tires BMW 4.8I 2008 Owner's Manual

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Loading
To avoid loading the tires beyond their
approved carrying capacity, never over-
load the vehicle. Overloading can lead to over-
heating and increases the rate at which damage
develops inside the tires. The ultimate result
can assume the form of a sudden blow-out.<
Make sure that no fluids leak in the cargo
bay; otherwise the vehicle could be dam-
aged.<
Determining loading limit
1.Locate the following statement on your
vehicle's placard
*:
The combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
YYY lbs. or XXX kg. Otherwise, this could
damage the vehicle and produce unstable
vehicle operating conditions.<
2.Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from YYY lbs. or XXX kg.
4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the YYY amount equals
1,400 lbs. and there will be five 150 lbs.
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs.:
1,400 lbs. minus 750 lbs. = 650 lbs.
5.Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity calculated
in step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, part of
the load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult the manual for
transporting a trailer to determine how this
may reduce the available cargo and luggage
load capacity of your vehicle.
Load
The permissible load is the total of the weight of
occupants and cargo/luggage. The greater the
weight of occupants, the less cargo/luggage
can be transported.
Stowing cargo
>Load heavy cargo as far forward and as low
as possible, placing it directly behind the
backrest.

Driving tips
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Driving on poor roads
Your X5 is at home on all roads and surfaces.
It combines a 4-wheel drive system with the
advantages of a normal passenger car.
Do not drive on unpaved terrain, as other-
wise the vehicle may be damaged.<
When you are driving on poor roads, there are a
few points which you should strictly observe for
your own safety, for that of your passengers,
and for the safety of the vehicle:
>Familiarize yourself with the vehicle before
driving off and avoid taking risks at all costs.
>Adapt your driving speed to the road condi-
tions. The steeper and rougher the road
surface is, the lower the speed should be.
>You can operate your vehicle on uphill and
downhill gradients with a maximum slope of
50 %. If you want to drive on uphill or down-
hill gradients of this kind, make sure before-
hand that the engine oil and coolant levels
are near the MAX mark, refer to page242.
>Use the HDC Hill Descent Control when
driving down extremely steep grades, refer
to page90. It is possible to start off on
grades of up to 33 %.
The permissible body roll is 50 %.
>While driving, watch carefully for obstacles
such as rocks or holes. Try to avoid these
obstacles whenever possible.
>Please make sure that the undercarriage
does not touch the ground, for example on
crests and bumpy roads. The ground clear-
ance of the vehicle is a maximum of approx.
8 in/20 cm. Please note that the ground
clearance can vary depending on loading
and the driving conditions of the vehicle.
>Only drive through water on roads up to a
maximum depth of 20 in/50 cm and only at
walking speed, making sure not to stop in
the process.
>After driving through water at low speed,
lightly press the brake pedal several times
to dry the brakes and to prevent the braking
effect from being reduced by wetness.>Depending on the condition of the surface,
it may be practical to briefly activate DTC,
refer to DTC Dynamic Traction Control on
page89.
>If the drive wheels spin on one side, depress
the accelerator pedal sufficiently so that the
driving stability control systems can distrib-
ute the drive forces to the individual wheels.
Please note the following points after driving on
poor roads to maintain the driving safety of your
BMW:
>Clean the coarsest dirt from the body.
>Clean mud, snow, ice etc. from the wheels
and tires and check the tires for damage.

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Selecting destinations from address
book
1.Select "Address book" and press the con-
troller.
The stored entries appear on the Control
Display.
2.Select the entry and press the controller.
To start the destination guidance:
Select "Start guidance" and press the control-
ler.
Changing destinations from address
book
1.Select "Address book" and press the con-
troller.
2.Select the entry and press the controller.
3.Select "Edit address" and press the con-
troller.4.Change entry.
For operation, refer to Entering a destina-
tion manually, page139.
5.Select "Store in address book" and press
the controller.
Deleting individual destinations from
address book
1.Select "Address book" and press the con-
troller.
2.Select the entry and press the controller.
3.Select "Delete address" and press the con-
troller.
Deleting all destinations from address
book
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Vehicle / Tires" and press the con-
troller.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the
controller until "Delete data" is selected and
press the controller.
6.Select "Delete address book" and press the
controller.
7.Select "Yes" and press the controller.

