Operation, maintenance -> Wheels and tires for Your BMW M3 4 Door Third Generation (2000-2006)

condition  
wall with TWI – Tread Wear Indicator. At  
a tread depth of 1/16 in / 1.6 mm, the  
indicators signal that the legally permis-  
sible wear limit has been reached.  
ead – tire damage  
your tires frequently for tread  
gns of damage and for foreign  
lodged in the tread. Check the  
epth.  
epth should not be allowed to  
w 1/8 in / 3 mm, even though  
lly specified minimum tread  
only 1/16 in / 1.6 mm.  
1/8 in / 3 mm tread depth, there  
at risk of hydroplaning, even at  
y moderate speeds and with  
all amounts of water on the  
ead wear indicators in the  
oove base – see arrow – are  
ted around the wheel circumfer-  
d are labeled on the tire side-  
 
replacement  
115  
aintain good handling and vehicle depart significantly from the norm due  
nse, use only tires of a single to variations in driving habits, service  
configuration from a single manu- practices and differences in road char-  
er.  
acteristics and climate.  
ly with the specified tire inflation  
ures – and be sure to have the  
and tire assembly balanced  
Traction  
The traction grades, from highest to  
lowest, are AA, A, B and C.  
time you change a tire or wheel.  
Those grades represent the tire's ability  
to stop on wet pavement as measured  
under controlled conditions on speci-  
fied government test surfaces of  
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C  
may have poor traction performance.  
quality grades  
wear  
on AA A B C  
erature A B C  
All passenger car tires must con-  
orm to Federal Safety Require-  
s in addition to these grades.<  
The traction grade assigned to  
this tire is based on straight-  
ahead braking traction tests, and does  
not include acceleration, cornering,  
hydroplaning, or peak traction charac-  
teristics.<  
dwear  
eadwear grade is a comparative  
based on the wear rate of the tire  
tested under controlled condi-  
on a specified government test  
e.  
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 condi-  
tions on a specified indoor laboratory  
test wheel.  
xample, a tire graded 150 would  
1
one and one-half – 1 /2 – times as  
n the government course as a tire  
d 100. The relative performance  
s depends upon the actual condi-  
of their use, however, and may  
 
e
commends the replacement of  
when the tires are no more than  
old, even if a tire life of 10 years  
ble.  
e on which the tire was manu-  
d is indicated by the code on the  
:
3603 indicates that the tire was  
ctured in week 36 of the year  
ing wheel/tire changes  
with the specified tire inflation  
es – and be sure to have the  
nd tire assembly balanced  
me you change a tire or wheel.  
ng wheel and/or tire changes  
need to reinitialize both the Flat  
nitor and the sequential M gear-  
h Drivelogic, refer to pages 71,  
 
117  
The correct wheel and tire combi- Do not exceed the maximum tire infla-  
nation affects different systems  
as ABS, DSC, Flat Tire Monitor.  
unction of these systems is  
tion pressures specified on the tire  
sidewall.  
red if improper wheel and tire  
inations are used.  
fore, only use tires of the same  
and same tread configuration on  
hicle and, for example following a  
ilure, restore the approved wheel  
re combination as soon as possi-  
The use of rims and lug bolts that  
do not meet the specifications of  
iginal factory-installed equipment  
fect the safe operation of your  
e and may cause an accident and  
nal injury.  
mix tires of different design, such  
el-belted radials with radial bias-  
d or bias-ply tires, etc. Mixing tire  
will adversely affect roadholding  
an lead to loss of vehicle con-  
age  
s store tires in a cool, dry place.  
them away from light whenever  
ble. Protect the tires against con-  
ith oil, grease and fuel.  
 
Snow chains*  
Only certain snow chains have been  
tested by BMW and determined and  
approved as roadworthy. Consult your  
BMW center for more information.  
BMW recommends using only these  
approved fine-link snow chains. Use  
them in pairs on winter tires, but only on  
both rear wheels.  
exceed specified  
um speeds  
ever exceed the maximum  
eed for which the winter tires  
d.  
ssional attempts by laymen to  
tires can lead to damage and  
ts.  
Comply with all manufacturer's safety  
precautions when mounting the chains.  
Do not exceed a maximum speed of  
30 mph / 50 km/h when using snow  
chains.  
is work performed by skilled  
onals only. Your BMW center  
glad to assist you with both their  
e and the proper equipment for  
hicle.<  
After mounting or removing snow  
chains, always reinitialize the sequential  
M gearbox with Drivelogic, refer to  
page 71.  
ndition, tire pressure  
depths below approx. 3/16 in /  
re performance under winter  
conditions deteriorates notice-  
orn tires should therefore be  
d for safety considerations.  
It is not possible to mount snow  
chains on tires with 18-inch and  
19-inch wheels.  
Deactivate the Flat Tire Monitor when  
using snow chains. Malfunction warn-  
ings and undetected losses in pressure  
are a possibility when driving with snow  
chains.  
with the specified tire inflation  
es – and be sure to have the  
nd tire assembly balanced  
me you change a tire or wheel.  
For additional information, refer to  
page 84.<