The wheels and tires on the 2010-5 Series BMW vary depending on the trim level and optional packages selected. As standard, the base model may come equipped with 17-inch or 18-inch alloy wheels, while higher-end models could have larger 19-inch or 20-inch wheels.
Tire options may include run-flat tires, which allow you to drive for a limited distance even if the tire is punctured, as well as performance tires designed for improved handling and traction. It’s important to note that the specific wheel and tire combination for your 2010-5 Series BMW can be found in the owner’s manual or by contacting your local BMW dealership.
Tire inflation pressure
Information for your safety
The condition of the tires and the maintenance of the specified tire pressure are crucial not only to the tire’s service life, but also to driving comfort and most importantly, driving safety.
Checking pressure
Only check tire inflation pressure when the tires are cold. This means after a maximum of 1.25 miles/2 km driving or when the vehicle has been parked for at least 2 hours. When tires are warm, the tire inflation pressure increases.
⚠ Check the tire inflation pressure regularly and correct it as needed, even on the compact tire*: at least twice a month and before starting long trips. Otherwise driving instability or tire damage, and therefore accidents, can result from incorrect tire inflation pressures. Do not drive with depressurized, i.e., flat tires, except run-flat tires. A flat tire will seriously impair your vehicle’s handling and braking response. Attempts to drive on a flat tire can lead to a loss of control over the vehicle.
▶ After correcting the tire inflation pressure, reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor, or reset the Tire Pressure Monitor.
Pressure specifications
The tables below provide all the correct inflation pressures for the specified tire sizes at ambient temperature.
▶ The inflation pressures apply to the tire sizes and tire brands respectively approved and recommended by BMW; a list of these is available from your BMW center.
For correct identification of the right tire inflation pressure for your tires, observe the following:
- Tire sizes of your vehicle
- Load conditions
- Maximum allowable driving speed
Tire inflation pressures for speeds up to 100 mph/160 km/h
For normal driving up to 100 mph/160 km/h, adjust pressures to the respective tire inflation pressures listed on the following pages in the column Traveling speeds up to max. 100 mph/160 km/h to achieve optimum driving comfort. These pressure specifications can be found on the door post when you open the driver’s door.
⚠ The permissible top speed for these tire inflation pressures is 100 mph/160 km/h. Do not exceed this speed, otherwise tire damage and accidents may result.
Tire inflation pressures for speeds above 100 mph/160 km/h
⚠ In order to drive at maximum speeds in excess of 100 mph/160 km/h, please observe, and, if necessary, adjust tire pressures for speeds exceeding 100 mph/160 km/h from the relevant table on the following pages. Otherwise tire damage and accidents could occur.
Observe all national and local maximum speed limits, otherwise violations of the law could occur.
Tire identification marks
Knowledge of the labeling on the side of the tire makes it easier to identify and choose the right tires.
Tire size
Speed letter
Q = up to 100 mph/160 km/h
T = up to 118 mph/190 km/h
H = up to 131 mph/210 km/h
V = up to 150 mph/240 km/h
W = up to 167 mph/270 km/h
Y = up to 186 mph/300 km/h
Tire Identification Number
Tires with DOT codes meet the guidelines of the U.S. Department of Transportation. DOT code:
Tire age
The manufacturing date of tires is contained in the tire coding: DOT … 1009 means that the tire was manufactured in week 10 of 2009. BMW recommends that you replace all tires after 6 years at most, even if some tires may last for 10 years.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum section width. For example: Tread wear 200 Traction AA Temperature A.
DOT Quality Grades
Tread wear
Traction AA A B C
Temperature A B C
⚠ All passenger car 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 conditions on a specified government test course. For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and one-half (1γ) times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. These grades represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement, as measured under controlled conditions on specified 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 characteristics.
Temperature
The temperature grades are A, the highest, B, and C, representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.
⚠ The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or excessive loading, either separately or in combination, can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
RSC – run-flat tires
You will recognize run-flat tires by a circular symbol containing the letters RSC on the side
of the tire.
M+S
Winter and all-season tires. These have better winter properties than summer tires.
XL
Indicates specially reinforced tires.
Tire condition
Inspect your tires frequently for tread wear, signs of damage and for foreign objects lodged in the tread. Check the tread depth.
