BMW E46 owners manual page 125

text version of content this owner's manual page from owners manual to the vehicle BMW 3 E46, year of production 1998 - 2007:

Tire condition Tire replacement 125 Do not drive on a flat tire unless To maintain good handling and vehicle depart significantly from the norm due your vehicle is equipped with Run response, use only tires of a single to variations in driving habits, service Flat tires. A flat tire greatly impairs tread configuration from a single manu- practices and differences in road char- steering and braking response, and can facturer. acteristics and climate. lead to complete loss of control over Comply with the specified tire inflation Overview the vehicle. Avoid overloading the vehi- pressures — and be sure to have the Traction cle so that the permitted load on the wheel and tire assembly balanced The traction grades, from highest to tires is not exceeded. Overloading can every time you change a tire or wheel. lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. lead to overheating and internal tire Those grades represent the tire's ability damage. DOT quality grades to stop on wet pavement as measured The ultimate result can assume the Controls form of a sudden air loss. Tread wear under controlled conditions on speci- Unusual vibrations encountered during Traction AA A B C fied government test surfaces of normal vehicle operation can indicate a Temperature A B C asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C flat tire or some other vehicle malfunc- may have poor traction. tion. This type of problem can be All passenger car tires must con- The traction grade assigned to Maintenance caused by contact with curbs, etc. This form to Federal Safety Require- this tire is based on straight- is also true for abnormalities in the vehi- ments in addition to these grades.< ahead braking traction tests, and does cle's handling characteristics, such as a not include acceleration, cornering, pronounced tendency to pull to the left Tread wear hydroplaning, or peak traction charac- or right. Should this occur, respond by The tread wear grade is a comparative teristics.< immediately reducing your speed. Pro- rating based on the wear rate of the tire Repairs ceed carefully to the nearest BMW cen- when tested under controlled condi- Temperature ter or professional tire center, or have tions on a specified government test the vehicle towed in to have it, its course. The temperature grades are A – the wheels or its tires inspected. highest – B, and C, representing the Tire damage up to and including sud- For example, a tire graded 150 would tire's resistance to the generation of Data den and complete air loss can endan- wear one and one-half – 1 1/2 – times as heat and its ability to dissipate heat ger the lives of both the vehicle occu- well on the government course as a tire when tested under controlled condi- pants and other road users.< graded 100. The relative performance tions on a specified indoor laboratory of tires depends upon the actual condi- test wheel. tions of their use, however, and may Index

owners manual BMW 3 E46

owners manual BMW 3 E46 - year of production: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 - BMW E46 owners manual EN