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EnglishMobility -> Wheels and tires for your BMW X3 2004-2010
Wheels and tires
For correct identification of the right tire infla-
tion pressure for your tires, please note the fol-
lowing:
Tire inflation pressure
Information for your safety
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Tire size for your vehicle
Load status
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 permissible 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 at speeds of up to 100 mph/
160 km/h and to achieve optimum driving com-
fort, take note of the tire inflation pressures
listed on the following page in the column for
speeds up to max. 100 mph/160 km/h and
adjust your tire pressure as needed.
Check the tire inflation pressure regularly
and correct it as needed, even on the
These tire inflation pressures are also listed on
the door pillar and can be seen with the driver's
door open.
compact wheel: at least twice a month and
before starting long trips. 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 driving stability,
but also lead to tire damage and the risk of an
accident.
Do not drive with deflated, i.e. 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 vehicle.<
After correcting the tire inflation pressure,
reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor* or reset
the Tire Pressure Monitor*, refer to pages 53,
54.<
The maximum permissible speed for
these tire inflation pressures is 100 mph/
160 km/h. Do not exceed this speed; failure to
heed this limit can lead to tire damage and acci-
dents.<
Pressure specifications
The table on the next page provides all the cor-
rect inflation pressures for the specified tire
sizes at ambient temperature.
Tire inflation pressures for speeds
above 100 mph/160 km/h
In order to drive at maximum speeds
above 100 mph/160 km/h, take note of
the tire inflation pressures listed in the column
for speeds above 100 mph/160 km/h in the
table on the following page and adjust your tire
pressure as needed. Failure to due so can lead
to tire damage and accidents.<
The inflation pressures in the table apply
to BMW-approved tire sizes and recom-
mended tire brands. Your BMW Sports Activity
Vehicle Center will be glad to supply this infor-
mation.<
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Observe all national and local maximum speed
limits; failure to do so could put you in violation
of the law.
91
X3 3.0i, 3.0si
Tire size
Pressure specifications in psi/kPa
Traveling speeds
of up to max.
100 mph/160 km/h
Traveling speeds
including those above
100 mph/160 km/h
All pressure specifications in
the table are indicated in psi/
kilopascal with cold tires.
Cold = ambient temperature
235/55 R 17 99 H M+S
235/50 R 18 97 H M+S
32/220 32/220
32/220 35/240
32/220 32/220 32/220 38/260
32/220 35/240 35/240 41/280
Front: 235/50 R 18 97 V
Rear: 255/45 R 18 99 V
32/220
–
–
32/220
–
–
35/240
–
–
32/220
32/220
38/260
Front: 235/45 R 19 95 W
Rear: 255/40 R 19 96W
32/220
–
–
32/220
–
–
35/240
–
–
35/240
35/240
41/280
Compact wheel:
61/420 61/420
61/420 61/420 61/420 61/420
T 135/90 R 17 104 M
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page 122
92
BMW recommends that you replace all tires
after 6 years at most, even if some tires may last
for 10 years.
Tire identification marks
Knowledge of the labeling on the side of the tire
makes it easier to identify and choose the right
tires.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width.
Tire size
e.g.
235/50 R 18 97 V
For example:
Nominal width in mm
Tread wear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
Cross-sectional
relationship in Ξ
Radial tire code
DOT Quality Grades
Rim diameter in inches
Tread wear
Load rating,
not for ZR tires
Traction AA A B C
Temperature A B C
Speed rating, before R on ZR tires
All passenger car tires must conform to
Federal Safety Requirements in addition
to these grades.<
Speed code letter
Q = up to 105 mph/160 km/h
T = up to 118 mph/190 km/h
H = up to 131 mph/210 km/h
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 govern-
ment 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 varia-
tions in driving habits, service practices, and dif-
ferences in road characteristics and climate.
V
= up to 150 mph/240 km/h
W = up to 167 mph/270 km/h
= up to 186 mph/300 km/h
Y
Tire Identification Number
Tires with DOT codes meet the guidelines of
the U.S. Department of Transportation.
DOT code:
e.g.
DOT xxxx xxx 3005
Manufacturer code
for tire make
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B, and C.
Tire size and tire design
Tire age
These 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.
