Suspension. Front. Inspecting; Suspension. Rear. Inspecting; Tires. Checking Inflation Pressure; Tires. Rotating - BMW 5251 Service Manual

Maintenance
Suspension, front, inspecting
Inspection of the front suspension and steering includes a
check of all moving parts forwear and excessive play. Inspect
ball joint and tie-rod rubber seals and boots for cracks ortears
that could allow the entry of dirt, water, and other
contaminants. See 310 Front Suspension.
Suspension, rear, inspecting
Differential and rear drive axle service consists of checking
and changing the gear oil, inspecting for leaks, and checking
the drive axle CV joint boots for damage.
The areas where lealts are most likely to occurare around the
drive shaft and drive axle mounting flanges. For more infor-
mation on identifying oil leaks and theircauses, see 330 Rear
Suspension and 331 Final Drive.
Tires, checking inflation pressure
Correct tire pressures are important to handling and stability,
fuel economy, and tire wear. Tire pressures change with tem-
perature. Pressures should be checked oRen during season-
al temperature changes. Correct inflation pressures can be
found on the driver's door pillar and in the owner's manual.
Note that tire pressures should be higher when the car is
more heavily loaded.
WARNING-
Do not inflate any tire to a pressure higher than the tire's max-
imum inflation pressure listedon the sidewall. Use care when
adding air to warm tires. Warm tire pressures can increase as
much as 4 psi (0.3 bar) over their coldpressures.
Tires, rotating
BMW does not recommend tire rotation. Due to the car's sus-
pension design, the front tires begin to wear first at the outer
shoulder and the reartires begin to wearfirst at the middle of
the tread or inner shoulder. Rotating the tires may adversely
affect road handling and tire grip.
Transmission service, automatic
The automatic transmissions installed in
E39
models are
filled with special automatic transmission fluid. The transmis-
sion lubricant type can be found on the "type-plate" on the
side of the transmission. The recommended lubricants are
listed earlier in this repair group. See Fluids and lubricants.
If in doubt, consult an authorized BMW dealer for alternate