four wheel drive BMW 325xi SEDAN 2003 E46 Owner's Manual

86
If this occurs, reduce vehicle speed
immediately and stop the vehicle in a
safe location. Avoid hard brake applica-
tions. Do not oversteer. Replace the
defective tire, refer to page 141.
The space-saver spare tire is pro-
vided for temporary use only in the
case of a tire failure. It does not have
TPM electronics and is not monitored.
The spare tire that has the same dimen-
sions as the tires already mounted on
the vehicle is equipped with the neces-
sary TPM electronics and will also be
monitored once the tire has been
mounted and the system initialized.<
The TPM cannot alert you to
severe and sudden tire damage
caused by external factors.<
Have the tires changed by your
BMW center.
Your BMW center has the information
needed for working with TPM and is
equipped with the necessary special
tools. quency can interfere with TPM.
The yellow indicator lamp will come on
during the malfunction.
The indicator lamp also comes on
>in the event of a system fault
>if a wheel is mounted without the
appropriate electronics
>if, in addition to the spare tire, addi-
tional wheels with TPM electronics
are on board.
Please refer the problem to your BMW
center.
Flat Tire Monitor*The conceptAs you drive, the Flat Tire Monitor
keeps track of pressure levels in all four
tires in order to detect and warn of any
substantial pressure loss.
The system actually detects pressure
loss by monitoring differences in the
relative speeds of the four wheels. It
interprets variations outside specified
limits as severe pressure loss, and then
responds by generating a warning.
Tire Pressure Monitor (TPM)*

145
Run Flat tires*Run Flat tires are labeled on the side-
wall with a circular symbol containing
the letters RSC. Run Flat tires consist of
self-supporting tires and special rims.
The tire reinforcement ensures that the
tire retains some residual safety in the
event of pressure drop and driving
remains possible to a restricted degree.
The vehicle is equipped with Tire Pres-
sure Monitor (TPM) or Flat Tire Monitor,
which indicate a flat tire.
Because the sides of Run Flat
tires are reinforced, a drop in infla-
tion pressure usually cannot be
detected on the outside.<
Flat tireIf there is a tire failure, the red warning
lamp symbol lights up. This visual alert
is accompanied by an acoustic warning
signal.
Additional information on the Tire Pres-
sure Monitor (TPM) or Flat Tire Monitor
is found beginning on page 85.
Reduce vehicle speed carefully to
under 50 mph / 80 km/h, avoiding hard
brake applications and steering maneu-
vers.
If the defective wheel is not immedi-
ately recognizable on the outside,
check the tire pressure on all four
wheels.
Have Run Flat tires replaced by
your BMW center. In the interest
of safety, Run Flat tires should not be
repaired. Your BMW center has the
information needed for working with
Run Flat tires and is equipped with the
necessary special tools.<
If appropriate, please consult your
BMW center to reequip your vehi-
cle from summer to winter tires – or vice
versa.<
Driving with a damaged tireRun Flat tires allow you to continue
driving to a restricted degree at a maxi-
mum speed of 50 mph / 80 km/h
depending on the cargo load and the
extent of tire damage. You can deter-
mine the distance you may continue
driving on the basis of the following val-
ues:
>Tire inflation pressure of
0 psi/0 kilopascal (kPa):
approx. 100 miles/150 km
>Tire inflation pressure of
approx. 7-15 psi/50-100 kPa:
approx. 300 miles/500 km
>Tire inflation pressure greater than
15 psi/100 kPa:
approx. 600 miles/1,000 km.
Drive cautiously. Do not exceed a
speed of 50 mph / 80 km/h. Be
aware that vehicle handling will be
altered when there is a loss in inflation
pressure. Anticipate, e.g., reduced
tracking during braking, longer braking
distances, and changed steering char-
acteristics.<
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