Tire age
The tire's date of manufacture is indicated on
the sidewall:
DOT ... 2806 indicates that a tire was manufac-
tured in week 28 of the year 2006.
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.<
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Temperature
The temperature grades are A, B, and C, A
being highest, and represent the tire’s resis-
tance 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 corre-
sponds to a level of performance that all pas-
senger car tires must meet under the Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades
B and A represent higher levels of performance
on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
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 worn down to the wear indicators, then the
legally permissible tread depth limit of 0.063 in/
1.6 mm has been reached.
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.<
Wheel/tire damage
Please note that low-profile tires, make
wheels, tires and suspension parts more
susceptible to road hazard and consequential
damages.<
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. The same
applies to any other abnormal road behavior,
such as pulling severely to the right or left.
M+S
Winter and all-season tires.
These have better winter properties than sum-
mer tires.
In these cases, reduce speed immedi-
ately and have wheels and tires checked
immediately. Drive carefully to the nearest
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center or tire spe-
cialist. Have the vehicle towed to one of these
locations if necessary.
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
Tire damage can pose a potentially lethal safety
hazard for the vehicle's occupants and other
road users alike.<
The tread depth should not fall below 0.12 in/
3 mm. At tread depths below 0.12 in/3 mm,
there is an increased risk of high-speed hydro-
planing, even when only small amounts of water
are present on the road surface.
Winter tires display a noticeable loss in their
ability to cope with cold-weather driving condi-
tions once the tread wears to below 0.16 in/
4 mm. To ensure continued safety you should
always have such tires replaced.
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-
94
age and related safety hazards. Make sure that
the new wheels are balanced.<
Recommended tire brands
Retreaded tires
BMW does not recommend the use of
retreaded tires; otherwise, driving safety
may be reduced. The causes for this include the
possibly different tire casing structures and the
often wide variations in their age, which can
result in a limited service life.<
BMW recommends particular tire brands for
each tire size. You will recognize them by the
clearly visible BMW identification on the tire
sidewall.
Correct 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. If non-approved wheels and tires are
used, BMW cannot evaluate their suitability,
and therefore cannot be held liable for driving
safety.<
With proper use, these tires meet the highest
standards for safety and handling characteris-
tics.
Special characteristics of winter tires
BMW recommends winter tires for use in cold
winter driving conditions. Although all-season
M+S tires do provide better winter traction than
summer tires, they generally fail to provide the
same levels of cold-weather performance as
winter tires.
You can ask your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle
Center for the correct wheel-and-tire combina-
tion.
Observing speed ratings
Never exceed the maximum speed for
which the winter tires are rated.<
The correct wheel-and-tire combination affects
various systems whose function would other-
wise be impaired, e.g. ABS, DSC or xDrive.
Storage
To maintain good handling and vehicle
response, use only tires of a single tread config-
uration from a single manufacturer. After tire
damage, always remember to have the original
wheel and tire combination remounted on the
vehicle as soon as possible.
Store wheels or tires in a cool, dry place, pro-
tecting them from light whenever possible. Pro-
tect the tires from contact with oil, grease and
fuel. Do not exceed the maximum tire inflation
pressure indicated on the side wall of the tire.
Changing wheels from one axle to
another
Wheels equipped with electronics for
TPM Tire Pressure Monitor
BMW does not recommend changing the front
wheels to the back or vice versa as this can
impair handling characteristics.
When installing new tires or when changing
from summer tires to winter tires or vice versa,
only use wheels equipped with TPM electron-
ics; otherwise, the Tire Pressure Monitor can-
not detect a flat tire, refer to page 54. Your
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center will be
happy to advise you in this regard.
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Snow chains*
Only certain fine-link snow chains are tested,
classified as road-safe, and recommended by
BMW. You can obtain a list of these from your
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center. It is only
permissible to use them in pairs and on the rear
wheels.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions when
installing snow chains.
Do not exceed a vehicle speed of 30 mph/
50 km/h with snow chains mounted.
Do not initialize the Flat Tire Monitor*
with snow chains installed; otherwise, the
instrument might issue an incorrect reading.
When you are driving with snow chains, it can
be beneficial to temporarily activate DTC, refer
to page 51.<
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