A Spare Tire Would Have Made All the Difference - 2015 BMW M235i Convertible Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

A Spare Tire Would Have Made All the Difference - 2015 BMW M235i Convertible Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds conducts a long-term test of a 2015 BMW M235i and gets a flat tire, uses the onboard inflator kit, loses pressure again and uses roadside assistance.

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opfreak

I think you leaving the screw in is what the real problem was.

Yes the hole would be smaller, but theres this sharp point object that is going to get pushed in every single time the wheel goes around and around, you didnt give the goop a chance.

If you want a fair test with a spare:

1 )Replace wheel with screw in it with a good spare...
2) drive spare over similar screw

john_in_tc

When are you going to admit that run flat tires don't work. They cost twice as much as a regular tire, last half as long, and when you get a flat must be fixed immediately by a shop that has specialized equipment.

kirkhilles1

What a pain! Normally, it'd just be just you going to your nearest tire shop to plug it. I don't understand why it couldn't be plugged. I understand its not dead-center, but its not in the firewall, it's in the tread.

hoseclamp

or just add a plug / reamer / rubber cement kit to your emergency kit for cases like this. the 30 minutes of putting in your own DIY plug would have saved you a day + hotel + Uber ride until you get it "professionally" plugged (or not). just a thought.

longtimelurker

That's not in the sidewall. You should have taken the bolt out before trying to patch it...it projects too much and the seal is going to get jostled every revolution.

roadburner

john_in_tc said:

When are you going to admit that run flat tires don't work. They cost twice as much as a regular tire, last half as long, and when you get a flat must be fixed immediately by a shop that has specialized equipment.

The M235i is fitted with a staggered set of Michelin PSS tires- not run-flats. If you want to look fast but not actually BE fast you can order all-season RFTs. Meh.

bohio

hoseclamp said:

or just add a plug / reamer / rubber cement kit to your emergency kit for cases like this. the 30 minutes of putting in your own DIY plug would have saved you a day + hotel + Uber ride until you get it "professionally" plugged (or not). just a thought.

RIGHT!! I've fixed several tires this way, some of which (my own vehicles) then lasted 40k+ miles -- until needing to be replaced because the tread was gone, like the other tires. In fact, I plugged a tire in our Honda Odyssey, about in the same spot as the tire pictured in this article. and the next day started a cross-country move from California to New Hampshire. 6 days and 3,100 miles later, not one issue with the plugged tire. Sadly, DIY -- despite the proliferation of such shows on TV, -- seems to be largely non-existent with way too many drivers.

andres3

BMW salesman come off as Know it-alls, he claimed all BMW's came with run-flats, and that run-flats were the best thing ever. He claimed they never failed to go 100 miles after an "incident." I knew the M235i's I saw had Michelin PSS's, which I know not to be run-flats, and I also know from everyone's reviews of run-flats that no one truly likes them.

andres3

For weight savings, the Golf R has no spare tire, not even a Frisbee tire. Makes me a little nervous, but truth be told, it has been over a decade since I've absolutely had to change a tire immediately since my punctures are always slower leaks.

yellowbal

hoseclamp said:

or just add a plug / reamer / rubber cement kit to your emergency kit for cases like this. the 30 minutes of putting in your own DIY plug would have saved you a day + hotel + Uber ride until you get it "professionally" plugged (or not). just a thought.

If it was a personal vehicle, you can do whatever you want. If it's a company car, the risk of having the tire blow up on someone else is unacceptable. I think edmunds self-insures so it would probably be against company policy to do weird stuff to tires that is not approved by manufacturer or rubber association. The only acceptable repair is a plug-patch if the puncture is within the repairable area.

schen72

I would be hesitant taking any road trip in a car without a spare tire. Two of my three cars do not come with a spare and out on the open road, getting a flat would basically ruin your trip. If you only drive in your local metro area, a flat is not a big deal.

Mr_Shiftright

That sealing goo isn't really meant for that type of tire injury. The failure was inevitable.

jkavanagh

kirkhilles1 said:

I don't understand why it couldn't be plugged. I understand its not dead-center, but its not in the firewall, it's in the tread.

It's in the shoulder. For this reason, a tire shop would refuse to plug it.

