Reason enough why BMW should still include a spare tire!

Couch · 11-23-2009, 11:43 AM

I'm fighting off my anger right now. My tpms went off on Friday night. I woke up in the morning to a flat run-flat. Hobbled up to Discount which of course (like everywhere) did not have a Mich PS2 in stock.

Now I'm waiting on Monday, and had to take the day off because I CAN'T DRIVE ANYWHERE! Except down the street because it holds air for about half an hour or so.

This is CASE AND POINT, the EXACT reason regardless if these tires are RFT's that a spare is a MUST!

Sara · 11-23-2009, 11:46 AM

You get free maintenance. Buy a spare with the money you're saving.

noro · 11-23-2009, 11:47 AM

Best part is that this new tire is going to cost you way too much because it very "special".

Where is the puncture? repair it.

VTECaddict · 11-23-2009, 11:53 AM

The dealer should have the tires in stock. Of course, they charge you an exorbitant markup...

FJc335 · 11-23-2009, 11:54 AM

got mine used from a fellow member in this forum for $50. not bad

Nikolas · 11-23-2009, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sara504

You get free maintenance. Buy a spare with the money you're saving.

Well that would just about cover it...barely.

Tallest · 11-23-2009, 12:02 PM

yeah.. once i had my michelin PS2 (regular) get a bubble. Found one in exact same size, thread life and so on.. used.. for 20 bucks. Can't beat that.

but it's fair point, just may be have one at home as a spare or buy leatherZ donut spare tyre.

JayKay335i · 11-23-2009, 12:03 PM

You knew what you were buying before you bought it. No reason they need to include a spare.

F32Fleet · 11-23-2009, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Couch

I'm fighting off my anger right now. My tpms went off on Friday night. I woke up in the morning to a flat run-flat. Hobbled up to Discount which of course (like everywhere) did not have a Mich PS2 in stock.

Now I'm waiting on Monday, and had to take the day off because I CAN'T DRIVE ANYWHERE! Except down the street because it holds air for about half an hour or so.

This is CASE AND POINT, the EXACT reason regardless if these tires are RFT's that a spare is a MUST!

Question: What would you do if you had a spare then you would either have a POS donut (good for 50 miles) or a 225/40 size tire whould you could not run on the rear wheels of a sprt pkg equiped car?

I have RFT's on my current car (non-sport) and IMO the RFT's work great, but were too stiff on my prevous sprt pkg equiped vehicle.

DerekS · 11-23-2009, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Couch

I'm fighting off my anger right now. My tpms went off on Friday night. I woke up in the morning to a flat run-flat. Hobbled up to Discount which of course (like everywhere) did not have a Mich PS2 in stock.
This is CASE AND POINT, the EXACT reason regardless if these tires are RFT's that a spare is a MUST!

For the past few years, I have always carried a M Mobility Kit in the trunk of my car. In July 2008, my car had a flat tire in the remote mountains, SW of Salt Lake City, more than 200 kms to the nearest tire shop. With the kit hooked up, we were able to reinflate the tire and to continue our journey, at speeds up to 120 km/h, into Moab, Utah, where the local tire shop repaired the tire. Even if I had had a donut spare, it would not have lasted 200 kms and nor would it have sustained the 120 km/h. In any case, I am not aware of a donut spare that will fit the larger rotors on the 335i or the 335d.
If you do any extensive highway travel, I strongly recommend the M Mobility Kit or a similar kit.

goldn · 11-23-2009, 12:24 PM

maintenance is not free, its included in the cost. you pay for it somewhere.
i hear your gripes about not having a spare...

talisman311 · 11-23-2009, 12:27 PM

This topic's been beaten to death, and then more. But I agree with the OP that at least a spare should be an option on these vehicles or some dedicated room in the trunk. The availability of these tires is rather limited outside of a BMW dealership. In most circumstances, the average tire shop will need to order the tire which puts the vehicle out of commission unless there's a BMW dealership nearby.

Socom: I'm not sure I'm following you.. I have sports package on my 330i where my winter wheel set can go either front or rear. While it's not optimal to have tires of different widths, you can certainly have a non-donut that will fit on the front or rear of a sport package optioned BMW.

noro · 11-23-2009, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldn

maintenance is not free, its included in the cost. you pay for it somewhere.
i hear your gripes about not having a spare...

come get this $50K car, and we'll throw in 3 oil filters, 21 quarts of oil and windshield wipers... yay!!!!

cgpublic · 11-23-2009, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Couch

This is CASE AND POINT, the EXACT reason regardless if these tires are RFT's that a spare is a MUST!

First off, yeah it sucks to get a flat, run-flat or not.

That out of the way, I'm not sure what your expectations are regarding a run-flat. For example, I punctured my front right tire on an exposed sewer grate traveling 50 MPH on the parkway. I pulled off at the nearest exit, confirmed the puncture and rim damage, then drove ten miles home. The following morning, I drove it ten miles to the dealer (tire & wheel insurance), where they replaced both the tire and the rim (bent).

