Wheels and tires
212
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, page91.
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
h a z a r d s . M a k e s u re t h a t t h e n e w w h ee l s a r e b a l-
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.<
Correct wheels and tires
When mounting new tires or changing over
from summer to winter tires and vice versa,
mount Run-Flat Tires for your own safety. In the
event of a flat, moreover, no spare wheel is
available. Your BMW center will be glad to
advise you.
For safety reasons, BMW recommends
that damaged Run-Flat Tires be replaced
rather than repaired.<
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.
Wheels with Tire Pressure Monitor
TPM electronics
When mounting new tires or changing over
from summer to winter tires, or vice versa, only
use wheels with TPM electronics; otherwise the
Tire Pressure Monitor may not be able to detect
a puncture, refer to page91. Your BMW center
will be glad to advise you.
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Recommended tire brands
Certain makes of tire are recommended by
BMW for each tire size. They are marked with a
clearly visible BMW designation on the sidewall
of the tire.
When properly used, these tires meet the high-
est standards in terms of safety and handling
characteristics.
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.
Pay attention to speed
Always comply with the speed limit for the
winter tires mounted on your car; failure
to do so could result in tire damage and acci-
dents.<
If the car is capable of speeds higher than that
permitted for the winter tires, a label stating the
maximum permitted speed for the mounted
tires must be displayed in your field of view.
Specialist tire dealers and your BMW center
can supply these labels.
Storage
Always 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 sidewall
of the tire.
Snow chains*
Only certain fine-link snow chains have been
tested by BMW, classified as safe for use and
recommended. Consult your BMW center for
more information.
Snow chains must be mounted in pairs and on
the rear wheels only. Observe the manufac-
turer's instructions when mounting snow
chains. Do not exceed a speed of 30 mph or
50 km/h.
Do not initialize the Flat Tire Monitor if
snow chains are mounted, otherwise the
instrument might issue an incorrect reading.
When driving with snow chains, you may find it
helpful to activate DTC temporarily, refer to
page88.<
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pressurized. Otherwise there is a risk of injury if
the bulb is damaged.<
There are separate headlamp covers for low-
beam headlamps and high-beam headlamps.
Be careful when installing the covers, oth-
erwise leaks could occur and cause dam-
age to the headlamp system.<
For checking and adjusting headlamp
aim, please contact your BMW center.<
Access to the lamps
The high-beam headlamp can be accessed
from the engine compartment, whereas the
low-beam headlamp is accessed through a flap
in the wheel well.
1Cover for high-beam headlamp
2Cover for low-beam headlamp
3Turn signal bulb socket
To remove the covers:
1.Fold the respective wire bracket to the side,
see arrows.
2.Flip open the cover and take it out of the
guide.
Follow the same steps in reverse order to reat-
tach the covers.
Access through the wheel well
Only for low-beam headlamps and turn signals:1.Turn the wheel inwards.
2.Open the flap in the wheel well. To do so,
turn the fastener counterclockwise using a
coin, for example.
Changing low-beam and high-beam
bulbs
1.Remove the relevant cover for the head-
lamp.
2.Disconnect the plug from the lamp.
3.Push the wire bracket to the side out of the
mounting, arrow1, and fold it down,
arrow2.
4.Remove the bulb.
5.Insert new bulb as shown in the detail of the
illustration above.
6.Fold up the wire bracket and engage it.
7.Connect the plug.
8.Reattach the cover.
Parking lamps, roadside parking lamps
5-watt bulb, W5W
Replacing components
224 1.Remove the cover for the high-beam head-
lamp.
2.Pull out the bulb socket, see arrow.
3.Remove and replace the bulb.
4.Insert bulb socket.
5.Reattach the cover.
Turn signals, front
21-watt bulb, PY21W
or PY21W Silver Vision
1.Open the flap in the wheel well, refer to
Access through the wheel well on
page223.
2.Rotate turn signal bulb socket 1 to the left
and remove.
3.Apply gentle pressure to the bulb while
turning it to the left for removal and replace-
ment.
4.Insert turn signal bulb socket 1.
5.Attach the flap to the wheel well.
Tail lamps
Sedan
>Brake lamp in the luggage compartment lid:
H21W bulb, 21 watts>Other lamps:
P21W bulb, 21 watts
The tail lamps are divided into two parts. One
part is in the luggage compartment lid, the other
is in the fender.
1Brake lamp
2Roadside parking lamp/tail lamp
3Turn signal
4Backup lamp
5Tail lamp
6Brake lamp
If one of the bulbs 2, 5 or 6 malfunctions, please
contact your BMW center or a workshop that
works according to BMW repair procedures
with correspondingly trained personnel.
Sports Wagon
>Brake lamp in the tailgate:
H21W bulb, 21 watts
>Other lamps:
P21W bulb, 21 watts
The tail lamps are divided into two parts. One
part is in the tailgate, the other is in the fender.
1Brake lamp
2Roadside parking lamp/tail lamp
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Changing wheels
Your BMW is equipped with Run-Flat Tires as
standard. This removes the need to change a
wheel immediately in the event of a puncture.
For information on continuing to drive with a
damaged tire, refer to Indication of a flat tire on
page91.
The symbol identifying Run-Flat Tires is a circle
with the letters RSC on the sidewall, refer to
Run-Flat Tires, page212.
When mounting new tires or changing over
from summer to winter tires and vice versa,
mount Run-Flat Tires for your own safety. In the
event of a flat, no spare wheel is available. Your
BMW center will be glad to advise you. Refer
also to New wheels and tires, page212.
