Snow Chains; Special Characteristics Of Winter Tires - BMW 2009 X5 Owner's Manual

Tire Pressure Monitor cannot detect a flat tire,
refer to page 101. Your BMW Sports Activity
Vehicle Center will be happy to advise you on
this subject.
Recommended tire brands
Certain tire makes are recommended by BMW
depending on the tire size. You can recognize
these from the clearly visible BMW marking on
the tire sidewall.
When used properly, these tires comply with
the most demanding standards for safety and
vehicle response.

Special characteristics of winter tires

BMW recommends using winter tires for opera-
tion on winter road or at temperatures below
+457/+76. Although all-season M+S tires
provide better winter traction than summer
tires, they generally fail to provide the same lev-
els of cold-weather performance as winter tires.
Paying attention to speed
Always observe the maximum permissi-
ble speed for the winter tires, otherwise
tire damage may occur, which can result in acci-
dents.<
Storage
Store wheels and tires in a cool, dry place with
as little exposure to light as possible. Always
protect tires against all contact with oil, grease
and fuels. Do not exceed the maximum tire
inflation pressure indicated on the side wall of
the tire.
Online Edition for Part no. 01 41 2 600 792 - © 09/08 BMW AG
Rotating wheels between axles
Even with tires of the same size, BMW
recommends that you not rotate the front
tires to the rear or vice versa as this can nega-
tively affect handling characteristics.
When the vehicle is equipped with different
*
tires sizes , rotating tires from one axle to the
other is not permitted.<

Snow chains*

BMW only tests certain fine-link snow chains,
classifies them as road-safe and recommends
them. Your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center
can provide you with this information.
BMW X5: use is only permitted in pairs on the
rear wheels with tires of the size:
> 255/55 R 18
> 255/50 R 19
BMW X6: it is only permissible to use snow
chains in pairs, on the 255/50 R 19 rear wheels.
Observe the manufacturer's instructions when
mounting snow chains. Do not exceed a speed
of 30 mph/50 km/h with the chains mounted.
After mounting snow chains, do not ini-
tialize the Flat Tire Monitor
incorrect displays can occur.
When you are driving with snow chains, it can
be beneficial to activate DTC briefly, refer to
page 97.<
*
, as otherwise
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