BMW 01 41 0 155 307 - Manual (Page 126)

126 n Tire replacement Tire rotation
Tire age
The date on which the tire was manu-
factured is indicated by the code on the
sidewall:
DOT ... 4100 indicates that the tire was
manufactured during week 41 of the
year 2000.
BMW recommends the replacement of
all tires when the tires are no more than
6 years old, even if a tire life of 10 years
is possible.
Spare tires over 6 years old should be
used only in case of emergency. A tire
of this age should be replaced by a new
tire immediately, and should not be
mounted together with new tires.
Between the axles
The tread wear patterns at the front end
differ from those at the rear – the actual
patterns will vary according to indi-
vidual driving conditions. In the inter-
ests of safety and maintaining optimal
handling characteristics, tire rotation is
not recommended.
If a proposed interaxle rotation of tires
is based on economic considerations,
one should consider whether the costs
for the rotation are likely to be recap-
tured by any increase in the service life
of the tires that might be realized. In
principle, interaxle rotation must be
performed in short intervals, with a
maximum of 3,000 miles (5,000 km).
Consult your BMW center for more
information.
Should you decide to rotate the tires, it
is essential to comply with the following:
Rotate tires on the same side only, since
braking characteristics and road grip
could otherwise be adversely affected.
Following rotation, the tire inflation
pressure should always be corrected.
If different tire sizes are mounted
on the front and rear axles (refer to
page 129 ), the wheels may not be
rotated from one axle to the other. <
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