You mean you had the DSC ON?! What fun is that?! Of course it's a handful! That's what we love about wom---uh, cars! Some people get flowers on their anniversary, or a nice dinner, or good wine. Me, I received a Rat Fink antenna-topper.
Well, I didn't want to jump in with both feet without some idea of what was in store! I've had it for less than three weeks, we've still been courting and now we've gone all the way! And it was awesome!
Yes, I can see why! I probably looked pretty much like that. We had a long downhill run from the upper middle part of the West lot which required a shift into 3rd and then almost immediately, braking and a downshift to 2nd to make a 180 plus degree RH hairpin. I put the power down a little too much too soon coming out of the turn and did a slight tank slapper, with first the left rear coming around, then the right, and then the left again. Next time around I waited a little longer, and brought the power on a little more gradually and then nailed it when I thought I was straight. The left side back end started to come around and I went up the hill slightly sideways for half the distance! Just a little bit more torque than my S2000! The original owner put 19" wheels on just 5 weeks after buying the car and stored the original wheels and tires in his garage until he put them back on when he traded it in on a 135i in June. So I have brand new 6.5 year old tires on the car that I have to wear out before I can buy some fat Michelin Super Sports!
This is an aside, but I feel it's important, so bear with me (and, with full congratulations on an awesome car that you're obviously enjoying fully, btw!) But... "brand new" for 6.5 year old tires, even if not worn at all, is not exactly accurate - tires age just due to the passage of time, whether they're driven on or not. The rubber compound of the tire will harden/cure over time, and that's one component of a tire's wear and aging process. The physical wear due to friction against the road surface, plus the heat/cooling cycling as the tires are driven on, and then cool off when the car is parked, are the other primary wear/age components. In any case, it's not likely you have the full capabilities of recently-manufactured tires at your disposal. My personal example was the two sets of Yokohamas I bought on sale on closeout. One set went into the basement, and as it turned out, the addition of a daily driver to take over that role from the former street/track car meant the 2nd set sat down there in the basement completely out of the sun for some 8 years or more. Well, when the original set wore out and those went on, my first drive onto a damp 270° highway ramp resulted in a no-warning and completely unexpected full-sideways snap-spin at a speed that would not have been a problem with fresher rubber. I caught the skid and avoided wrecking my car, but I quickly realized running on those tires was a disaster waiting to happen. Less obvious perhaps, but, your straight-line emergency stopping distance is also compromised with less than optimal rubber. Obviously you can decide for yourself whatever you want to do, but you might want to consider upping the time-frame on the new tire purchase, or, at least, be extra-aware of road conditions and compensate accordingly as you drive through those 6.5 yr. old tires. See below links on how to check the date of manufacture, so you can determine exactly how old they are. Please see: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=11& http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=138¤tpage=183 http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=183¤tpage=138 http://blog.tirerack.com/blog/selecting-the-correct-tire-for-your-needs/how-can-i-tell-how-old-my-tires-are Quote from the above link: "For safe operation, the current industry recommendation is to run your tires no longer than 6 years once they have been placed into service no matter how good they appear to be!" And, no, I don't work for the Tire Rack!
Thanks for your reply and advice! The dealer where I bought the car was very tight-lipped about any history on the car even though they serviced the car until it was out of warranty. I did check the date code on the tires after I got the car home and they were manufactured in the 1st, 4th, and 7th week of 2006. I'm aware of the industry standard advice about replacing tires after six years regardless of mileage so I was initially concerned. After that I was able to find and contact the original owner who then told me that the tires were stored and barely used. Looking for some expert advise, I posted the information in the Tire Rack Tire forum in this thread: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=636788. Gary's reply seems to indicate that I shouldn't have any problems but your experience seems to indicate otherwise. The plan is the replace them next spring but I'll definitely take your advice and be extra-aware of how the tires feel, especially when we get into the rainy season. If I experience any unusual handing in wet conditions, they're getting replaced immediately!
Hey Steven...can I chime in as a part of the "changed cars now I need new window stickers" crowd? What do you need from me? Thanks in advance...
A SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope). I actually posted in the wrong thread, see this thread: http://www.bmwcca.org/forum/index.php?threads/new-window-sticker.8014/
I would feel pretty confident about any advice from the Tire Rack folks, they are very good. Also, the tires I had were just that many years older than yours, representing a different level of tire technology and development, (which is always advancing), and a completely different tread compound and so on, and environmental factors can't be assumed identical either - the comparison is hardly apples to apples. But, ya, by the time I mounted that particular set up, it would appear they were nearly as useless as, uh, well, let's just say it appears they were about hard as a rock by then even though they looked fine. Anyway, it will be self evident if what you have installed have suffered any undue loss of grip due to aging, and if they feel pretty good then you can get some useful life outta them and enjoy in the meantime!
You can download a temporary card from the homepage of the website and I'll issue a replacement card.
