Run Flat Tyres

[sharpretail]

Can anyone help, we have a large number of BMW's on our fleet and have been a customer for 25 years.

We however have three 5 series vehicles with run flat tyres and have had nothing but problems.

The main issue is unusual wear patterns, and rear tyres splitting on the inside wall, we are changing tyres with only 6,000 miles wear.

We have also had a tyre burst and crack the alloy wheel.

We have reported the matter to the dealer & BMW customer services over the last 12 months, but are informed that they are not aware of any issues, and that we are the only customers with these problems.

Does anybody else have these problems and have they reported them to BMW or their dealers ?

Our have been logged at BMW Westerley .

[noneedtolift]

What they said is simply untrue. BMW is well aware on uneven wear patterns and noise from runflats. One possible root cause is tyre pressures (RDC stops the customers checking).

Have not come across splitting tyre walls.

Problem is, that with respect to tyres, they don't deal with BM, but the tyre manufacturer in most cases which presumably makes it harder for them to make their (the dealers) claims. If you want me to, I can retrieve the claims and PUMA number(relevant for the dealer) for you.

[JeffC]

Ive just replaced 4 runflats on my 335d after 11,000 miles the rears were worn on the inside , the fronts worn on the outside and had cracks on the outer edge as if the tread was trying to lift off!

edited to say they are bridgestone tyres 19"

Edited by JeffC on Friday 13th June 08:33

[x5x3]

JeffC said:

Ive just replaced 4 runflats on my 335d after 11,000 miles the rears were worn on the inside , the fronts worn on the outside and had cracks on the outer edge as if the tread was trying to lift off!

edited to say they are bridgestone tyres 19"

Edited by JeffC on Friday 13th June 08:33

I had the same wear on mine but not until 22,000 miles - I was pretty annoyed as there was still plenty of tread depth left - you must be rather irate at 11,000!

[barney123]

Same issues here, reported to BMW, they say - not aware of any issues - just how many people have to have
these problems for there to be 'an issue' ?

Run flats were the main reason I got rid of the car..... Cost me £1000 extra in a year over normal tyres.

Still - just as well there is not a problem - just me I suppose...

[noneedtolift]

Part of the problem is that E9x and E8x tyres have assymetrical profile depths anyway - which leads to a worn looking tyre on the in- and outside whilst it is still ok and legal to run the tyre.

[JeffC]

noneedtolift said:

Part of the problem is that E9x and E8x tyres have assymetrical profile depths anyway - which leads to a worn looking tyre on the in- and outside whilst it is still ok and legal to run the tyre.

my rears had what looked like wires poking out the inside edge

[Andrew D]

I've not had any problems with uneven wear on my Z4, but their non-repairability is a major problem. I've just replaced my third punctured tyre, two of which were less than 3 months/2k miles old and would have been repairable on a normal tyre.

So it may just be that they haven't had chance to wear unevenly...

[Sortie 10]

I too thought that runflats were not repairable, but 18 months ago I had a puncture in a rear en route from Somerset to a function in Hertfordshire. A call around various tyre depots found that Kwik Fit in Watford had a tyre in stock; I was quite surprised when they told me that runflats ARE repairable - and did not sell me a new tyre, but repaired the old without charge on a Sunday morning!!

I have since driven about 10000 miles including several "enthusiastically" driven tours of France without problem. My initial concerns about repairs on an apparently unrepairable tyre have now evaporated and I am confident that the tyre will see out the rest of its days being driven as the Z4 is intended!

BTW I wrote to Kwik Fit head office praising the customer service I received - saving me over £200

[JeffC]

Andrew D said:

I've not had any problems with uneven wear on my Z4, but their non-repairability is a major problem. I've just replaced my third punctured tyre, two of which were less than 3 months/2k miles old and would have been repairable on a normal tyre.

So it may just be that they haven't had chance to wear unevenly...

you can repair them same as a normal tyre.unless you go to Bmw and they will sell you a new set

[AdamD]

JeffC said:

Andrew D said:

I've not had any problems with uneven wear on my Z4, but their non-repairability is a major problem. I've just replaced my third punctured tyre, two of which were less than 3 months/2k miles old and would have been repairable on a normal tyre.

So it may just be that they haven't had chance to wear unevenly...

you can repair them same as a normal tyre.unless you go to Bmw and they will sell you a new set

Only the michelin pilot sport ZP allows a repair to be made, and then only under certain circumstances.

[DSM2]

JeffC said:

noneedtolift said:

Part of the problem is that E9x and E8x tyres have assymetrical profile depths anyway - which leads to a worn looking tyre on the in- and outside whilst it is still ok and legal to run the tyre.

my rears had what looked like wires poking out the inside edge

They would be wires! The breaker plies are steel.

[DSM2]

AdamD said:

JeffC said:

Andrew D said:

I've not had any problems with uneven wear on my Z4, but their non-repairability is a major problem. I've just replaced my third punctured tyre, two of which were less than 3 months/2k miles old and would have been repairable on a normal tyre.

