2006 BMW M3 Owner's Manual - Page 116

116 Tire condition TWI, Tread Wear Indicator. At a tread depth of 1/16 in / 1.6 mm, the indicators signal that the legally permissible wear limit has been reached. New wheels and tires Have new wheels and tires mounted only by a BMW center or specialized tire shop that works according to BMW requirements with appropriately trained personnel. Work that is improperly carried out could result in consequential damage and pose safety hazards.< Ask your BMW center for details concerning the correct wheel and tire combination. Have the wheels balanced each time a wheel or tire has been replaced. The correct wheel and tire combination also affects different systems such as ABS or DSC. The function of these systems is impaired if improper wheel and tire combinations are used. BMW advises against using retreaded tires, as driving safety could otherwise be impaired. The reason for this are the possibly different tire casing structures involved, some of which may be greatly aged, factors which can lead to a decrease in durability.< Tire tread Tread depth should not be allowed to go below 1/8 in / 3 mm, even though European legislation, for example, requires a mimimum tread depth of only 1/16 in / 1.6 mm. Below 1/8 in / 3 mm tread depth, there is a great risk of hydroplaning, even at relatively moderate speeds and with only small amounts of water on the road. At tread depths below approx. 3/16 in / 4 mm, tire performance under winter driving conditions deteriorates noticeably. Worn tires should therefore be replaced for safety considerations. Tread wear indicators in the treadgroove base, see arrow, are distributed around the wheel circumference and are labeled on the tire sidewall with Online Edition for Part-No. 01 41 0 158 512 - © 09/04 BMW AG