330ci tyres

[ADL]

A freind has just had a flat on the rear of his Bm 330ci, a nail through the middle. But drove on it a few miles. So the sidewall may be ruined? The current tures are Dunlop Sport 9000's but he want to change to either Bridgestone S03's or Mitchelen Pilot Sport 2's I have found 2 number tyres for £333 S03's and 453 MPS2's. What are your opinions on either tyre as the majority of miles are fast motorway and b roads?

Thanks for the help.

[john_p]

Considered Pirelli P-Zeros ? Supposed to be a good all-round tyre.

Otherwise I'd go for the Michelins - they last a long time (hence the higher price).

[m-five]

The PS2 is a great tyre, and based on the road-legal racing tyre the Pilot Sport 'CUP'.

The SO-3 is okay, but not a patch on the older S-02 (which you can still find).

The only issue with the PS2 for me is the price - currently coming in at £60 more per tyre than the S-03 for my M5!

I'm currently using Conti-Sport Contact II and P-Zero tyres which both cost me around £150 in 245/40/18

[x5x3]

one word of advice - do not mix makes on the car as the electronics cannto cope - I have original Bridgestones on the front and Pirelli P Zero Rosso's on the rear and the electronics are twitchy - according to BMW the tyres are different sizes although they claim to be the same.

[m-five]

x5x3 said:

one word of advice - do not mix makes on the car as the electronics cannto cope - I have original Bridgestones on the front and Pirelli P Zero Rosso's on the rear and the electronics are twitchy - according to BMW the tyres are different sizes although they claim to be the same.

So how do the electronics cope when the fronts are new and the rears are worn (hence different sizes)?

[x5x3]

m-five said:

x5x3 said: one word of advice - do not mix makes on the car as the electronics cannto cope - I have original Bridgestones on the front and Pirelli P Zero Rosso's on the rear and the electronics are twitchy - according to BMW the tyres are different sizes although they claim to be the same. So how do the electronics cope when the fronts are new and the rears are worn (hence different sizes)?

don't know - it was the dealership who said it was the tyres confusing the electronics. If anyone has another explanation then I would be very interested to hear it.

[masher]

I have just had to change the front tyres because having worn fronts and new rears made the traction control come on at speeds my granny would corner at. New fronts cured the problem. Also I was told not to mix tyre types by the dealer and my tyre supplier.

[x5x3]

not sure I am getting the traction control - the little yellow light on the dash does not come on.

The car is up to 44K now so expect to need some more rears very soon - (side question - but how many miles are poeple getting on a 330?)

I think I will get 4 tyres this time and make sure they are the same brand.

[x5x3]

update - I now need all 4 tyres replacing and my local dealer says they have had a technical bulletin from BMW which does not recommend mixing brands front and rear, just a shame it wasn't 6 months ago and saved me the trouble.

I am going back to Bridgestone all round.

[ascender]

I've mixed tyres on the front and rear (not on the same axle obviously) and never had any problems with the electronics on my M3.

I'd go for P Zero Rossos without a doubt. Goodyear Eagle are also supposed to be excellent, but I'd avoid SO3s unless your mate really has no other choice.

Cheers,


Mike.

[x5x3]

interestingly I only got 20K out of the P zeros and nearly 25K out of the Bridgestones

[daver]

x5x3 said:

one word of advice - do not mix makes on the car as the electronics cannot cope.... according to BMW the tyres are different sizes.

The traction control does seem to be sensitive - but I'm not sure if it is necessarily to different brands of tyre having slightly different rolling diameters and thence rotational speeds. Other factors also appear to have an effect whilst running the wrong size tyres altogether doesn't always seem to matter.

I bought my car secondhand and the rear MV's had been refurbed on an 'exchange' basis, I was told. I subsequently discovered that the 8.5" rims running 255x35 rubber had indeed been exchanged - for 8" fitted with 225x40 rubber. Doh. Same as the front. The traction control light was shining brightly! The handling was hopeless though so I took it for a 4 wheel laser alignment. The front left was toed out by nearly 5 deg instead of in by 0.7 deg (which explained the car's reluctance to turn-in on RH bends). When it was corrected, the traction control light went out and the system functions perfectly, even with the 225x40s still on the rear. I now have to turn it off manually of course.

[x5x3]

not got the new tyres yet, so running P zero Rosso slicks at the rear at the moment!

apparently no Bridgestones in the country at the moment?!?

had another funny tonight, coming off the M4 onto the M5 north, fast-ish into the curve, power off before the curve, but the little yellow light came on? may be that I am missing something but I though the TC only worked when the power was on.

I think I need to get these new tyres on all round and if the problems persist it is back to the dealers.

[john_p]

I'm changing from Contis to either P-Zero Rosso's or Bridgestone S03's (on an M3) - any particular reason to choose one or the other?

Also, x5x3, assuming you have a 330 with DSC, it actually works to prevent understeer/oversteer as well as 'power wheelspin' - have a look in the technical lexicon in the manual, it explains it all in there

>> Edited by john_p on Wednesday 7th January 23:24

[x5x3]

thanks for the advice - i'm sure I still have the manual somewhere!

As to under/over steer - I was going about 20mph too slow for that to happen!