Doubt I will be buying a BMW next time round - Run Flats

[skippybangkok]

Buy the car, all is cool..... But give run flats about 9-15 months and it sounds like your in a coffee grinder from the tyre noise,

Recommendation is just change tyres

Changing now to normal tyres, but no spare wheel space in the boot, so the spare wheel I bought takes up a big chunk of the boot space.

I think head of BMW made a boo boo unless it's their recommendation to change tyres every 9 months ( not very green idea )

[vtjforyou]

Can you explain again what you said ?

[sustento]

Can you explain again what you said ?

I think it's Bwana Speak...

[Loptr]

First thing many BMW owners do is to get rid of the run-flats... The ride is awful and handle like bricks... Carry a can of flat-repair goo in the boot, smaller than a spare and just as good for roadside repairs...

[kurnell]

I've woken up in an alternative universe where everyone writes in a different language.

[SantiSuk]

"Run flats" - tyres that you can still "run" on (drive for a short while without the need to change the wheel) if you get a "flat".

"Boot" - proper English for what Americans call the "trunk".

OK - now? You are in a specialist enthusiasts forum, not a parallel universe. Let em talk their own language

Edit: on reflection, I guess you both really did understand and were just lamely playing to an audience

Edited August 1, 2014 by SantiSuk

[skippybangkok]

"Run flats" - tyres that you can still "run" on (drive for a short while without the need to change the wheel) if you get a "flat".

"Boot" - proper English for what Americans call the "trunk".

OK - now? You are in a specialist enthusiasts forum, not a parallel universe. Let em talk their own language

Edit: on reflection, I guess you both really did understand and were just lamely playing to an audience

I don't think playing.

Anyway - dumped them yesterday and have now normal tyres ( tires - for the other universe ). What a huge difference in ride quality and noise

Happy camper

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[I knew this would happen]

I think only the first gen run flats had a serious problem but the newer ones don´t seem to be so bad at all. Maybe when the run flats get older the problem comes again faster and more intensive compared to normal tyres. Is the increasing tyre noise a problem that occurs faster in LOS than at home? Maybe the run flats feel so bad as tyres age faster here.

My E89 for example, came with run flats, was fine to drive with them. After a while I exchanged them with 19 inch Toyo Proxes T1R. Thats about 20 month ago and I feel like the car is a LOT louder than at the beginning. That really made me wonder, never had that before.

Edited August 2, 2014 by I knew this would happen

[skippybangkok]

Yeh, when car was new was nice and quiet, but the ride was quite hard.

15 months in its like a coffee grinder

Just put new normal tyres on 2 days back and it's a huge change in ride quality and noise.

No place for spare, so I guess this is my last BMW

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[nedkellylives]

Yeh, when car was new was nice and quiet, but the ride was quite hard.

15 months in its like a coffee grinder

Just put new normal tyres on 2 days back and it's a huge change in ride quality and noise.

No place for spare, so I guess this is my last BMW

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People who can afford BMW"s here like other countries do not need spare tyres they

trade them in before the tyres need replacing or the repair costs get so high you put them on blocks

or let some other would be who could be buy it secondhand and pay the maintanance costs

Edited August 2, 2014 by nedkellylives

[I knew this would happen]

Yeh, when car was new was nice and quiet, but the ride was quite hard.

15 months in its like a coffee grinder

Just put new normal tyres on 2 days back and it's a huge change in ride quality and noise.

No place for spare, so I guess this is my last BMW

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I don´t have a spare tyre either, just a BMW tyrefit kit. But i don´t intend to use it anyway. I will not get out of my car on the BKK highway and fiddle around with some tools while everyone tries to kill me. I´ll call the BMW service to sort that out if my tyre is flat in BKK. When I´m somewhere else I might consider the repair kit.

Edited August 2, 2014 by I knew this would happen

[skippybangkok]

People who can afford BMW"s here like other countries do not need spare tyres they

trade them in before the tyres need replacing or the repair costs get so high you put them on blocks

or let some other would be who could be buy it secondhand and pay the maintanance costs

Trollup

Can I afford to buy new tyres every year, sure. But if your willing to fork out about 70k baht in run flats every 9 to 12 months and throwing away perfectly threaded tires - that hurts

Anyway- the ride quality sucks anyway.

@i knew - ur right , not safe changing tyres on the side of the road. Will get a car kit

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[mortenaa]

The run-flats on my new F20 116i is much better than my previous E90 3'er, which I replaced quickly. It all depends on the brand and type I guess..

[skippybangkok]

Yeh - mine were Pirelli and great / no issue when I got the car. Buy about month 10 the increased noise was noticeable , by about month 13 stating to get annoying , and by month 15 really annoying.

Have already changed to normal tyres

How long u had them on ?

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[thairastawoman]

So these run flat are more expensive than standard tires ? Are they available everywhere and can they be repaired as standard tires ?