Again, I have to go by the book when it comes to field repairs like this one.

andres3

It's like my best track/mechanic/car guy adviser told me, as a business, you just say change the tire, as a friend, you can probably get away with a lot of things, even on the track with high quality tires.

Mr_Shiftright

I'd plug that one if it were my own car---at least until I could shop around at leisure for a replacement.

stever

I tend to get more flats than average. One shop refused to plug/patch a tire while a competitor down the street fixed it and sent me on my way. Different liability tolerances I suppose.

daryleason

Car companies have been trying to say for years that you don't need a spare tire. My parents last new vehicle didn't have a spare, a jack, a tire iron, or a tire inflator. I thought it was bad enough to not have a spare, but no jack or tire iron? Come on. And the idea that they're doing it to save space or weight is a lie. They offer you the "free roadside assistance" for however long (most for the length of the factory warranty), but the weight times are horrible. It's just a little bit extra they can knock off their manufacturing costs. Frankly, I think it shows an extreme lack of concern for the consumer.

lmbvette

This is why I carry a plug kit in my car. The tire industry doesn't want people to plug their tires, they want you to pay the $40 -$60 to patch them.

Plugging the hole takes 15 minutes including clean-up.

Mr_Shiftright

stever said:

I tend to get more flats than average. One shop refused to plug/patch a tire while a competitor down the street fixed it and sent me on my way. Different liability tolerances I suppose.

Steve lives next to the Las Cruces Roofing Nail Company.

roadburner

Of all the cars I seriously considered buying(Elise, Challenger SRT8, Mustang GT, M235i, WRX STI) only the STI had a spare. The lack of a spare never factored into my purchasing decision. The last spare I mounted on one of my vehicles was the one on my Wrangler- 14 years ago.

agentorange

Could of been worse, you might have been on Highway 318 in Nevada. You would have been found only when somebody noticed the large gathering of Turkey Vultures. Seriously, I will not buy a car without a spare for this very reason. Yes, it is restricting my choices in nice cars. So be it.

schen72

Acuras don't come with spares anymore, but you can buy it from the parts department. They include all the styrofoam for the spare wheel well so it's all OEM.

stever

Spares are always so much more convenient.

andres3

daryleason said:

Car companies have been trying to say for years that you don't need a spare tire. My parents last new vehicle didn't have a spare, a jack, a tire iron, or a tire inflator. I thought it was bad enough to not have a spare, but no jack or tire iron? Come on. And the idea that they're doing it to save space or weight is a lie. They offer you the "free roadside assistance" for however long (most for the length of the factory warranty), but the weight times are horrible. It's just a little bit extra they can knock off their manufacturing costs. Frankly, I think it shows an extreme lack of concern for the consumer.

Have you lifted a steel spare wheel lately? They are heavy, even with a thin temporary tire on it. Also, they do take up a lot of space one way or the other. I think it you really have to have one you could just put one in your trunk, back seat, or other cargo area. No need to avoid a car just for that one reason.

darthbimmer

I've had 3 flats from road hazards in 60k miles on my 135. Its RFTs aren't my most favorite thing from a performance perspective, but they do free up a lot of trunk space vs. the manufacturer having to design room for a spare in there, and their ability to let me "limp home" (lower speeds/short distance) has beat waiting for a tow.

thecardoc3

lmbvette said:

This is why I carry a plug kit in my car. The tire industry doesn't want people to plug their tires, they want you to pay the $40 -$60 to patch them.

Plugging the hole takes 15 minutes including clean-up.

You are blaming the wrong people.
http://www.psblaw.com/news-record-san-diego-wrongful-death.html

First, when all you do is plug a tire, you are not removing it from the wheel and inspecting it for damage. Tires that have been run flat for even a short distance can be damaged to the point that they should be pulled form service.

What happened in that Ford dealers case is they patched a tire that had an injury in almost the same area that this BMW tire is damaged at. A year later it failed and it was judged that the damage was too close to the sidewall to be safe to repair and that caused the failure, so the dealer lost the lawsuit. The real cost however was that two people lost their lives and no amount of money can fix that.

thecardoc3

When enough people walk out of the door refusing to buy a car that doesn't have a spare tire, and they stick to their decision then spare tires will find their way back into the cars.

stickguy

put me in the group that won't buy a car that doesn't have (or can't be added) a spare.

