
– entering144,147
– selecting153
– storing152
– storing current position152
"Add to address book"152
"Add to destination 
list"147,149
Adjusting active backrest 
width49
Adjusting interior 
temperature115
Adjusting the tone during 
audio operation, refer to 
Tone control169
Adjusting thigh support48
"After door opened"50
"After unlocking"
50
Airbags100
– indicator/warning lamp102
– indicator lamp for front 
passenger airbags101
– sitting safely47
Air distribution
– automatic115
– manual116
Airing, refer to Ventilation118
Air recirculation
– AUC Automatic 
recirculated-air control117
– recirculated-air mode117
Air recirculation, refer to 
Recirculated-air mode117
"Air recirculation on / off"57Air supply, automatic climate 
control114
Air volume116
AKI, refer to Fuel quality221
Alarm system39
– avoiding unintentional 
alarms40
– interior motion sensor40
– switching off alarm40
– switching off tilt alarm 
sensor and interior motion 
sensor40
– tilt alarm sensor40
"All channels"180
"All doors"33
Alloy wheels240
All-season tires, refer to 
Winter tires230
"All stations", requesting in 
radio mode172
All-wheel drive, refer to 
xDrive93
Alterations, technical, refer to 
For your own safety5
Altering stretch of road160
"AM", reception 
range168,172
Antenna for mobile phone194
Antifreeze
– coolant235
– washer fluid70
Anti-theft alarm system, refer 
to Alarm system39
Anti-theft system, refer to 
Central locking system32
Approved axle loads, refer to 
Weights263
Approved engine oils235
Approved gross vehicle 
weight, refer to Weights263
Armrest, refer to Center 
armrest, rear127 

Everything from A to Z
280 Luggage compartment lid36
– emergency operation, refer 
to Manual operation36
– emergency release37
– locking separately36
– opening from inside36
– opening from outside36
– unlocking and locking from 
inside35
– unlocking manually36
Luggage compartment lid/
tailgate
– comfort access41
Luggage net, refer to Partition 
net128
Luggage rack, refer to Roof-
mounted luggage rack139
Lumbar support49
LW, waveband172
M
M+S tires, refer to Winter 
tires230
Maintenance237
– refer to Service and 
Warranty Information 
Booklet for US models237
– refer to Service 
requirements82
– refer to Warranty and 
Service Guide Booklet for 
Canadian models237
Maintenance system237
Malfunction warnings, refer to 
Check Control84
Manual air distribution116
"Manual" in radio mode173
Manual operation
– door lock34
– driver's door34
– fuel filler door220
– glass sunroof44
– luggage compartment lid36
– panorama glass sunroof46
– transmission lock, automatic 
transmission66
Manual transmission64
"Map direction of travel"158Map display158
"Map facing north"158
Map for navigation
– changing scale158
– destination entry149
Map view facing north158
Master key, refer to Keys/
remote control30
Maximum cooling117
Maximum speed
– with compact wheel251
Maximum speed with winter 
tires230
Measurements, refer to 
Dimensions261
Memory, refer to Seat, mirror 
and steering wheel 
memory49
MENU, button refer to Start 
menu18
Menus, refer to iDrive16
Message list for traffic 
information161
Microfilter118
Microphone
– for mobile phone14,16
– for telephone14
– for voice command 
system14
Mirror dimming feature56
Mirrors54
– automatic curb monitor55
– folding in and out55
– heating55
– memory, refer to Seat, mirror 
and steering wheel 
memory49
Missed calls202,203Mobile phone
– accepted calls203
– adjusting volume200
– calling201
– ending call201
– installation location, refer to 
Center armrest123
– missed calls203
– operation by voice205
– operation via iDrive200
– redialing203
– refer to separate operating 
instructions
– Top 8203
– touch tone dialing, refer to 
Tone dialing method204
Mobile phone, refer to 
separate operating 
instructions
Mobile phone battery208
Monitor, refer to iDrive16
Monitoring pressure of tires, 
refer to Flat Tire Monitor95
"Monitor on / off"57
Most recent mobile phone 
numbers203
MP3
– compressed audio files182
– USB-audio interface/mobile 
phone audio interface189
Multi-function steering wheel, 
refer to Buttons on steering 
wheel11
Multifunction switch
– refer to Turn signals/
headlamp flasher68
– refer to Wiper system69
Music tracks
– finding184
– random play sequence185
– sampling, scan184
"Mute on / off"57
MW, waveband172
"My Info"214
My Info, refer to BMW Assist 
My Info213 

