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BMW's, since the beginning of time, on the sport packages have a angle to the tire (forget the exact term) that can easily be seen by looking at the rear. This is great for handling, but bad for tire wear. With the rim size and tire clearance setup on the sport packages you are typically limited to the Z-rated tires that are extremely soft - resulting in 25k miles (8000 miles IS a problem). I ran into this on my wifes Volvo 850 turbo. I was able to go to a +1 tire size and get a all-season Michelin tire that goes 50k miles (she does not need the handling).
Further, these Z tires can not be switched left-to-right (uni-directional) and in some cases the rear tires are a different size from the fronts.
I checked out the tire options before ordering my 545i and from what I can tell you are stuck with a Z rated tire - not sure I would want to change anyways, I am buying this car for it's handling.
I did find that the Michelin A/S has a higher treadwear rating than the factory Dunlops. Also a recommendation from my local tire dealer is that they are putting alot of Yokahama's on the Bimmers. They are a good value ($/mile)- they have a higher treadwear rating than the factory tires and the price is substantially lower than the Michelins. The wet and dry road friction ratings seem to be decent. A buddy of mine has just installed them on his 540i and seems to be happy.
So, bottom line is the BMW sport package is designed for handling even though most of us are comuting in it, and the price you pay is tire replacement.
When it comes to engine and transmission, I cut the recommended maintenance in 1/2. Probably overkill, but I keep a vehicle 10 years. Case-in-point: my 90 blazer had 200k miles, towed a boat for 20% of it's life and still had a solid transmission (except for torque converter change at 198) and did not burn oil - and that was an American vehcile - completely different class than my Bimmer.
The cold start and driving style (start/stop, hills...) also has alot to do with it.
Do you know how the Michelin A/S does in the snow?
One of the rationales I'm using to talk myself into this purchase is this: If you get the Z rated tires but do buy a separate set of wheels and winter tire and run those from Nov to April, you are actually extending the life of the Z-rated tires since you only be on them half the year. Okay, it's not rock solid reasoning but it is helping me talk myself into a six-speed 545.
What options do you plan on getting?
If you get a 545i6, in your area you should be driving summer tires in spring-summer-fall and dedicated snow tires in winter. Don't skimp on mediocre all-season tires. (If you go down the skimping road, why buy a 545i6? Will you skimp on gasoline, oil, fluids, etc.? Don't try to save a few bucks this way. If you need to do that, then buy a less expensive car. Say a 330i.)
I have not fully researched the tires, but I wanted to get a good idea of what I was in for before I purchased - after the dealer said the stock tires last about 20-25k.
The Pilot Sport A/S is an all weather tire and available in the 245/40 & 275/35 18's (which are on the 545 sport package). This would solve your winter/summer problem without having a second set of tires.
I was interested in them since they have a treadwear of 400 instead of 200 or so for the factory Dunlops or 220 for the Pilot Sport. You do knock down 1 point on the handling but they are better in wet conditions and are more quiet. Since I am not driving on a race track, it seems to be a pretty good tradeoff between increased life and traction in the elements with minimal change in handling. And, with everybody talking about noisy tires, I am thinking this may be the route I go for replacement.
I am not sure if this tire is a 'run-flat' like the factory, but I am willing to live with the risk.
I am not sure about the Yokohama's. The ones I had looked at where not an all-weather tire, but they had a treadlife of 280 which is better than the sport michelins or dunlops. It is possible that there are other tire options out there.
If I was in your shoes, I would try the Pilot A/S and not worry about switching tires/rims every 6 months. Besides, I think the 545 sport rims are the best in the series, but that is just personal opinion.
FYI - I have a set of SUV michelin pilot sport M/S on my Yukon and although it is not nearly as aggressive of a pattern as my old 4x4 tires (BF Goodrich A/T), I was extremely impressed with the traction. You can also 'sipe' the tires which DOES void the tire warranty, but is supposed to help with snow. I would talk to someone at Discount tires (Americas tire company in CA). Don't let the name fool you, I have gotten some really good info from these guys. I am not sure about the adverse affects of 'siping' on a performace tire that does not run flat on the pavement but they could probably tell you. I think if you couple this tire with your traction control system, you will be fine.