The tools for changing wheels are avail-
able as optional accessories from your
BMW center.<
Jack mounting points
The jacking points are at the positions shown in
the illustration.
Vehicle battery
Battery care
The battery is 100 % maintenance-free, 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 the battery
Only charge the battery in the vehicle via the
terminals in the engine compartment with the
engine off. Connections, refer to Jump starting
on page230.
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
secure the battery against tipping over during
transport.<
Power failure
After a temporary power loss, the functioning of
some equipment may be limited and require
reinitialization. Individual settings may likewise
have been lost and will have to be programmed:
>Time and date
These values must be updated, refer to
page80.
>Radio
In some cases, stations may have to be
stored again, refer to page162.
>Navigation system
Operability must be waited for, refer to
page130.
>Panorama glass roof
It may only be possible to raise the sunroof,
if applicable. The system must be initialized.
Please contact your BMW center.
>Seat and mirror memory
The positions must be stored again, refer to
page48.
>Inside rearview mirror with digital compass
The system must be calibrated, refer to
page109.
Fuses
Never attempt to repair a blown fuse and
do not replace a defective fuse with a sub-
stitute of another color or amperage rating, oth-
erwise this could lead to a circuit overload, ulti-
mately resulting in a fire in the vehicle.<
Giving and receiving assistance
232 the vehicle by the tow fitting. Otherwise the tow
fitting and the vehicle could be damaged.<
Access to screw thread
Rectangular cover panel in bumper:
Press on the upper edges of the cover panel.
Front
Rear
Being towed
Make sure that the ignition is switched on,
refer to page57, otherwise the low-beam
headlamps, tail lamps, turn signal indicators and
windshield wipers may be unavailable. If the
electrical system fails, do not attempt to tow-
start or tow away the car. The electric steering
wheel lock cannot be disengaged and the car is
not steerable. Jump starting, refer to page230.
Power steering assistance is not available when
the engine is not running. Thus, braking and
steering will require increased effort.<
Switch on the hazard warning flashers, depend-
ing on local regulations.
Manual transmission
Gearshift lever in idle position.
Automatic transmission
Selector lever in position N.
Changing selector lever positions, refer to
page60.
Do not exceed a towing speed of 45 mph
or 70 km/h and a towing distance of
90 miles/150 km, otherwise the automatic
transmission may be damaged.<
Towing methods
In come countries, it is illegal to tow your vehicle
with a tow bar or tow rope on public highways.
Please familiarize yourself with the relevant
towing regulations for the country in which you
are driving.
With a tow bar
The towing vehicle must not be lighter
than the towed vehicle, otherwise it may
be impossible to maintain control.<
The tow fittings used should be on the same
side on both vehicles. Should it prove impossi-
ble to avoid mounting the tow bar at an angle,
please observe the following:
>Clearance and maneuvering capability will
be sharply limited during cornering.
>The tow bar will generate lateral forces if it is
attached offset.
Attach the tow bar to the tow fittings only,
as attaching it to other parts of the vehicle
could result in damage.<
With a tow rope
When starting off in the towing vehicle, make
sure that the tow rope is taut.
To avoid jerking and the associated
stresses on vehicle components when
towing, always use nylon ropes or nylon straps.
Attach the tow rope to the tow fittings only, as
attaching it to other parts of the vehicle could
result in damage.<
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With a tow truck
Without xDrive
Have the BMW transported with a tow truck
with a so-called lift bar or on a flat bed.
Do not lift the vehicle by a tow fitting or
body and chassis parts, otherwise dam-
age may result.<
With xDrive
Do not tow a BMW with xDrive with just
the front or rear axle raised, otherwise the
wheels could lock up and the transfer case
could be damaged.<
Have the BMW transported on a flatbed surface
only.
Tow-starting
Avoid tow-starting the vehicle whenever possi-
ble; instead, jump-start the engine, refer to
page230. Vehicles with a catalytic converter
should only be tow-started when the engine is
cold, vehicles with an automatic transmission
cannot be tow-started at all.
If the electrical system fails, do not tow or
tow-start the vehicle, as it would be
impossible to release the electric steering-wheel lock and the vehicle could not be
steered.<
1.Switch on hazard warning flashers, comply
with local regulations.
2.Switch on the ignition, refer to page57.
3.Shift into 3rd gear.
4.Have the vehicle tow-started with the clutch
depressed and slowly release the clutch.
After the engine starts, immediately
depress the clutch completely again.
5.Stop at a suitable location, remove the tow
bar or rope and switch off the hazard warn-
ing flashers.
6.Have the vehicle checked.
With xDrive: do not activate Hill Descent
Control HDC when the vehicle is being
tow-started, page88.<
Reference 245
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Mobility
Climate
menu
FunctionCommand
To open "Vent settings"102{Vent settings}
To open "Automatic programs"103{Automatic programs}
FunctionCommand
To open the menu{Settings menu}
"Display off"21{Display off}
To open "Info sources"{Info sources}
To open "Settings"{Settings}
To open "Door locks"29, 32{Door locks}
To open "Steering wheel buttons"51{Steering wheel buttons}
To open "Lighting"62{Lighting}
To open "BMW Service"191{BMW Service}
To open "Service requirements"78, 190{Service requirements}
To open "Service"78, 190{Service}
To display "Check Control messages"82{Check Control messages}
To open "BMW Services" settings195{BMW Service settings}
To set brightness of Control Display85{Brightness}
To open "Units"72{Units}
To open "Languages"85, 146{Languages}
To open "Time"80{Time}
To open "Date"81{Date}
To open "PDC"86{PDC}
To open "FTM"90{FTM}