Tire Replacement - BMW Z3 COUPE 2001 Manual

Tire condition
Never continue driving on a
deflated (flat) tire. A flat tire greatly
impairs steering and braking response,
and can lead to complete loss of
control over the vehicle.
Avoid overloading the vehicle so that
the permitted load on the tires is not
exceeded. Overloading causes over-
heating and damage inside the tires.
The ultimate result can assume the
form of a sudden air loss.
Unusual vibrations encountered during
normal vehicle operation can indicate
tire failure or some other vehicle defect,
as can variations in normal vehicle
response, such as a pronounced
tendency to pull to the left or right.
Should this occur, respond by reducing
your speed immediately. Drive carefully
to the nearest BMW center or profes-
sional tire dealer, or have the vehicle
towed in to have it and its tires
inspected.
Tire damage (up to and including
sudden and complete air loss) can pose
an extreme hazard for both vehicle
occupants and other road users.<

Tire replacement

To maintain good handling and vehicle
response, use only tires of a single tread
configuration from a single manufac-
turer. BMW tests and approves wheel-
tire combinations. Refer to page 114.
DOT Quality Grades
Tread wear
Traction AA A B C
Temperature A B C
All passenger vehicle tires must
conform to Federal Safety
Requirements in addition to these
grades.<
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled condi-
tions on a specified government test
course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would
wear one and one-half (1g) times as
well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance
of tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the norm due
to variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road char-
acteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B and C.
Those grades represent the tire's ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on speci-
fied government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
The traction grade assigned to
this tire is based on straight-
ahead braking traction tests, and does
not include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction charac-
teristics.<
Online Edition for Part No. 01 41 0 155 690 - © 09/00 BMW AG
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