If you do not get your questions answered, they have a facility right next to my office and I would be happy to do some further research if needed, as I will have to do this eventually.
I was going to wait for the 2005's but since they will probably not be delivered until November (545's) I went ahead with a 2004 order. I am not getting Navigation or satelite, so 2005 was not a big concern as I think these are the only upgrades you will see. Besides, I liked the current rims and I did not want to run the risk of them changing.
Since I have been seriously looking at them since January, the waiting is killing me. August 15th is the date.
Good Luck.
Just from experience, and granted my SUV tires where on a different vehicle, when I go to the snow, it is to the mountains with steep hills/turns and traffic and it snows in feet, not inches. I think I had better traction in all aspects from my high-end michelins than a very, very aggresive A/T tire. I did sipe these tires and I have no idea how much impact this actually had.
I also do not know how much you loose in handling with the All-Season version. According to michelins ratings, it is only 1 point (out of 10) lower.
You can go to the michelin website and get all the detailed specs. Don't type in your car, just search on tires. For some reason, michelin will not say they have a tire for your car, which may have something to do with the run-flat feature.
I know I should boycott French products, but when it comes to tires, they have some of the best.
- Taller, narrower tires actually work best in snow. So downgrading a size is best. And they are less expensive. Never upgrade (Plus Size) winter tires!
- Don't think anyone needs a WINTER speed rating in excess of 130 miles. So H-rating fine. If anyone out there is driving over 130 mph in winter, may God have mercy on you and the other drivers around you. (Can't say I think anyone should drive more than 90 or 100, tops, in winter. Rock, sand and other winter road debris can really do a number on your windows!!!) Save any high speed driving for the right seasons. You have the rest of the year to put the car thru its paces. Winter is all about getting through without ending up in a ditch or being rear ended by someone else.
Dedicated winter tires are best in their season. Dedicated summer tires are best the other three seasons. Treat yourself and your car right. Buy and drive the right tires year round.
Work unbelievably well in the rain. I have tried them in light snow but was not overwhelmed. I use Michelin Pilot Alpins on BMW 16" wheels in the winter. I have not had any winter problems in 5 years driving two different E39s - one with DSC and one without.
New subject: anyone got any idea what changes the 5-Series will get? Someone mentioned Nav and Satellite radio. I assume this is not an upgrade to these options but merely the fix that will avoid the interference that now prevents the two from operating together.
sorry couldn't be more assistance.
DL
The known changes I have heard are - with the nav and satillite which are really a fix. Possibly the little reflectors in the rear bumper which where a DOT issue (right now there is a black piece of plastic). Also, I don't think the bluetooth phone capability has been resolved yet.
Each dealer/salesperson has an opinion. Here is what I have compiled from talking with various dealers in trying to make the 2004/2005 decision. Again, this is info from dealers not my opinions:
Typically, there are not many changes after the first year, fixes if required and possibly a color upgrade - not many people like the copper color and they need a red.
Supposidly, there has not been many service issues except for nav and satelite, so there is not any major problems being fixed.
They change rims alot - some people say every year, some say every other year. The dealers have said the car is so new, that the rims will probably stay - it depends on the consumer feedback.
The 2005 pricing and I would assume product info are supposed to be out in mid July. They expect a price increase due to the euro/$ exchange.
BMW shuts down in August, 2005 build starts in September. 545's are the last to be built after 525/530's, so first 545 deliveries are expected in late November.
If you want nav and satelite or if you are going to lease, then it is better to wait. If not, use the savings for your winter tires.
Thank you.
The Logic 7 is a Harmon Kardon processing algorithm that takes standard 2 channel audio and produces surround sound. It actually also takes surround sound 5.1 and produces 7.1. Supposedly it provides better clarity to the audio.
I think right now most cd's are still 2 channel but I have heard that they are starting to produce surround sound cd's.
So, any cd you put in will sound better (according to HK).
You can get more info on the system at: http://manuals.harman.com/HK/Technology%20Articles/logic7-TechShe- et.pdf
If you find out anything more, I would be interested.