Mobility
This section helps you maintain your
mobility by supplying important information
on vital topics including fuels and lubricants,
wheels and tires, service, maintenance
and roadside assistance.
Mobility

Wheels and tires
234
Wheels and tires
Tire inflation pressure
Information for your safety
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.
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.
Check the tire inflation pressure regularly
and correct it as needed, even on the
compact tire
*: 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 depressurized, i.e. flat
tires, except run-flat tires. A flat tire will seri-
ously 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.<
After correcting the tire inflation pressure,
reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor, refer to
page92, or reset the Tire Pressure Monitor,
refer to page94.<
Pressure specifications
The tables below provide all the correct inflation
pressures for the specified tire sizes at ambient
temperature.
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 Sports Activ-
ity Vehicle Center. tion pressure for your tires, observe the follow-
ing:
>Tire sizes of your vehicle
>Load conditions
>Maximum allowable driving speed
Tire inflation pressures for speeds
up to 100 mph/160 km/h
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. of
100 mph/160 km/h to achieve optimum driving
comfort.
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.<
Tire inflation pressures for speeds
above 100 mph/160 km/h
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.<

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Observe all national and local maximum speed
limits, otherwise violations of the law could
occur.
Tire inflation pressures for X5 3.0si/4.8i with two rows of seats
Tire size Pressure specifications in psi/kPa
Traveling speeds
up to a max. of
100 mph/160 km/hTraveling 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
Compact wheel
*:
T 155/90 R 18 113 M61/420 61/420 61/420 61/420 61/420 61/420
without sport package:
255/55 R 18 109 H M+S XL 32/220 32/220 32/220 32/220 32/220 38/260
255/50 R 19 107 H M+S XL 32/220 35/240 32/220 32/220 32/220 38/260
Front: 255/50 R 19 107 V XL 32/220 - 32/220 - 32/220 -
Rear: 285/45 R 19 111 V XL - 32/220 - 32/220 - 35/240
Front: 275/40 R 20 106 W XL 32/220 - 32/220 - 32/220 -
Rear: 315/35 R 20 110 W XL - 32/220 - 32/220 - 35/240
Front: 285/35 R 21 105 W XL 32/220 - 32/220 - 32/220 -
Rear: 325/30 R 21 108 W XL - 32/220 - 32/220 - 38/260
with sport package:
255/55 R 18 109 H M+S XL 32/220 32/220 32/220 32/220 32/220 38/260
255/50 R 19 107 H M+S XL 32/220 35/240 32/220 32/220 32/220 38/260
Front: 255/50 R 19 107 V XL 32/220 - 32/220 - 35/240 -
Rear: 285/45 R 19 111 V XL - 32/220 - 32/220 - 38/260
Front: 275/40 R 20 106 W XL 32/220 - 32/220 - 35/240 -
Rear: 315/35 R 20 110 W XL - 32/220 - 32/220 - 38/260
Front: 285/35 R 21 105 W XL 32/220 - 32/220 - 35/240 -
Rear: 325/30 R 21 108 W XL - 32/220 - 35/240 - 41/280
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page264.

