wheel size BMW 760i 2005 E65 Owner's Manual

Wheels and tires
188
Wheels and tires
Tire inflation pressure
Information for your safety
It is not merely the tire's service life, but
also driving comfort and – to a great extent
– driving safety that depend on the condi-
tion of the tires and the maintenance of the
specified tire pressure.
Check the tire inflation pressure regu-
larly and correct it if necessary,
including the spare tire: at least every two
weeks and before beginning a longer trip.
If you fail to observe this precaution you
may be driving on tires with incorrect tire
pressures, a condition that can not only
compromise your vehicle's stability, but
also lead to tire damage and the risk of an
accident.
Do not drive with deflated, i.e. flat tires,
except run-flat tires. A flat tire will seriously
impair your vehicle's handling and braking
response. Attempts to drive on a flat tire
can lead to loss of control over the vehi-
cle.<
Checking inflation 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 infla-
tion pressure increases.
After correcting the inflation pressure(s),
always reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor,
refer to page96.
Inflation pressures for standard tires
The inflation pressures for your standard
tires can be found on the door pillar when
you open the driver's door.
Inflation pressures for other tire
sizes
The table below provides all the correct
inflation pressures for the specified tire
sizes at ambient temperature.
After correcting the inflation pres-
sure(s), always reinitialize the Flat Tire
Monitor, refer to page96.<
Tire size
The inflation pressures apply to the tire
sizes approved and tire brands recom-
mended by BMW; a list of these is available
from your BMW center.

Wheels and tires
190
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 rating
Q = up to 105 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 U.S. Department of Transport.
DOT code:
Tire age
The tire's date of manufacture is indicated
on the sidewall:
DOT ... 0904 indicates that the tire was
manufactured in the 9th week of 2004.
BMW recommends that you replace all
tires – including the spare – after a maxi-mum of 6 years, even though the tires may
have a theoretical service life of up to 10
years.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where appli-
cable on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width.
For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
DOT Quality Grades
Treadwear
Traction AA A B C
Temperature A B C
All passenger car tires must conform
to Federal Safety Requirements in
addition to these grades.<
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rat-
ing based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government 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,
however, and may depart significantly from
the norm due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in road
characteristics 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 specified govern-
ment 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 brak-
ing traction tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering, hydroplaning, or
peak traction characteristics.< e.g.
Nominal width
in mm
Cross-sectional
relationship in Ξ
Radial tire code
Rim diameter in inches
Load rating,
not for ZR tires
Speed rating,
before R on ZR tires
245/45 R19104H
e.g.
Manufacturer code
for tire makes
Tire size and tire design
Tire ageDOT xxxx xxx 0904

Wheels and tires
192
Run-flat tires*
You will recognize run-flat tires by a circular
symbol containing the letters RSC on the
side of the tire.
The run-flat tires consist of self-supporting
tires and special rims. The tire reinforce-
ment ensures that the tire retains some
residual safety in the event of pressure
drop and driving remains possible to a
restricted degree.
Continuing driving with a damaged
tire
Driving on run-flat tires can continue,
depending on the vehicle load and the
severity of the tire damage, at a maximum
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h.
In the case of complete inflation pressure
loss, 0 psi/kPa, or obvious tire damage,
you can estimate the possible distance for
continued driving on the basis of the fol-
lowing guide values:
>With low load:
1 to 2 persons without luggage:
Approx. 155 miles/250 km
>With medium load:
2 persons, luggage compartment full, or
4 persons without luggage:
Approx. 90 miles/150 km
>With full load:
More than 4 persons, luggage compart-
ment full:
Approx. 30 miles/50 km.
Drive reservedly and do not exceed a
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h. With infla-
tion pressure loss, the driving characteris-
tics change, for example reduced track
stability on braking, extended braking dis-tance, and altered self-steering character-
istics.
For safety reasons BMW recommends that
you do not have damaged run-flat tires
repaired, and that you go to a BMW center
in this case.<
New wheels and tires
Only have new wheels and tires
mounted by a specialist. If this work is
not carried out properly, there is a danger
of subsequent damage and related safety
hazards.<
You can ask your BMW center for the right
wheel and tire combination. Have the
wheel and tire assemblies balanced every
time either a wheel or a tire is replaced.
The correct wheel and tire combination
affects various systems whose function
would otherwise be impaired, e.g. ABS
or DSC.
BMW does not recommend the use of
retread tires, as otherwise driving
safety may be reduced. Possible variations
in the design and the age – which could be
substantial – of the carcasses can lead to
unusually rapid wear.<
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 manufacturing 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 accidents. If non-
approved wheels and tires are used, BMW
cannot evaluate their suitability, and there-
fore cannot be held liable for driving
safety.<
To maintain good handling and vehicle
response, use only tires of a single tread
configuration from a single manufacturer.
After a flat tire, always remember to have
the original wheel and tire combination