Minimum tread depth
The tread depth should not drop below 0.12 in/ 3 mm, although, for example, European legislation only specifies a minimum tread depth of 0.063 in/1.6 mm. At tread depths below 0.12 in/ 3 mm there is an increased risk of high-speed hydroplaning, even when only small amounts of water are present on the road surface. When winter tires wear down past a tread depth of 0.16 in/4 mm, they become perceptibly less suitable for winter conditions. For the sake of safety, new tires should be installed.
Wear indicators at the tread-groove base, refer to arrow, are distributed over the tire’s circumference and are marked on the side of the tire with TWI – Tread Wear Indicator. If the tire tread has been driven down to the wear indicators, a tread depth of 0.063 in/1.6 mm has been reached.
Wheel/tire damage
Please note that low-profile tires cause wheels, tires and suspension parts to be more susceptible to road hazards and consequential damages. Unusual vibrations encountered during normal vehicle operation can indicate tire failure or some other vehicle defect. This can, for example, be caused by driving over curbs. These kinds of problems may also be signaled by other changes in vehicle response, such as a strong tendency to pull to the left or right.
⚠ In these cases, reduce speed immediately and have wheels and tires thoroughly checked. To do so, drive carefully to the nearest BMW center or tire shop that works according to BMW repair procedures with correspondingly trained personnel. If necessary, have the vehicle towed there. Otherwise, tire damage can be extremely dangerous to vehicle occupants and other road users.
Run-flat tires*
You will recognize run-flat tires by the circular symbol containing the letters RSC on the side of the tire.
Run-flat tires consist of partially self-contained tires and special rims. The sidewall reinforcement ensures that the tire retains some residualsafety in the event of pressure drop and driving remains possible to a restricted degree.
To continue driving with a damaged tire:
- With Flat Tire Monitor, refer to Indication of a flat tire
- With Tire Pressure Monitor, refer to Notification of low tire inflation pressure
New wheels and tires
⚠ Have new wheels and tires installed only by your BMW center or tire shop that works according to BMW repair procedures with correspondingly trained personnel. If this work is not carried out properly, there is a danger of subsequent damage and related safety hazards. Make sure that the new wheels are balanced.
Retreaded tires
⚠ BMW recommends that you do not use retreaded tires, since driving safety may be impaired. The causes for this include the possibly different tire casing structures and the often wide variations in their age, which can result in a limited service life.
The right wheels and tires
⚠ BMW recommends that you use only wheel and tire combinations that BMW has tested and approved for your particular vehicle. Variations in factors such as manufacturing tolerances mean that even wheels and tires with identical official size ratings could actually have different dimensions than the approved units – these differences could lead to body contact, and with it the risk of severe accidents. If non-approved wheels and tires are used, BMW cannot evaluate their suitability, and therefore cannot be held liable for driving safety.
You can inquire about the right wheel/tire combination at your BMW center. The correct wheel/tire combination also affects various systems whose function would otherwise be impaired, e.g., ABS, DSC or xDrive.
To maintain good handling and vehicle response, use only tires of a single tread configuration from a single manufacturer. Following tire damage, have the original wheel and tire combination remounted on the vehicle as soon as possible.
Wheels with electronics for TPM Tire Pressure Monitor
When mounting new tires or converting from summer to winter tires or vice versa, only use wheels with TPM electronics, otherwise the Tire Pressure Monitor cannot detect a flat tire. Your BMW 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.
Run-flat tires
When mounting new tires, or changing from summer to winter tires or vice versa, use run-flat tires for your own safety. In addition, no spare tire is available in case of a flat tire. Your BMW center will be glad to advise you.
Special characteristics of winter tires
BMW recommends winter tires for use in cold winter driving conditions. Although all-season M+S tires provide better winter traction than summer tires, they generally fail to provide the same levels of cold-weather performance as winter tires.
Paying attention to speed
⚠ Always observe the maximum permissible speed for the winter tires, otherwise tire damage may occur, which can result in accidents.
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.
Rotating wheels between axles
BMW does not recommend moving the front wheels to the rear or vice versa, as otherwise the handling characteristics may be impaired. With tires of different makes and types * such a change is not permissible.
Snow chains*
BMW only tests certain fine-link snow chains, classifies them as road-safe and recommends them. Consult your BMW center for more information. Use is only permissible in pairs on the 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 initialize the Flat Tire Monitor, otherwise incorrect displays can occur. When driving with snow chains, it may be practical to briefly activate DTC.