2012 BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE wheel size

193
Wheels and tires
Mobility
Tire identification marks
Knowledge of the labeling on the side of the tire
makes it easier to identi
fy and choose the right
tires.
Tire size
Speed code letter
Q = up to 100 mph or 160 km/h
T = up to 118 mph or 190 km/h
H = up to 131 mph or 210 km/h
V = up to 150 mph or 240 km/h
W = up to 167 mph or 270 km/h
Y = up to 186 mph or 300 km/h
Tire Identification Number
Tires with DOT codes meet the guidelines of
the US Department of Transportation.
DOT code:
Tire age
The manufacturing date of tires is contained in
the tire coding: DOT … 1011 means that the
tire was manufactured in week 10 of 2011.
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 Requir ements 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 (1 γ) times as
well on the government course as a tire graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditio ns 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.
Those grades represent the tire's ability to stop
on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specifie d government test sur-
faces 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. <
e.g.
Nominal width in mm
Aspect ratio in
Ξ
Radial belt construction
Rim diameter in inches
Load rating, not on ZR tires
Speed code letter, in
front of the R on ZR tires
225/45 R1791 V
e.g.
Manufacturer's
code for tire make
Tire size and tire design
Tire ageDOT xxxx xxx 1011
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 609 312 - \251 08/11 BMW AG

195
Wheels and tires
Mobility
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 dealer. If necessary,
have the vehicle towed there.
O t h e r w i s e , t i r e d a m a g e c a n pose a lethal hazard
to vehicle occupants and other road users. <
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... 3010 means that the tire was manufac-
tured in week 30 of 2010.
New wheels and tires
Have new wheels and tires mounted only
by your BMW center or by a tire dealer. If
this work is not carried out properly, there is a
danger of subsequent damage and related
safety hazards. Make sure that the new wheels
are balanced. <
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 casi ng structures and often
wide variations in tire ag e, 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, no spare wheel is available. Your
BMW center will be glad to advise you.
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 an d 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, DSC or
FTM.
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 Monito r may not be able to
detect a puncture, refer to page 95. Your BMW
center will be glad to advise you.
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.
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 609 312 - \251 08/11 BMW AG

196
MobilityWheels and tires
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 driving on
winter roads or at temperatures below +45 7/
+7 6. Although all-season M+S tires provide
better winter traction th an summer tires, they
generally fail to provide th e 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 agains t all contact with oil,
grease and fuels. Do not exceed the maximum
tire inflation pressure indicated on the sidewall
of the tire.
Swapping wheels between axles
BMW advises against swapping wheels
between the front and rear axles, even if all tires
have the same size, as this could impair driving
characteristics. If the tires are of mixed sizes,
swapping wheels betwee n the axles is not per-
missible.
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-sup-
porting tire and a spec ial rim. The reinforce-
ment in the sidewalls en sures that the tire can
continue to be used su bject to certain restric-
tions, even if depressurized.
For information on continuing to drive with a flat
tire, refer to In dication of a flat tire, page 94.
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 Fl at 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 DT C temporarily, refer to
page 91.<
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 609 312 - \251 08/11 BMW AG

252
ReferenceEverything from A to Z
Tire Pressure Monitor
TPM 95
– resetting the system 95
– system limitations 95
– warning lamp 96
Tire puncture, refer to Flat Tire Monitor 94
Tire Quality Grading 193
Tires
– age 193,195
– air loss 96
– breaking in 132
– changing, refer to Changing wheels 211
– condition 194
– damage 194
– inflation pressure 177
– labels 193
– minimum tread depth 194
– new wheels and tires 195
– pressure monitoring, refer to Flat Tire Monitor 93
– pressure monitoring, refer to Tire Pressure Monitor
TPM 95
– puncture 94
– replacing 195
– Run-flat tires 196
– size 193
– storage 196
– tread depth 194
– wear indicators, refer to Minimum tread depth 194
– wheel/tire combination, refer
to Correct wheels and
tires 195
– winter tires 196
Tone
– control 143
– middle setting 144
Tools, refer to Onboard vehicle tool kit 208
Top, refer to Retractable
hardtop 38
Torque, refer to Engine data 234 Tow bar
218
Tow fitting 217
– screw thread 217
Tow fittings for tow-starting and towing away 217
Towing 217
– car with automatic transmission 217
– methods 218
– with 7-gear Sport automatic transmission with double
clutch 218
Towing and tow-starting 217
Tow rope 218
Tow-s
tarting 217,219
TPM, refer to Tire Pressure
Monitor 95
Traction control, refer to Dynamic Stability Control
DSC 90
Transmission
– 7-gear Sport automatic
transmission with double
clutch 62
– automatic transmission with
Steptronic 60
– idle position 63
– Launch Control 66
– manually unlocking parking lock 65
– manual transmission 60
– overriding selector lever lock for automatic transmission
with Steptronic 62
– reverse gear 63
Transmission interlock
– refer to Changing selector
lever position 60
– refer to P Park 60
Transporting children
safely 53
Transport securing devices, refer to Securing cargo 137
Tread depth, refer to Minimum tire tread 194 Trip-distance coun
ter, refer to
Trip odometer 78
Triple turn signal activation 67
Trip odometer 78
Trunk lid 31
– Comfort Access 34
– emergency release 31
– locking or unlocking
separately 31
– opening from inside 31
– opening from outside 31
– remote control 27
Turning circle, refer to Dimensions 235
Turn signal 67
Turn signal indicators
– indicator/warning lamp 12
Turn signals
– triple turn signal 67
Tying down loads, refer to Cargo loading 137
U
Uniform Tire Quality Grading/
UTQR 193
Units
– average fuel
consumption 83
Units of measure
– temperature 83
Universal garage door opener, refer to Integrated universal
remote control 116
Unlatching, refer to Unlocking 33
Unlocking
– from inside 30
– from outside 25
– setting unlocking
characteristics 26
– trunk lid 34
– without remote control, refer
to Comfort Access 33
USB audio interface 151
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 609 312 - \251 08/11 BMW AG