Reference 283
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Recirculated-air mode117
– air recirculation117
– AUC Automatic 
recirculated-air control117
Reclining seat, refer to 
Seats48
Recording times, refer to 
Stopwatch86
Redialing with mobile 
phone207
"Redial" in mobile phone 
mode202
Reflectors, refer to Tail 
lamps246
Refueling220
Releasing
– hood232
Releasing the locks, refer to 
Unlocking41
"Relock door if not 
opened"35
Remaining distance, refer to 
Cruising range80
Remaining distance to 
destination, refer to 
Computer81
Remote control30
– comfort access40
– garage door opener121
– luggage compartment lid33
– malfunction34,42
– replacing battery42
– tailgate33
Removing condensation on 
the windows116
"Repeat directory" in audio 
mode185
"Repeat" in audio mode185
"Repeat track" in audio 
mode185
Replacement fuses251
Replacement of tires, refer to 
Changing wheels248
Replacement remote control, 
refer to New remote 
controls30
Replacing bulbs, refer to 
Lamps and bulbs243
Replacing tires230Replacing wheels/tires, refer 
to New wheels and tires229
Reporting safety defects7
Reserve
– warning, refer to Fuel 
gauge80
"Reset"96,98
Reset, refer to Resetting tone 
settings171
"Reset" the stopwatch87
"resetting FTM …"96
"Reset" tone settings
171
Residual heat117
Restraint systems
– for children58
– refer to Safety belts52
Retaining straps, refer to 
Storage area package, 
Sports Wagon129
Retreaded tires230
Reverse, fast
– CD changer186
– CD player186
Reverse gear
– automatic transmission with 
Steptronic65
– manual transmission64
Road map158
"Roadside 
Assistance"204,210
Roadside Assistance254
Roadside assistance210
Roadside parking lamps110
– replacing bulbs245
Roller blind
– refer to Roller sun blind122
Roller cover
– refer to Roll-up cover, Sports 
Wagon128
Roll-up cover, Sports 
Wagon128
Roof load capacity263
Roof-mounted luggage 
rack139
Rope, refer to Tow-starting 
and towing255
Rotary/pushbutton, refer to 
iDrive16Route154
– bypassing sections160
– changing160
– changing criteria154
– displaying157
– displaying arrow display157
– displaying map view158
– displaying streets or towns/
cities159
– selecting154
Route information, refer to 
Destination guidance with 
voice instructions159
Route map, refer to Displaying 
map view158
"Route preference", 
changing154
Route selection154
RSC Runflat System 
Component, refer to Run-
flat tires229
Run-flat tires229
– continuing driving with a 
damaged tire96,98
– flat tire96,98
– Flat Tire Monitor95
– new wheels and tires229
– tire inflation 
pressure96,98,222
– Tire Pressure Monitor97
– tire replacement229,230
– winter tires230
S
Safety5
Safety belts52
– damage53
– sitting safely47
– warning lamp52
Safety belt tensioners
– refer to Airbags100
– refer to Safety belts52 

Reference 285
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Shoulder support48
"Show current position"150
"Show destination 
position"150
Shuffled, refer to Random
– CD changer185
– CD player185
Side airbags100
Side marker lamps, replacing 
bulbs246
Side-mounted turn signals, 
replacing bulbs246
Side window blinds, refer to 
Sun blinds122
Signal horn, refer to Horn10
Sitting safely47
– with airbags47
– with head restraint47
– with safety belts47
Ski bag130
Sliding/tilt sunroof
– refer to Electric glass 
sunroof43
– refer to Panorama glass 
sunroof45
Slope assistant, refer to 
Starting assistant94
Snap-in adapter
– mounting/removing207
– using194
Snow chains231
Socket for Onboard 
Diagnostics interface238
Socket for remote control, 
refer to Ignition lock62
Sockets, refer to Connecting 
electrical devices126
Soft closure aid, refer to 
Automatic soft closing35
Song search on CD, refer to 
Sampling tracks184
SOS, refer to Initiating an 
emergency request253
Sound distribution in audio 
mode
– front/rear fader170
– right/left balance170Spare
– adapter for spare key30
– fuses251
– key30
– wheel, refer to Compact 
wheel250
Spare wheel, refer to 
Changing wheels248
Special oils, refer to Approved 
engine oils235
Specified oil grades, refer to 
Approved engine oils235
Speed
– limit86
– with compact wheel251
Speed-dependent 
volume
170
Speed limit warning, refer to 
Speed limit86
Speedometer12
"Speed volume", tone 
control170
Speed with winter tires230
Sport automatic 
transmission67
– Dynamic Driving Control67
– kick-down65
– towing256
– with comfort access42
Sport program, Automatic 
transmission with 
Steptronic65Sports Wagon
– automatic roll-up cover128
– automatic tailgate 
operation38
– compartments in cargo 
bay129
– expanding cargo bay128
– opening rear window37
– opening tailgate37
– panorama glass sunroof45
– partition net128
– rear window wiper70
– rear window wiper, changing 
wiper blade243
– releasing fuel filler door in 
event of electrical 
malfunction220
– roll-up cover128
– roll-up cover for cargo 
bay128
– self-leveling suspension95
– socket in cargo bay126
– storage area package129
– tail lamps, replacing 
bulbs247
Stability control, refer to 
Driving stability control 
systems91
Star button56,57
Start/Stop button62
– starting the engine63
– switching off the engine63
"Start" for stopwatch87
"Start guidance"147,156
Starting, refer to Starting 
engine63
Starting assistance, refer to 
Jump starting254
Starting assistant94
Starting difficulties, refer to 
Jump starting254
Starting off on slopes, refer to 
Starting assistant94
Start menu, iDrive18
"Start route guidance"150
"Start service"210
"Start service" with BMW 
Assist213