Get Mobility -> Wheels and tires Guide for BMW M5 4 Door Fourth Generation (2004-2010)

Wheels and tires

For correct identification of the right tire infla-

tion pressure for your tires, observe the follow-

ing:

Tire inflation pressure

Information for your safety

Tire sizes of your vehicle

Load conditions

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.

Maximum allowable driving speed

Tire inflation pressures for speeds

up to 100 mph/160 km/h

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.

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.

Check the tire inflation pressure regularly

and correct if necessary, including on the

spare wheel*: at least twice a month and before

starting long trips. If you fail to observe this pre-

caution, you may be driving on tires with incor-

rect tire pressures, a condition that can not only

compromise your vehicle's driving stability, but

also lead to tire damage and the risk of an acci-

dent. Do not drive with a depressurized, i.e. flat,

tire. 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.<

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.<

After correcting the inflation pressure(s),

always reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor,

refer to page 77.<

Pressure specifications

Tire inflation pressures for speeds

above 100 mph/160 km/h

The tables below provide all the correct inflation

pressures for the specified tire sizes at ambient

temperature.

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.<

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.<

176

Observe all national and local maximum speed

limits, otherwise violations of the law could

occur.

Tire size

Pressure specifications in psi/kPa

Traveling speeds

up to max. of

100 mph/160 km/h

Traveling 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 18 100 V XL M+S

255/40 ZR 19

35/240

37/250

38/260

35/240

37/250

38/260

41/280

47/320

285/35 ZR 19

37/250

47/320

More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page 204.

Tire Identification Number

Tire identification marks

Knowledge of the labeling on the side of the tire

makes it easier to identify and choose the right

tires.

Tires with DOT codes meet the guidelines of

the U.S. Department of Transportation.

DOT code:

e.g.

DOT xxxx xxx 0806

Tire size

Manufacturer code

for tire make

Tire size and tire design

Tire age

e.g.

285/35 ZR 19

245/45 18 100 V

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)

Tire age

The manufacturing date of tires is contained in

the tire coding: DOT... 0806 indicates that the

tire was manufactured in week 8 of 2006.

BMW recommends that you replace all tires

after 6 years at most, even if some tires may last

for 10 years. This also concerns the tire of the

spare wheel.

Speed 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

Z = over 150 mph/240 km/h

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

177

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.

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.<

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.<

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.

M+S

Winter and all-season tires.

These have better winter properties than sum-

mer tires.

Indicates specially reinforced tires.

Traction

Tire condition

Inspect your tires frequently for tread wear,

signs of damage and for foreign objects lodged

in the tread. Check the tread depth.

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 specified government test sur-

faces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C

may have poor traction performance.

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.

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.<

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.

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

178

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.<

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.

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.<

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.

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. When selecting the tires, also ensure

that they have a sufficient load-carrying capac-

ity. If non-approved wheels and tires are used,

BMW cannot evaluate their suitability, and

therefore cannot be held liable for driving

safety.<

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. Tire damage can

be extremely dangerous for vehicle occupants

and other road users.<

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 or DSC.

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.

179

If you do not carry out initialization, the system

will automatically learn the changed state grad-

ually during driving. This may be noticeable

from the clutch opening and closing briefly.

Recommended tire brands

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 side wall

of the tire.

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.

Snow chains*

When used properly, these tires comply with

the most demanding standards for safety and

vehicle response.

BMW only tests certain fine-link snow chains,

classifies them as road-safe and recommends

them. Consult your BMW center for more infor-

mation.

Special characteristics of winter tires

Use is only permitted in pairs, with winter tires

of the size 245/45 R 18 on the rear wheels.

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.

Observe the manufacturer's instructions when

mounting snow chains. Do not exceed a speed

of 30 mph/50 km/h with the chains mounted.

Make sure that the snow chains are always suf-

ficiently tensioned. Retension in accordance

with the chain manufacturer's specifications if

necessary.

Pay 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.<

After mounting snow chains, do not ini-

tialize the Flat Tire Monitor, otherwise

incorrect displays can occur.

After mounting or removing snow chains, the

slip detection of the Sequential Manual Trans-

mission must become familiar with the altered

state. To do this, reinitialize the system, refer to

After changing wheels/tires.<

After changing wheels/tires

After changing tires or wheels, the slip detec-

tion of the Sequential Manual Transmission

must become familiar with the changed state.

Reinitialize the system for this purpose:

1. Move the selector lever into the idling

position N on a straight stretch of road at a

speed between 20 mph/30 km/h and

90 mph/150 km/h.

2. Pull both shift paddles for approx. 2 sec-

onds.

180

Mobility -> Wheels and tires for Your BMW M5 4 Door Fourth Generation (2004-2010)

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