Wheels And Tyres - BMW M5 Owner's Handbook Manual

Wheels and tyres

Tyre pressures
Information for your safety
The condition of the tyres and maintenance of
the correct tyre pressures not only influence
tyre life but are also decisive factors in road
safety and ride quality.
Checking pressures
Check and adjust the tyre pressures –
including the spare wheel
basis, but at least twice a month and before set-
ting out on any long journey. Incorrect tyre
pressures can adversely affect the car's road-
holding and cause tyre damage, which could
result in an accident.<
Tyre pressure values
The tyre pressures for tyres at ambient temper-
ature are visible on the door post when the
driver's door is open.
After correcting tyre pressures, reinitial-
ise the Run Flat Indicator, see page
Tyre pressures for trailer towing
For trailer towing, the tyre pressures for the
higher load in the table apply.
Note tyre size
These tyre pressures apply to sizes of tyre
approved by BMW and makes of tyre recom-
mended by BMW; details are available from
BMW Service.
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Condition of tyres
Inspect tyres frequently for damage, the pres-
ence of foreign bodies, unusual wear and suffi-
cient tread depth.
Minimum tread depth
The tread depth should not be allowed to drop
below 3 mm (0.12 in). Below a tread depth of
3 mm (1/8 in) there is an increased risk of aqua-
planing when driving on wet roads at fairly high
*
– on a regular
speeds.
Below a tread depth of 4 mm (0.16 in), winter
tyres become noticeably less suitable for winter
driving conditions. New tyres should be fitted in
the interests of safety.
Wear indicators in the base of the tread groove,
see arrow, are distributed around the tyre's cir-
cumference; the letters TWI – Tread Wear Indi-
cator – on the tyre's flanks identify tyres that
incorporate these wear indicators. Once the
tyre tread has worn down to the wear indicators,
the tyre has worn to the minimum depth of
71.<
1.6 mm (1/16 in) allowed by law.
Tyre damage
Unusual vibration while the car is being driven
could indicate a tyre fault or some other defect
on your car. This may have been caused e.g. by
driving over a kerb or similar. The same applies
to any other abnormal road behaviour, such as
pulling severely to the right or left.
In such cases, reduce speed immediately
and have the wheels and tyres checked