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      02-01-2013, 08:51 PM   #1
Ron Scott
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Not sure I understand "run flat".

Drove home about a mile from the Depot on smooth roads and went immediately into a hard flat with bells and warnings on the dashboard. Got home to really FLAT, dead tire. 2013 335 M Sport.

BMW phone assist wanted to tow me to the dealer at 9 PM (currently closed) but said they might charge me for service after the fact so I declined (1100 miles and 6-7 weeks on the car).

I would prefer to avoid dealing with BMW directly because I basically don't trust the brand or their dealerships for anything other than initial core performance.

Any thoughts on how get better tires without spending stupid money?

Thx.
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      02-01-2013, 09:13 PM   #2
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Tirerack, costco, etc. Go in and tell them model and they'll find you whatever tires you want.
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      02-01-2013, 09:52 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron Scott View Post
Drove home about a mile from the Depot on smooth roads and went immediately into a hard flat with bells and warnings on the dashboard. Got home to really FLAT, dead tire. 2013 335 M Sport.

BMW phone assist wanted to tow me to the dealer at 9 PM (currently closed) but said they might charge me for service after the fact so I declined (1100 miles and 6-7 weeks on the car).

I would prefer to avoid dealing with BMW directly because I basically don't trust the brand or their dealerships for anything other than initial core performance.

Any thoughts on how get better tires without spending stupid money?

Thx.
Very interesting, my case was similar to yours. M Sport 335i x drive, 19 inch performance summer tires. I am in the midst of celebrating crossing the 1200 mile mark ( I wanted to cross it in style) and at about 1180 miles, low tire pressure warning pops up. I stop after about 5 miles and sure enough my right front tire was gone. My tires were filled with nitrogen and I could smell the air coming out (not the nitrogen, haha). I call the dealer who is about 20 miles away and drive there to get this checked out. Thanks to run flats the car got there safely at about 35-45mph. I am a fan of run flats from now on. I have tire insurance and the tire was replaced for $450, my insurance covered that. The tire per tire rack costs 325, the dealer was charging 380 for it. The rear tires would be more costly since there are wider.

What I find interesting is both our cars had this random tire issue at almost the same mileage. This happened to me about 2 weeks ago. Hmmm

On a different note our roads in the NE suck, I am sure this is not the last time these 19 inch tires are going to give in. Wish I was in Europe

Last edited by 300hp; 02-01-2013 at 09:58 PM..
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      02-01-2013, 10:14 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by 300hp View Post
Very interesting, my case was similar to yours. M Sport 335i x drive, 19 inch performance summer tires. I am in the midst of celebrating crossing the 1200 mile mark ( I wanted to cross it in style) and at about 1180 miles, low tire pressure warning pops up. I stop after about 5 miles and sure enough my right front tire was gone. My tires were filled with nitrogen and I could smell the air coming out (not the nitrogen, haha). I call the dealer who is about 20 miles away and drive there to get this checked out. Thanks to run flats the car got there safely at about 35-45mph. I am a fan of run flats from now on. I have tire insurance and the tire was replaced for $450, my insurance covered that. The tire per tire rack costs 325, the dealer was charging 380 for it. The rear tires would be more costly since there are wider.

What I find interesting is both our cars had this random tire issue at almost the same mileage. This happened to me about 2 weeks ago. Hmmm

On a different note our roads in the NE suck, I am sure this is not the last time these 19 inch tires are going to give in. Wish I was in Europe
I'm on 19" 401s and I got a screw stuck in my rear tire. I noticed it, but drove on it normally for about a week since I didn't have time to take care of it. Finally the low tire pressure monitor showed up. So I took it in the next day. I had no problem going on the fwy to get to the dealer. I also have the tire/wheel insurance and it felt nice to not have to pay for anything (of course it's paid for in advance). And I got a fully loaded E90 335i M-sport as a loaner. The bad news is that I the service dept scratch my wheel when they mounted the tire. However, I didn't notice this until after I got home.
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      02-02-2013, 02:00 AM   #5
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So I guess these run flat tires don't just get plugged?
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      02-02-2013, 02:06 AM   #6
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So I guess these run flat tires don't just get plugged?
i think it depends on the location. i had a problem with my e90 335, took it to the dealer but they couldnt plug it because it was on the sidewall. ended up costing a $about $150 more to replace at dealer than at tirerack.
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      02-02-2013, 08:21 AM   #7
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I have a 2013 BMW 335i xDrive sedan on order with 19" 401 Style wheels.

I am actually glad tires are run flat but may have to resign to the fact that tires will be replaced at some point.

My SUV has Goodyear Fortera Tripletred tires. These tires simply ignore any road debris - never had a problem of any kind. But - it's not a fair comparison.
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      02-02-2013, 09:46 AM   #8
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run flats rob you of performance and they cost twice as much... Do yourself a favor, buy normal tires, and then get a can of fix a flat... If you wonder what you should do with the other 500 buck I just saved you, I am always free for dinner as a thank you for the info
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      02-02-2013, 09:59 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by 1.fresh.f30.335 View Post
run flats rob you of performance and they cost twice as much... Do yourself a favor, buy normal tires, and then get a can of fix a flat... If you wonder what you should do with the other 500 buck I just saved you, I am always free for dinner as a thank you for the info
this. except be ready for headaches when your can of fixit doesn't do the trick and you're pretty much stuck on the road, waiting for a $150 tow. i learned this twice the hard way after switching out my RFTs on my e90.
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      02-02-2013, 10:53 AM   #10
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In my experience run-flats have moved on from the early days. Hated the Bridgestone RFTs on my E91 wagon, so removed them for conventional tires. Was highly critical of RFTs and told BMW and Bridgestone in no uncertain terms.