So what's missing? Driving it for a week on a punctured tire? Maybe. I'll tell you what else is missing. No pullover on the shoulder at the point of damage. No changing the tire at risk. No riding around on the bare rim at 10 miles per hour. No waiting for a flatbed. If you're missing all of that, swap out the RFTs, carry a kit and you're golden.

cotmfk · 11-23-2009, 01:17 PM

I swapped out the runflats and carry a spare. Gas mileage went up a tiny bit, I don't worry about not having a spare, and my tires are a lot cheaper and available everywhere. The downside is as mentioned.... if/when I get a flat, I will have to stop to change it out. Considering that's always how it's been for me, that was an easy tradeoff.

F32Fleet · 11-23-2009, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by talisman311

Socom: I'm not sure I'm following you.. I have sports package on my 330i where my winter wheel set can go either front or rear. While it's not optimal to have tires of different widths, you can certainly have a non-donut that will fit on the front or rear of a sport package optioned BMW.

I guess the point I was trying to make was even with a spare you can't drive for long with it and you still may have to order a replacement tire. The reality is that RFT's can be plugged. It's NOT a big deal, and the tire shop doesn't have to take the tire off the rim to do it.

NiVeDh · 11-23-2009, 02:18 PM

Buy my PS2 RFTs.

F32Fleet · 11-23-2009, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NiVeDh

Buy my PS2 RFTs.

+1, I had them on my 06 330 and they were great.

Couch · 11-23-2009, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VTECaddict

The dealer should have the tires in stock. Of course, they charge you an exorbitant markup...

Exactly why I refuse to go there.

It wasn't a puncture it was worn but oddly enough its not truely worn as you may think. The overall inside still looks fine except one section.

I'm pretty sure it was caused by the city of houston repairing an entire stretch of road by scraping away the top layer leaving the most unsafe road for over a month. This caused it to fail. I was just irritated earlier.

Thanks niv what's done is done unfortunately. If I had the time I would have just ordered from tire rack.

bavarian19 · 11-23-2009, 03:21 PM

I completely agree that no spare leaves you with so many problems that could arise. I had a blowout with a RF tires (yes a blowout). There is no way I was going to run on a RF tire with a blowout. With no spare, I had to get it towed, and was without a car from Saturday night to Tuesday evening because of the then shortage of RF tires.

If I would have had a spare, I would not have lost any time.

I since have kept a spare with a RF on it for tough times like that. I have had to use the spare once, and had no issues with the situation otherwise.

bavarian19 · 11-23-2009, 03:22 PM

By the way, I think RF tires are not all that bad. They are great in concept. But that does not give the excuse to not give us a spare of some sort, even if it is a space saver spare.

chrisdridley · 11-23-2009, 07:13 PM

A few weeks ago, I had a flat on a trip for work. I went to two tire shops and neither would fix the flat run flat. I limped toward a BMW dealer and the run flat came apart. I called BMW Assist, who dispatched a roll back to take me to the nearest dealer. The dealer replaced the tire and I was on my way after loosing 3 hours.
The BMW system worked..........................but would it have worked if it had been late at night......or on the weekend.......or in an area with no cell service........the possibilities where I would have been stranded are numerious.
My solutiion was to order a jack kit and a OEM wheel and tire and carry it in the trunk. Pictures of the loaded trunk are on my blog at the link below.