So it may just be that they haven't had chance to wear unevenly...

you can repair them same as a normal tyre.unless you go to Bmw and they will sell you a new set

Only the michelin pilot sport ZP allows a repair to be made, and then only under certain circumstances.

Nope. Michelin under almost any circumstances (basically, as long as the tyre looks otherwise undamaged) and Goodyear 'don't recommend it'. The only manufacturer who says 'not repairable' is Continental, and even then the UK accept they are but have instructions from Germany.

It might surprise, but amost all of the manufacturers not only allow repairs but issue instructions for doing so. Just NOT in the UK!

Europe's leading repair material manufacturers all provide specific kits for repariing RFTs.

[DSM2]

sharpretail said:

Can anyone help, we have a large number of BMW's on our fleet and have been a customer for 25 years.

We however have three 5 series vehicles with run flat tyres and have had nothing but problems.

The main issue is unusual wear patterns, and rear tyres splitting on the inside wall, we are changing tyres with only 6,000 miles wear.

We have also had a tyre burst and crack the alloy wheel.

We have reported the matter to the dealer & BMW customer services over the last 12 months, but are informed that they are not aware of any issues, and that we are the only customers with these problems.

Does anybody else have these problems and have they reported them to BMW or their dealers ?

Our have been logged at BMW Westerley .

Ref. the cracked Alloy, are you sure that happened when the tyre punctured? The reason I ask is that there was a well known (in the trade) issue of Alloys being cracked when removing the old tyres on unsuitable machinery.

What happened was that the stiff sidewalls needed such a force from the bead breaker blade that when the bead finally let go, the blade would go under the tyre and strike the inner face of the wheel well hard, cracking it. Major issue for BMW a couple of years ago.

[Webber3]

Sortie 10 said:

I too thought that runflats were not repairable, but 18 months ago I had a puncture in a rear en route from Somerset to a function in Hertfordshire. A call around various tyre depots found that Kwik Fit in Watford had a tyre in stock; I was quite surprised when they told me that runflats ARE repairable - and did not sell me a new tyre, but repaired the old without charge on a Sunday morning!!

I read that the reason they wouldn't repair these tyres was because of liability issues. With a RFT the repairer couldn't say for sure if the tyre had been driven at zero pressure over the speed limit or maximum distance - http://www.car-tyres.org.uk/articles/run_flat_tyre...

When I had a puncture in a Bridgestone RFT about a year ago I couldn't get anywhere to repair them.

[JeffC]

swmbo run our 335d with a flat in the past did 5 miles on it and was beyond repair as the inner wall crumbled leaving a big ridge all the way round , but Ive also had two punctures fixed on rft on 1 series , both times I never run on the tyre totally flat, the inside of the tyre was like new and puncture was no different to normal tyre.

[barney123]

Webber3 said:

Sortie 10 said:

I too thought that runflats were not repairable, but 18 months ago I had a puncture in a rear en route from Somerset to a function in Hertfordshire. A call around various tyre depots found that Kwik Fit in Watford had a tyre in stock; I was quite surprised when they told me that runflats ARE repairable - and did not sell me a new tyre, but repaired the old without charge on a Sunday morning!!

I read that the reason they wouldn't repair these tyres was because of liability issues. With a RFT the repairer couldn't say for sure if the tyre had been driven at zero pressure over the speed limit or maximum distance - http://www.car-tyres.org.uk/articles/run_flat_tyre...

When I had a puncture in a Bridgestone RFT about a year ago I couldn't get anywhere to repair them.

I just fitted a new bridgestone and two weeks later got a nail in it - no chance of repair.

After close inspection, it actually states on the tyre 'DO NOT REPAIR'. I suspect if you had an accident after a repair the insurance could argue that the car was not road-worthy....

[Andrew D]

Barney123 said:

I just fitted a new bridgestone and two weeks later got a nail in it - no chance of repair.

After close inspection, it actually states on the tyre 'DO NOT REPAIR'. I suspect if you had an accident after a repair the insurance could argue that the car was not road-worthy....

Exactly my experience. Mine are Bridgestones and also say "DO NOT REPAIR" (even the latest ones), and nobody would touch them for a repair.

Edited by Andrew D on Monday 16th June 17:44

[Mattt]

Beat you Barney - I managed a nail through a Bridgestone in one week!

[barney123]

Mattt said:

Beat you Barney - I managed a nail through a Bridgestone in one week!

If I had normal tyres which would not allow me to drive whilst punctured (but repairable !), I could have hired a ferrari 430 to pick me up and it still would have been cheaper (ie 3 x 255/35/18 tyres + fitting).

Meanwhile BMW save the price of a spare tyre and a jack...... and also get to impress everyone about efficient dynamics (helped by the reduced weight of the afore-mentioned items).

But anyway BMW say its not aware of an issue ...

I have had BM's for 12 years, with 1 puncture in about 100,000 miles, then all of a sudden, I get one with run flats , and get 3 punctures in 8,000 miles. There must be an issue.