2009 BMW 3 Series Owner's Manual - Page 218
2009 BMW 3 Series Manual
Page 218 highlights
Wheels and tires The manufacturing date of tires is contained in the tire coding: DOT ...3209 means that the tire was manufactured in week 32 of 2009. Correct 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. In the event of a flat, no spare wheel is available. Your BMW center will be glad to advise you. 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, which could lead to body contact and thus to severe accidents. If non-approved wheels and tires are used, BMW cannot evaluate their suitability, and therefore cannot guarantee their driving safety.< You can inquire about the right wheel/tire combination at your BMW center. The correct combination of wheels and tires is also necessary to ensure reliable operation of various vehicle systems such as ABS, DSC or FTM. To maintain good handling and vehicle response, use only tires of a single brand and tread configuration. After a tire has been damaged, mount the previous wheel and tire combination again as soon as possible. Run-flat tires The symbol identifying run-flat tires is a circle with the letters RSC on the sidewall. Run-flat tires comprise a conditionally self-supporting tire and a special rim. The reinforcement in the sidewalls ensures that the tire can continue to be used subject to certain restrictions, even if depressurized. For information on continuing to drive with a flat tire, refer to Indication of a flat tire, page 85. New wheels and tires Have new wheels and tires installed only by your BMW center or 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 damage and related safety hazards. Make sure that the new wheels are balanced.< Wheels with Tire Pressure Monitor TPM electronics When mounting new tires or changing over from summer to winter tires, or vice versa, only use wheels with TPM electronics; otherwise, the Tire Pressure Monitor may not be able to detect a puncture, refer to page 86. Your BMW center will be glad to advise you. Retreaded tires BMW recommends that you do not use retreaded tires, since driving safety may be impaired. The causes for this include potentially different tire casing structures and often wide variations in tire age, which can result in a limited service life.< 216 Online Edition for Part no. 01 41 2 603 048 - © 08/09 BMW AG