Tires - Application Chart

Group 36
Wheels and Tires

Bulletin Number
36 01 99

Woodcliff Lake, NJ
April 1999
Product Engineering

SUBJECT:
1999 Model Year Tire Applications

MODEL:
All 1999

Situation:
BMW performs extensive tire tests to determine which tires are best suited for use on BMW vehicles. Testing covers many areas, such as wet and dry traction, stability, tread life, noise, and comfort, in addition to the basic requirements of load and speed ratings. The results of these tests determine which sizes, brands, and types of tires will be approved for original equipment use.

Understandably, it is not logistically or economically feasible to test every brand and type of tire available on the market for use on BMWs.

Customers will often inquire about the suitability of a particular brand or type of tire for replacement use on their BMW or will experience problems after replacing their original tires with a different size, brand, or type.

The attached listing has been prepared for your use when asked about recommended tires. When using this list, please bear in mind the list includes only those tires which have been tested and have been found to be suitable for use on a particular model.

In some cases, BMW specifies a unique construction level of a tire model. This is necessary to achieve the desired levels of handling and comfort for an application. These tires are identified by a star (*) suffix to the model name (e.g. Michelin Energy Mxv4*). This star differentiates the BMW specific tires from tires constructed for other car manufacturers bearing the same model name.

When ordering replacement tires, be sure to determine whether the original equipment tires carried a star (*) designation, and if so, order replacement tires with the star designation to ensure the original level of quality and performance.

Availability in the U.S. of accessory tires on the attached listing is not the responsibility of BMW of NA, Inc. Please contact your local distributor or tire manufacturer.

If a particular brand or type of tire is not included under a model application, it does not necessarily mean that it does not meet BMW standards; it might simply be that it was not tested for that application

If a customer should desire to have another brand or type of tire mounted on their vehicle and that tire is not listed, the customer should be made aware that it is possible the tire may have characteristics that do not complement the vehicle. (Also refer to S.I. 34 01 88 (1555) and S.I. 34 01 92 (3490) for further information.)

1999 MODEL YEAR APPROVED TIRE AND WHEEL SIZES - 3 SERIES - E36