11-23-2009, 11:43 AM	#1
Couch Colonel 142 Rep 2,900 Posts Drives: E92 335i Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Houston iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 E92 335i [0.00]	Reason enough why BMW should still include a spare tire! I'm fighting off my anger right now. My tpms went off on Friday night. I woke up in the morning to a flat run-flat. Hobbled up to Discount which of course (like everywhere) did not have a Mich PS2 in stock. Now I'm waiting on Monday, and had to take the day off because I CAN'T DRIVE ANYWHERE! Except down the street because it holds air for about half an hour or so. This is CASE AND POINT, the EXACT reason regardless if these tires are RFT's that a spare is a MUST!
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11-23-2009, 11:46 AM	#2
Sara Lieutenant General 5791 Rep 17,879 Posts Drives: A car Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Nola iTrader: (6)	You get free maintenance. Buy a spare with the money you're saving.
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11-23-2009, 11:47 AM	#3
noro Colonel 90 Rep 2,707 Posts Drives: '91 M3, '04 E46 ZHP, '72 2002 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Boston iTrader: (0)	Best part is that this new tire is going to cost you way too much because it very "special". Where is the puncture? repair it. __________________ zhpregistry.net - ZHP stats and free classifieds.
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11-23-2009, 11:53 AM	#4
VTECaddict Where'd my VTEC go? 481 Rep 6,067 Posts Drives: 06 330i 6MT Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Seattle, WA iTrader: (4)	The dealer should have the tires in stock. Of course, they charge you an exorbitant markup... __________________ AW/Terra \| ZSP \| ZPP \| ZCW \| iDrive \| CA Mods: BC BR coilovers \| Blacklines \| M-tech rear \| dual exhaust \| M3 steering wheel \| BMW SSK \| ZHP shift knob \| High-kick CF spoiler \| NBT Retrofit M3 front control arms \| M3 rear guide rods \| Manzo rear toe and camber links \| Monroe rear shock mounts \| Varrstoen ES1 19x9.5+20 Front, 19x11+25 rear
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11-23-2009, 11:54 AM	#5
FJc335 First Lieutenant 25 Rep 341 Posts Drives: platinum bronze e92 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Smallville- NJ iTrader: (0)	got mine used from a fellow member in this forum for $50. not bad __________________ Broken promises don't upset me. I just think, why did they believe me?
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11-23-2009, 12:02 PM	#7
Tallest Major General 1307 Rep 6,311 Posts Drives: 911 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Sweden iTrader: (1) Garage List 2011 911 [10.00]	yeah.. once i had my michelin PS2 (regular) get a bubble. Found one in exact same size, thread life and so on.. used.. for 20 bucks. Can't beat that. but it's fair point, just may be have one at home as a spare or buy leatherZ donut spare tyre. __________________ 997.2 F30.F11.E86.E90.E90.E36
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11-23-2009, 12:03 PM	#8
JayKay335i Banned 189 Rep 5,046 Posts Drives: ///M323 DCT Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: North Dakota; its best DUHHHHHH iTrader: (1)	You knew what you were buying before you bought it. No reason they need to include a spare.
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11-23-2009, 12:24 PM	#11
goldn Captain 30 Rep 727 Posts Drives: 2010 E91 328i xDrive 6MT Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Collingwood, Ontario, Canada iTrader: (0)	maintenance is not free, its included in the cost. you pay for it somewhere. i hear your gripes about not having a spare...
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11-23-2009, 12:27 PM	#12
talisman311 First Lieutenant 43 Rep 358 Posts Drives: e90 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Richmond, VA iTrader: (0)	This topic's been beaten to death, and then more. But I agree with the OP that at least a spare should be an option on these vehicles or some dedicated room in the trunk. The availability of these tires is rather limited outside of a BMW dealership. In most circumstances, the average tire shop will need to order the tire which puts the vehicle out of commission unless there's a BMW dealership nearby. Socom: I'm not sure I'm following you.. I have sports package on my 330i where my winter wheel set can go either front or rear. While it's not optimal to have tires of different widths, you can certainly have a non-donut that will fit on the front or rear of a sport package optioned BMW.
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11-23-2009, 01:17 PM	#15
cotmfk Major General 2050 Rep 6,110 Posts Drives: M3 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Somewhere between DC and FL iTrader: (12)	I swapped out the runflats and carry a spare. Gas mileage went up a tiny bit, I don't worry about not having a spare, and my tires are a lot cheaper and available everywhere. The downside is as mentioned.... if/when I get a flat, I will have to stop to change it out. Considering that's always how it's been for me, that was an easy tradeoff. __________________ When you say impact instead of affect/effect, you are communicating that you don't understand the difference between the two words, and are too lazy to learn.
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11-23-2009, 02:18 PM	#17
NiVeDh Major General 422 Rep 8,003 Posts Drives: '08 E90 335i, '99 E36 M3 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Houston, TX & Atlanta, GA iTrader: (132) Garage List 2008 BMW 335i Sedan [8.66]	Buy my PS2 RFTs.
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11-23-2009, 03:21 PM	#20
bavarian19 General 517 Rep 18,858 Posts Drives: Car Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: VA iTrader: (23)	I completely agree that no spare leaves you with so many problems that could arise. I had a blowout with a RF tires (yes a blowout). There is no way I was going to run on a RF tire with a blowout. With no spare, I had to get it towed, and was without a car from Saturday night to Tuesday evening because of the then shortage of RF tires. If I would have had a spare, I would not have lost any time. I since have kept a spare with a RF on it for tough times like that. I have had to use the spare once, and had no issues with the situation otherwise.
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11-23-2009, 03:22 PM	#21
bavarian19 General 517 Rep 18,858 Posts Drives: Car Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: VA iTrader: (23)	By the way, I think RF tires are not all that bad. They are great in concept. But that does not give the excuse to not give us a spare of some sort, even if it is a space saver spare.
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11-23-2009, 07:13 PM	#22
chrisdridley Road Warrior 5 Rep 123 Posts Drives: 335d Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Tennessee iTrader: (0)	A few weeks ago, I had a flat on a trip for work. I went to two tire shops and neither would fix the flat run flat. I limped toward a BMW dealer and the run flat came apart. I called BMW Assist, who dispatched a roll back to take me to the nearest dealer. The dealer replaced the tire and I was on my way after loosing 3 hours. The BMW system worked..........................but would it have worked if it had been late at night......or on the weekend.......or in an area with no cell service........the possibilities where I would have been stranded are numerious. My solutiion was to order a jack kit and a OEM wheel and tire and carry it in the trunk. Pictures of the loaded trunk are on my blog at the link below. __________________ http://www.thelonghighway.com A Blog Dedicated to the BMW 335d
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