Wheels and tires
236
Tire inflation pressures for X5 3.0si/4.8i with three rows of seats
Tire size Pressure specifications in psi/kPa
Traveling speeds
up to a max. of
100 mph/160 km/hTraveling 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
without sport package:
255/55 R 18 109 H M+S XL 32/220 35/240 32/220 32/220 32/220 39/270
255/50 R 19 107 H M+S XL 32/220 38/260 32/220 35/240 35/240 42/290
Front: 255/50 R 19 107 V XL 32/220 - 32/220 - 32/220 -
Rear: 285/45 R 19 111 V XL - 35/240 - 32/220 - 36/250
Front: 275/40 R 20 106 W XL 32/220 - 32/220 - 32/220 -
Rear: 315/35 R 20 110 W XL - 35/240 - 32/220 - 36/250
Front: 285/35 R 21 105 W XL 32/220 - 32/220 - 32/220 -
Rear: 325/30 R 21 108 W XL - 35/240 - 32/220 - 39/270
with sport package:
255/55 R 18 109 H M+S XL 32/220 35/240 32/220 32/220 32/220 39/270
255/50 R 19 107 H M+S XL 32/220 38/260 32/220 35/240 35/240 42/290
Front: 255/50 R 19 107 V XL 32/220 - 32/220 - 35/240 -
Rear: 285/45 R 19 111 V XL - 35/240 - 35/240 - 39/270
Front: 275/40 R 20 106 W XL 32/220 - 32/220 - 35/240 -
Rear: 315/35 R 20 110 W XL - 35/240 - 35/240 - 39/270
Front: 285/35 R 21 105 W XL 32/220 - 32/220 - 35/240 -
Rear: 325/30 R 21 108 W XL - 35/240 - 35/240 - 42/290
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page264.

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Tire identification marks
Knowledge of the labeling on the side of the tire
makes it easier to identify and choose the right
tires.
Tire size
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
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 ... 1207 indicates that the
tire was manufactured in week 12 of 2007.
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 Requirements 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 (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.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, B, and C.
These grades represent the tire's ability to stop
on wet pavement, as measured under con-
trolled conditions on specified government test
surfaces 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
Belted construction – radial
Rim diameter in inches
Carrying capacity ID-code
(not in ZR tires)
Speed code letter
(in ZR tires before the R)
255/55 R18109 H
e.g.
Manufacturer code
for tire make
Tire size and tire design
Tire ageDOT xxxx xxx 0806

Wheels and tires
238
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
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.
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.<
RSC – run-flat tires
You will recognize run-flat tires by a circular
symbol containing the letters RSC on the side
of the tire, refer to page239.
M+S
Winter and all-season tires.
These have better winter properties than sum-
mer tires.
XL
Indicates specially reinforced tires.
Tire condition
Inspect your tires frequently for tread wear,
signs of damage and for foreign objects lodged
in the tread. Check the tread depth.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In these cases, reduce speed immedi-
ately and have wheels and tires thor-
oughly checked. To do so, drive carefully to the
nearest BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center or
tire shop that works according to BMW repair
procedures with correspondingly trained per-
sonnel. If necessary, have the vehicle towed
there. Otherwise, tire damage can be extremely
dangerous to vehicle occupants and other road
users.<

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Run-flat tires
You will recognize run-flat tires by the circular
symbol containing the letters RSC on the side
of the tire.
Run-flat tires consist of partially self-contained
tires and special rims. The sidewall reinforce-
ment ensures that the tire retains some residual
safety in the event of pressure drop and driving
remains possible to a restricted degree.
To continue driving with a damaged tire:
>With Flat Tire Monitor, refer to Indication of
a flat tire page93
>With Tire Pressure Monitor, refer to Mes-
sage with low tire inflation pressure page95
New wheels and tires
Have new wheels and tires installed only
by your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle
Center or a tire shop that works according to
BMW repair procedures with correspondingly
trained personnel. If this work is not carried out
properly, there is a danger of subsequent dam-
age and related safety hazards. Make sure that
the new wheels are balanced.<
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.<
The right 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. Your
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center will be
happy to advise you.
For safety reasons, BMW recommends
that you do not have damaged run-flat
tires repaired; they should be replaced. Other-
wise it is not possible to rule out occurrences of
consequential damage.<
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. If non-approved wheels and tires are
used, BMW cannot evaluate their suitability,
and therefore cannot be held liable for driving
safety.<
When changing to larger wheels and tires,
it may be necessary to make changes to
the wheel-well trim piece, as otherwise road
users could be endangered or the vehicle could
be damaged. Only have this work carried out by
a BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center or a
workshop that works in accordance with BMW
guidelines and uses appropriately trained per-
sonnel.<
You can ask your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle
Center for the correct wheel/tire combination.
The correct wheel/tire combination also affects
various systems whose function would other-
wise be impaired, e.g. ABS, DSC, xDrive or Flat
Tire Monitor.
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.