Thanks.

[skippybangkok]

Are about 20-50% more expensive than normal tyres. As far as I know ( could be wrong ) you are supposed to scrap them after a nail puncture as "it might damage the strength of the tyre". Heard somewhere

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[mortenaa]

Yeh - mine were Pirelli and great / no issue when I got the car. Buy about month 10 the increased noise was noticeable , by about month 13 stating to get annoying , and by month 15 really annoying.

Have already changed to normal tyres

How long u had them on ?

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On the 1'er I just had for a few month. Still on red plate..

BTW, no need to carry around a spare tire. I just keep a repair kit.

Edited August 10, 2014 by mortenaa

[Loptr]

If you get a M series, they don't come with run flats... At least mine didn't...

[thairastawoman]

Hello,

Is it well known that run flat are more noisy than standard ?

But all cars with run flat can be changed for standard tires ?

And is it true that Bquick or other shops do not have them and must order to get runflat ?

Cheers.

[steveromagnino]

MINI also comes with runflats, I don't know anyone that keeps them past the first cycle - everyone switches to a cheaper non runflat and carries a kit - with a modern tire you have enough notice you can usually nurse it somewhere to get either a temporary fix to get you home or a new tire.

Can't speak for every car, but in general the runflats do seem noisier and slightly worse performance wise with a higher price for the MINI.

Also, Pirelli is outrageously expensive here, it is cheaper to switch to a locally made brand e.g. Yokohama Decibel which delivers what you require, and then when you get a flat, there is a good chance you can actually get a single tire.

One of my cars came with Pirelli originally; got a flat within the first month, and had I stuck with Pirelli, it was a 4-12 week delay for the new tire to arrive (no one had one in stock); fortunately I had already changed to Bridgestone prior to taking delivery of the car so it was not only possible to buy but they could replace it that same day. I did it because I was worried I'd get caught in Hua Hin or somewhere upcountry and have no way to drive back (my car also does not have a spare) - I just didn't expect it to happen within 4 weeks of owning the car.

[skippybangkok]

Changed to normal tyres and very happy. Have a spare.

Anyone can show me a sample of a repair kit ? Would like to get one and maybe leave the spare as it takes up alot of room

[Forethat]

I drive an M5 F10 with run flats. I was not aware that RFTs was noisier. I have not experienced any of what is described above. I will keep an ear open...

[skippybangkok]

Turn down volume on stereo

[mortenaa]

I drive an M5 F10 with run flats. I was not aware that RFTs was noisier. I have not experienced any of what is described above. I will keep an ear open...

Man.. An M5 deserves something MUCH better than RFT's... Go for P-Zero's and discover your new car!

[dandun]

Changed to normal tyres and very happy. Have a spare.

Anyone can show me a sample of a repair kit ? Would like to get one and maybe leave the spare as it takes up alot of room

My f10 is 18 months and due for a tyre change as well. Although i have 30 percent discount letter from bmw, i am thinking if to use it or not for the run flats. I have been quoted 12,000 baht per tyre "run flat" so that will be 48,000 - 30 percent = 33,600 "8,400 per tyre". I am thinking regular tyre will be similar price so i am not sure which way to go.

[mortenaa]

Changed to normal tyres and very happy. Have a spare.

Anyone can show me a sample of a repair kit ? Would like to get one and maybe leave the spare as it takes up alot of room

My f10 is 18 months and due for a tyre change as well. Although i have 30 percent discount letter from bmw, i am thinking if to use it or not for the run flats. I have been quoted 12,000 baht per tyre "run flat" so that will be 48,000 - 30 percent = 33,600 "8,400 per tyre". I am thinking regular tyre will be similar price so i am not sure which way to go.

Depends on the brand as well. Some RFT's are better than others. My dealer always said Dunlops are the softest. I don't know. For myself, I rather put the money in a really good tire, non RFT, and keep one of those emergency puncture kits in the trunk. RFT's are of course safer in case of a puncture at high speed.

[GinBoy2]

Last car I had in the US was a Z4 with run flats. Hit a nail and went to get the tire replaced. After getting up off the floor from sticker shock, replaced the lot with regular tires at a fraction of the price and carried around a can of puncture repair. Never got another flat, and the regular tires drove and sounded better

[deankham]

My 2009 X5 had run flats. All was great in terms of drive and grip until I came to change them/ A set of 4 (21" M-Sport Alloys) cost me 10,000 Riyals ($2,700 / 1,700GBP)!!!

...I've since changed to a Volvo XC60 and the 'normal' tyres on the 20" wheels feel softer but don't grip as well as the monster rears on the X5.

Do miss that sound from BMW V8, but the V6 Turbo in the volvo does drive nice.

[thairastawoman]

Where to find a price list of run flat tyres in Thailand ? Thanks.

[skippybangkok]

Just go bquick

Will set u back 60 - 80k depending on your car type