Tire coding
BMW recommends the replacement of all tires
every 6 years at the latest, even if a tire usage of
Understanding the lettering on the tire sidewall
makes it easier to identify and choose the cor-
rect tires.
10
years is possible.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For example:
Tire size
e.g.
225/50 R 16 92 V
Nominal width in mm
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
Cross-sectional
ratio in %
Radial belt construction
Rim diameter in inches
DOT quality grades
Tread wear
Load index,
not on ZR tires
Traction AA A B C
Temperature A B C
Speed code letter,
in front of the R on ZR tires
All passenger car tires must conform to
Federal Safety Requirements in addition
to these grades.<
Speed code letter
Q= up to 105 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
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 gov-
ernment test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half, 1 γ, times as well on the govern-
ment 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 varia-
tions in driving habits, service practices and dif-
ferences in road characteristics and climate.
Tire Identification Number
Tires with DOT codes meet the guidelines of
the U.S. Department of Transportation.
DOT code:
e.g.
DOT xxxx xxx 5004
Traction
Manufacturer's code
for tire brand
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B and C.
Tire size and
tire version
Those grades represent the tire's ability to stop
on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test sur-
faces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
Tire age
Tire age
The date on which the tire was manufactured is
indicated by the code on the sidewall:
DOT … 5004 indicates that the tire was manu-
factured in week 50 of the year 2004.
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor-
nering, hydroplaning, or peak traction charac-
teristics.<
80
Online Edition for Part-No. 01 41 0 158 704 - © 10/04 BMW AG
| Categories | BMW Manuals, BMW Z-Series Manuals |
|---|---|
| Tags | BMW 2.5i, BMW 3.0i, BMW E85, BMW Z4 2.5i |
| Model Year | 2005 |
| Download File |
|
| Document File Type | |
| Copyright | Attribution Non-commercial |
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