My first drive in a BMW on standard suspension, with totally acceptable RFTs in my driving conditions was the F30 model.

I'd tried the F10/11, where I thought the tires were better, but not perfect on passive suspension. But trying Adaptive Drive seemed to mask that last bit of tire issue. With no spare and all the hassle I'd had with the E91, this time around I was wanting to stick with RFTs, if at all possible, so careful specification was important.

I've been running my F11 wagon on 18" summer RFTs (Continental Sport Contact 3) and 17" winter RFTs, (Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D). I'm pleased with their performance and ride quality. No issues with RFTs this time, even in cooler temperatures and on broken road surfaces. Bought tire insurance to limit tire failure costs.

I'm not saying the present F30 or F10/11 would not be slightly better with non run-flats, but understand that the differences are now small, compared to the major change we got in the early days of RFTs.

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      02-02-2013, 11:13 AM   #11
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I'm picking up my car in about 10 days. How much is tire insurance? Not sure that it matters, 335i on 19's.

Thanks
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      02-02-2013, 11:57 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1.fresh.f30.335 View Post
run flats rob you of performance and they cost twice as much... Do yourself a favor, buy normal tires, and then get a can of fix a flat... If you wonder what you should do with the other 500 buck I just saved you, I am always free for dinner as a thank you for the info
Driving without run flats its like driving without airbags. I think $500 bucks is worth it when you pop a tire on the highway. Plus you save the rims.
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      02-02-2013, 12:18 PM   #13
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I would order the tire from tirerack and take it to a local shop for install. Should be pretty cheap just to mount and balance, and Runflats are usually good for about 50 miles at 50MPH after the warning goes on.
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      02-02-2013, 03:00 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by wayman519 View Post
Driving without run flats its like driving without airbags. I think $500 bucks is worth it when you pop a tire on the highway. Plus you save the rims.
Tires don't explode anymore. You will not save your wheels, you will bend them all with RFT .....guaranteed if you are on 19". If you have a problem with a RFT nowhere near a big city you will wait for a few days for them to find and deliver one.the ride is EVIL. You NEED insurance.
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      02-02-2013, 05:17 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 335BBS
Quote:
Originally Posted by wayman519 View Post
Driving without run flats its like driving without airbags. I think $500 bucks is worth it when you pop a tire on the highway. Plus you save the rims.
Tires don't explode anymore. You will not save your wheels, you will bend them all with RFT .....guaranteed if you are on 19". If you have a problem with a RFT nowhere near a big city you will wait for a few days for them to find and deliver one.the ride is EVIL. You NEED insurance.
As I said, I have the 19s. Drove the car safely to the dealer at up to 45mph with for almost 30 miles. My rims are fine. In any case if anything happens to them my insurance will take care of it. There is nothing wrong with the rfts.
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      02-02-2013, 06:07 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by 300hp View Post
As I said, I have the 19s. Drove the car safely to the dealer at up to 45mph with for almost 30 miles. My rims are fine. In any case if anything happens to them my insurance will take care of it. There is nothing wrong with the rfts.
I'm also a RFT man. Had basically the same experience as you. I can't under stand how some say RFT rob the performance and they also destroy your rims when they go flat. Someone please enlighten me.I will say they do cost more than conventional tires but thats it.
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      02-02-2013, 06:28 PM   #17
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After two rounds with performance run flats and expensive rims, I bought the tire and rim insurance. One winter driving event damaged the tire and rim and almost paid for the insurance policy

I was told you can drive on the run flat when fully deflated so you can get out of harms way. However, the more you drive under inflated, the chances the tire must be replaced.
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      02-02-2013, 06:32 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by vern View Post
I'm also a RFT man. Had basically the same experience as you. I can't under stand how some say RFT rob the performance and they also destroy your rims when they go flat. Someone please enlighten me.I will say they do cost more than conventional tires but thats it.
cheers
vern
They destroy your wheels when they are fully inflated. Sidewalls are like cement which contributes to bending and ill handling . You need ins. They are evil. Hope you don't get a flat on a really long trip while you are a long way from a big city. You'll wait a couple I'd days. I do understand the flat in the middle of the night or while your wife is driving.
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      02-02-2013, 06:58 PM   #19
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They destroy your wheels when they are fully inflated. Sidewalls are like cement which contributes to bending and ill handling .
Maybe you could explain how RFTs "destroy your wheels" ?

I have driven a 3 Series since RFTs were introduced in 2005. I have had a couple flats, but never any problems with the rims.

As for the "ill handling", I have yet to read of any serious negative comments about handling by professional drivers who have tested the E9X or F30, other than the expected criticism of all season tires when a car was so equipped.
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      02-02-2013, 07:42 PM   #20
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BMW was looking for ~$450 including tax to install a new tire, and they had to order it anyway. So I went with Tire Rack and a local, closer installation: total ~$220.

I did drive a railroad spike into the damn thing so being able to get home without fretting over the wheels was a godsend...
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      02-02-2013, 08:15 PM   #21
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Coming from an E90 with michelin rft i can tell you they provided a hard drive and were prone to break after an apparent harmless pothole. I learned the hard way since during 5 year ownership I had 3 broken. Now this new generation in my F30 are so much better,that I only hope they can withstand potholes better. I am very happy so far with the potenzas and the current sport suspension is GREAT.
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      02-02-2013, 08:48 PM   #22
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tire insurance FTW, get it and never pay for a tire again
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