335i + snow tires = DSC kicking in still in 3rd?

[daves335i]

had to put 17" snow tires on the 335i (MT). Damn! Thing handles like crap now (I know, snow tires, but I didn't expect this much of a difference).

but worse yet, if I go WOT (or even close to it), the DSC light is constantly flashing from 1st => 2nd => 3rd. I only had the 18" summers on for a week, but I don't remember them doing that!

any other 335i go 17" winter and having similiar experience?

[greenie99]

had to put 17" snow tires on the 335i (MT). Damn! Thing handles like crap now (I know, snow tires, but I didn't expect this much of a difference).

but worse yet, if I go WOT (or even close to it), the DSC light is constantly flashing from 1st => 2nd => 3rd. I only had the 18" summers on for a week, but I don't remember them doing that!

any other 335i go 17" winter and having similiar experience?

dave, what tires are you using?

[daves335i]

I went for the Bridgestone REVOs, and not the Blizzack LM-22 (25). 45 miles from work, and I live in upper state new york. I probably went too snow-smart and not enough performance. I *really* notice it. Much more than going from 17" summer to 16" winter on my 2001 S4.

[awise1961]

I had my 18" summer tires/wheels on for a little over a week and just changed over to 17" Winters also.
I researched the tire choices and it seemed that the Dunlop Winter Sport M3 DSST Runflats handled better than the Blizzaks, so I went with them.
I do notice that they break loose quicker than the big summer tires (Dunlops are 225-45-17's) but overall handling is OK.
I have the 6MT sedan.

Regards, Al Wise

[daves335i]

Yea, i believe i made a mistake in my tire choice, and should have gone with those. Had them on the Audi, and was as happy as one could be with winter tires.

[Russell328is]

Don't feel bad, I used 205/50/17 snow tires on my Audi (stock size is 225/45/17) and the car understeers like a pig all winter, until I put my PS2s on in the spring. Now I don't know what to buy for the 335i, 215 or 225. This car's natural snow abilities are worse, so I wonder if I'll regret getting 225 over 205 or 215.

[greenie99]

Don't feel bad, I used 205/50/17 snow tires on my Audi (stock size is 225/45/17) and the car understeers like a pig all winter, until I put my PS2s on in the spring. Now I don't know what to buy for the 335i, 215 or 225. This car's natural snow abilities are worse, so I wonder if I'll regret getting 225 over 205 or 215.

Go 225 Rus!

[aftp302]

Time for a couple n00b questions.

First off, what is WOT??

335i Sedan w/sport package on order, should be delivered around 2/1/07. This will be my first car with 18" performance tires (not all seasons). My C230 MT has 16" all seasons and with the all the stability programs it does OK in the snow. I know the same will NOT hold true with this car, so I am faced with buying a winter set. So what do people normally do, buy another set of BMW stock rims in a smaller size (17") and have all season/snow tires mounted to them and just rotate each season? Not looking forward to the expense of 4 BMW rims, much less the tires.

Recommendations on rims? Size? Tires?

[awise1961]

Hello aftp302,

"WOT" stands for Wide Open Throttle". Another acronym is "WFO" that basically means the same thing. You can figure out what the "F" stands for yourself.
I became intimately familiar with the terms in the 70's as a motorcycle racer.

Regarding the wheel/tire thing, my dealer quoted me a 17" winter tire/BMW wheel package when I bought the 335i, but at $ 2600.00 I said no thanks. I went with aftermarket wheels and Dunlop 225/45/17 Wintersport M3 Runflats for a total of $ 1300.00 at my local Town Fair Tire dealer. They even threw in a four wheel alignment that I put off until Spring when they change my wheels back over.

Good Luck, Al Wise

[DrDomer]

Look at www.TireRack.com (http://www.TireRack.com) and talk to Gary or Jim. You can put in what type of car you have and it will give you wheels and tires of different sizes that have been fit to the car. There aren't as many selections in the 17" wheel size, but you probably want to go with 17" wheels and winter tires as the lower profile tire on the 18" wheels probably won't perform quite as well.

Just my two cents.

[dhmilosr]

Tirerack lists several 18" tires of size 225/40-18 for the 335i with the Sport Package. Has anyone had any experience with the Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D, Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2, or the Pirelli Winter 240 Snow Sport?

I'm also considering just using the stock BMW 18" rims and having the winter tires mounted on them. I'll switch the tires in the spring to the rims.

As the snow/road is gripped on the surface of the tire, I don't really see why the lower profile 18" rims should make any difference. The 17" rims are pretty low profile also, so you'll still need to avoid pot-holes.

[Jim Sykes]

Will 16" rims fit the 335i sedan? Will they clear the brakes?

I have a brand new set of 16" snows that I bought for my current BMW, which i have now decided to sell to get a new car. They are the right diameter and size for what is used on all the current 3ers, but just dont know if the 16" will fit the car or not. I dont mind running the small wheel a couple of months out of the year, it would be nice to know if I can re-use these tires before buying though, or else they will be a heck of a bonus for someone buying my old car.

[Barry626]

had to put 17" snow tires on the 335i (MT). Damn! Thing handles like crap now (I know, snow tires, but I didn't expect this much of a difference).

but worse yet, if I go WOT (or even close to it), the DSC light is constantly flashing from 1st => 2nd => 3rd. I only had the 18" summers on for a week, but I don't remember them doing that!

any other 335i go 17" winter and having similiar experience?

I had my 07 335i Sedan 1 month when I switched over to snows.
I have 17" "Blizzaks" WS-50 and no problems! had them on my 06 330i "Same".

[Barry626]

Will 16" rims fit the 335i sedan? Will they clear the brakes?



No

[Matt at Dunlop]

had to put 17" snow tires on the 335i (MT). Damn! Thing handles like crap now (I know, snow tires, but I didn't expect this much of a difference).

but worse yet, if I go WOT (or even close to it), the DSC light is constantly flashing from 1st => 2nd => 3rd. I only had the 18" summers on for a week, but I don't remember them doing that!

any other 335i go 17" winter and having similiar experience?

Back to the original ? ....

It's entirely possible that your brand new, full-tread depth, soft-treaded snow tires are the culprit to your DSC light in the lower gears. I'm assuming you're talking about dry or maybe wet roads, and not just in snow, right??

Anyway...as drive torque is applied to the wheel, it rotates by converting that torque into forward motion. At the tire & road interface, this results in each individual tread element "squirming" or slipping ever so slightly. BUT -- with the soft tread of snow tires...maybe you're able to generate enough slip in otherwise normal acceleration that your DSC light comes on because it thinks the tires are actually slipping.

The LM-25's would've been a much better choice, both relative to the problem above and for handling. The tread design of that tire is much stiffer, and it is likely that the tread wouldn't 'squirm' as much under braking/driving power.

FWIW for other poster's with E92 coupes...I drive on Dunlop WinterSport M3's in the winter. I love everything about them, including their dry handling and steering response. Ok...ESPECIALLY their dry handling and steering response!! I can't say enough about them. If you're considering your run-flat options for your new E92 -- the WinterSport M3's are a no-brainer for winter traction with great dry weather handling.

Thanks,
Matt