BMW Z4 Coupe 2006 - Manual (Page 86)

Wh
eels
and
tire
s
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the letters TWI, for Tread Wear Indicator, on the
tire's sidewalls identify tires that incorporate
these wear indicators. Once the tire tread has
worn down to the wear indicators, the tire has
worn to a depth of 1/16 in/1.6 mm.
Wheel/tire damage
Due to low-profile tires, please note that
wheels, tires and suspension parts are
more susceptible to road hazards and conse-
quential damages.
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Unusual vibrations encountered during normal
vehicle operation can indicate tire failure or
some other vehicle malfunction. This can, for
example, be caused by driving over curbs. The
same applies to any other abnormal road
behavior, such as pulling severely to the right or
left.
In these cases, reduce speed immedi-
ately and have wheels and tires thor-
oughly checked. To do so, drive carefully to the
nearest BMW Center or tire shop that works
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. If necessary,
have the vehicle towed there.
Tire damage can be extremely dangerous for
vehicle occupants and other road users.
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Tire age
For various reasons, such as the development
of brittleness, BMW recommends tire replace-
ment after no more than 6 years, regardless of
the actual wear of the tires.
The date on which the tire was manufactured is
indicated by the code on the sidewall:
DOT … 5005 indicates that the tire was manu-
factured in week 50 of the year 2005.
Run-Flat Tires
The symbol identifying Run-Flat Tires is a circle
with the letters RSC on the sidewall.
Run-Flat Tires comprise a conditionally self-
supporting tire and a special rim. The reinforce-
ment in the sidewalls ensures that the tire can
continue to be used subject to certain restric-
tions, even if depressurized.
For information on continuing to drive with a flat
tire, refer to Flat tire warning on page
51 .
Wheel and tire replacement
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. Work
that is improperly carried out could result in
consequential damage and pose safety haz-
ards. Make sure that the new wheels are bal-
anced.
<
Retreaded tires
BMW advises against using retreaded
tires, since driving safety may be
impaired. The causes for this include potentially
different tire casing structures and often wide
variations in tire age, which can result in a lim-
ited service life.
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Correct wheels and tires
BMW recommends using only wheels
and tires that have been approved by
BMW for your particular vehicle model, other-
wise body contact and serious accidents can
result despite the use of the same nominal size,
e.g. due to manufacturing tolerances. If non-
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