It's not the cost of the tires that is an issue. The majority of owners will and do purchase the best and most costly performance tires for their cars. It's having to do so twice a year for the time you own your vehicle. That's something you find no problem doing? Automotive media wouldn't think so in 2005 reviews of this vehicle and I'm sure potential owners wouldn't be keen on the idea either. So, are you on BMW's payroll?
- I don't think there is anything wrong with Dunlop tires. (Or Michelin. Continental. Bridgestone. Etc.) Most modern tires are very, very good, esp. dedicated summer and winter tires.
- What is the treadwear rating on your tire?
- Tire wear issues are hard to compare. Does the owner keep the tires properly inflated? Is the entire suspension and steering system within specs? What type roads are driven on? How many curbs or potholes have been hit? Etc.
I will try to summarize some data if everybody can respond with the following: Series (525/530/545), tire type, size and treadwear, problem in front/back/both/none, problem started at x-miles.
riez - I don't think the issue is All Season, summer/winter. Granted there is advantages of running a pure winter tire during the bad months. Remember that 25% of us don't have to worry about winter tires. In fact, most of the All Season tires will have better treadwear than a summer tire, which will probably have less problems. Granted, you may give up some handling, but that is not the issue here.
Noting richterp - Michelin Pilot A/S has had good results on a family members 545, so possibly the problem is series related or certain tires are more suseptable to the suspension setup. It should not be.
Tire inflation is important, but it is hard to believe that the tire pressure on so many cars has been out of limits in 6k - 8k miles.
Lets get some data from both good and bad. This may give the people with problems some data to talk to BMW. Is it a design problem or limited to something on a few unfortunate soles either on BMW's part or a specific tire manufacturers part.
1. BMW's aggressive suspension set up. They are designed to handle and handle very, very well. They are NOT designed to maximize tire life.
2. How aggressively and how often/how many miles aggressively the driver drives the car.
3. The type roads driven on.
4. The type tire, esp. treadwear indication. BMWs with Sport Pkgs and Perf Pkg tend to have the most aggressive tires that wear quicker.
These issues aren't just for BMW. My IS300 had about 3 exterior tire wear warnings on it at time of purchase and the brochure had another 3 or 4 footnotes discussing limited tire life. Lexus indicated less than 20K was to be expected, and that is just for wear, not necessarily wear-related noise (the noise comes before the tires are worn out).
Could this problem continue on the other cylinders? Should I ask BMW to cover me now for 100000 miles and not the 50k miles?
This happened on the next day after my oil change-- that is the curious part!!
Worried!! Anyone can shed any similar experience??---
It has nothing to do with ho0w carefully you drive. Enjoy your 5er and remember no car is perfect.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Could this problem continue on the other cylinders? Should I ask BMW to cover me now for 100000 miles and not the 50k miles?
This happened on the next day after my oil change-- that is the curious part!!
Worried!! Anyone can shed any similar experience??---
Thanks.
Thank you very much for very valuable information. It sounds like you really know BMW. I really appreaciate that. I am going to buy the car now. It sounds like sensors are the problem, and that is not a big deal.
I just got my 2004 525 and, every time I turn on the car, there is a warning on the screen that I have to push down on the I-drive controller to get rid of (basically warning you not to use the navigation system while you are driving). Is there anyway to stop the system from doing that? Also, whenever you take off your seatbelt, the bell rings and rings, and rings, until you put it back on. Is there any way to turn that off after the initial warning?
Could it be that the problem is resurfacing? It would be worth looking into your aux fan to see if it is functioning properly. I haven't had an issue with mine since it was replaced.
Not sure about the lights, if you don't get a response, I would check with a dealer. I am sure it is possible.
I looked into the various BMW rims, which I think they have some of the best options (typically in the upper $300's to low $400's per wheel). You can get a BMW wheel catalog from a dealer - it is about a 1/4" thick and has all of the BMW wheels and applications - which is alot.
If you have a style number you can call a boneyard to see what their price is (If they exist in any boneyard, they can usually obtain them) but it might not be a significant savings. Chances are it will be hard to find somebody upgrading their M rims. Not sure where you live, but there is a California selling website you can search (www.recycler.com)- search on BMW wheels. Good Luck.
Here in Atlanta, Butler Tire resells OEM combos...
Best Regards,
Shipo
But you go one to say that it "enhances it through analog signal processing". Am I missing something here?