Mobility
193Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
remounted on the vehicle as soon as pos-
sible.
Recommended tire sizes and brands
BMW tests certain tire brands for each tire
size, classifies them as road-safe and
approves them. You can find out about
these at specialized dealers or at your
BMW center. Observe any country-specific
regulations, e.g. on making a correspond-
ing entry in the vehicle documents.
The factory-mounted tires have been spe-
cially selected to provide optimized perfor-
mance when installed on your vehicle; if
properly cared for, they will provide a com-
bination of safety and excellent ride com-
fort.
Run-flat tires
If your BMW is equipped with run-flat tires,
refer to Run-flat tires, only use these tires,
as in the event of a breakdown there is no
spare tire available.
Special characteristics of winter
tires
BMW recommends winter tires for use in
cold winter driving conditions. Although so-
called 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.
Run-flat tires
When mounting new tires or switching from
summer to winter tires, or vice versa, use
run-flat tires, as in the event of a break-
down there is no spare wheel available.
Your BMW center will be glad to advise
you.
Observing speed ratings
Never exceed the maximum speed
for which the winter tires are rated.
Unprofessional attempts by laymen to ser-
vice tires can lead to damage and acci-
dents. Have this work performed by skilled
professionals only. The technicians at your
BMW center will be glad to assist you with the required professional knowledge and
specialized equipment.<
Storage
Always store wheels and tires in a cool, dry
pl ace w it h as l itt le exp osu r e t o li gh t a s po s-
sible. Always protect tires against all con-
tact with oil, grease and fuels.
Do not exceed the maximum tire inflation
pressure indicated on the side wall of the
tire.
Snow chains*
BMW only tests certain snow chains, clas-
sifies them as road-safe and approves
them. Consult your BMW center for more
information. BMW recommends only using
these approved, narrow-link snow chains.
Use on summer or winter tires is only per-
missible in pairs on the rear wheels.
Observe the manufacturer's instructions
when installing snow chains.
Do not exceed a vehicle speed of 30 mph/
50 km/h with the chains mounted.
After mounting snow chains, do not
activate the Flat Tire Monitor.
When you are driving with snow chains, it
can be beneficial to switch off DSC briefly,
refer to page94.<

Replacing components
206 3.Check and correct the tire inflation
pressure at the earliest opportunity
Protect valve stems and valve
stem seal caps against dirt and
contamination. Dirt in valve stems is a
frequent source of gradual air loss.<
4.Reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor, refer
to page 96
5.Replace the damaged tire with a new
one as soon as possible and have the
new wheel balanced.
Driving with spare tire
On certain wheel-tire combinations,
the size of the spare tire deviates from
that of the rest of the tires. The spare tire is
fully capable of running in all load and
speed ranges. However, to recreate the
original conditions, the tire should be
replaced as soon as possible.<
Run-flat tires*
You will recognize run-flat tires by a circular
symbol containing the letters RSC on the
side of the tire. They consist of self-con-
tained tires and special rims. The tire rein-
forcement ensures that the tire retains
some residual safety in the event of pres-
sure drop and driving remains possible to a
restricted degree. The vehicle is equipped
with a Flat Tire Monitor which indicates
punctures.
The reinforcement on the flanks of the
tires means that it is usually not pos-
sible to detect an air loss from outside.<
Flat tire
If you have a flat tire, the indicator lamp
symbol in the Check Control will light up in
red, and a message will appear. In addition,
a gong sounds.
You can find more detailed information on
the Flat Tire Monitor on page96.
Reduce vehicle speed carefully to under
50 mph/80 km/h, avoiding hard brake
applications and steering maneuvers.
If the defective wheel is not recognizable as
such immediately, check the inflation pres-
sure in all four tires.
For reasons of safety, do not arrange
for run-flat tires to be repaired. Your
BMW center has the information needed
for working with these tires and is equipped
with the necessary special tools.<
Continuing driving with a damaged
tire
Driving on run-flat tires can continue
depending on the vehicle load and the
severity of the tire damage, at a maximum
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h. You can deter-
mine the possible mileage for continued
driving on the basis of the following general
indications:
>Tire inflation pressure 0 psi/kPa:
With empty vehicle approx. 90 miles/
150 km
With full payload approx. 30 miles/
50 km
>Tire inflation pressure 7 psi/50 kPa to
15 psi/100 kPa:
Approx. 300 miles/500 km
>Tire inflation pressure greater than
15 psi/100 kPa:
Approx. 600 miles/1,000 km.
Drive reservedly and do not exceed a
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h. In the case
of air loss, you can expect changes in vehi-
cle handling such as reduce lane stability,
longer braking distances, and changes in
self-steering properties.<