5vzfe

I'm very paranoid about situations like what happened to you guys. Luckily you got a truck to get you. When I take the 'runner out camping, there's never cell service so I way over pack for emergencies. My friends make fun of me. In addition to the matching spare under the hitch, I'll throw the factory spare onto the roof rack just in case, along with parts like a spare CV axle and any tool or other part I think might even be remotely handy, and a few gallons of water and gas. We might not even plan on doing anything extreme, but the helpless feeling of being stranded is the worst.

carboy21

There is always a wheel well for spare tire even if the car did not come with a spare. I just buy a wheel and tire from TireRack and place it in the wheel well. I don't choose cars based on whether they come with a spare or not. That would be stupid as most good cars don't come with a spare and a [non-permissible content removed] one might come with one.

houdini1

john_in_tc said:

When are you going to admit that run flat tires don't work. They cost twice as much as a regular tire, last half as long, and when you get a flat must be fixed immediately by a shop that has specialized equipment.

I was looking at a Mercedes a few days ago and noticed that it had run flats. I asked the salesman about them and he said, "Oh no, those aren't run flats, they are extended run tires".

aggie94

BMW's newest car, the X1, has an optional spare tire, and optional non-runflats. Maybe because it is a front wheel drive platform, or maybe a trend. Seriously, the huge battery and exhaust in other series can be repositioned for a compact spare. I had an SLK and S2000 with spares - somehow they found room. Anyways, I ordered a compact wheel from ebay for my 2 series yesterday, for road trips.

bohio

thecardoc3 said:

First, when all you do is plug a tire, you are not removing it from the wheel and inspecting it for damage. Tires that have been run flat for even a short distance can be damaged to the point that they should be pulled form service.

I've been driving for 40 years. Only once, as a result of a blowout (caused by a railroad spike of all things! on the freeway near Stockton, CA), was my tire not repairable. That tire's sidewall was shredded and steel belts looked like a steel wool porcupine.

However, all of these ASSumptions about safety, liability, blah blah blah are tedious. Driving is an inherently dangerous activity. So is swimming. So is walking downstairs. The manufacturers may be responding to consumer demand to an extent, but they are also forced to comply with the never-ending intrusion of government(s) and their ceaseless quest for power.

Run-flat tires, IMO, are a solution in search of a problem. Flat tires, i.e. punctures in other locales, don't occur often. And to reduce ride quality and overall performance of a vehicle just in case a driver gets a flat is ridiculous. We immediately replaced the run-flats in our newest BMW, and our prior (1M) BMW didn't have these odious tires.

thecardoc3

bohio said:

However, all of these ASSumptions about safety, liability, blah blah blah are tedious. Driving is an inherently dangerous activity. So is swimming. So is walking downstairs. The manufacturers may be responding to consumer demand to an extent, but they are also forced to comply with the never-ending intrusion of government(s) and their ceaseless quest for power.

There are dangerous activities, and then there are taking foolish chances, the two shouldn't be construed to be the same.

bohio said:

Run-flat tires, IMO, are a solution in search of a problem.

They are an option which gives consumers a choice that they didn't have in the past.

bohio said:

Flat tires, i.e. punctures in other locales, don't occur often. And to reduce ride quality and overall performance of a vehicle just in case a driver gets a flat is ridiculous. We immediately replaced the run-flats in our newest BMW, and our prior (1M) BMW didn't have these odious tires.

Having repaired my share of tires through the years your perspective doesn't match the reality that most drivers have had to deal with.

gslippy

This is why I paid for the $235 spare tire when I bought my 13 Optima Hybrid. The dealer thought I was crazy, but then I suffered a flat on each of my other two cars the next month. It happens.

Roadside assistance doesn't get you to your destination, and fix-a-flat effectively ruins the tire and wheel anyway.

tom_in_mn

carboy21 said:

There is always a wheel well for spare tire even if the car did not come with a spare. I just buy a wheel and tire from TireRack and place it in the wheel well. I don't choose cars based on whether they come with a spare or not. That would be stupid as most good cars don't come with a spare and a [non-permissible content removed] one might come with one.

A awd sienna does not, that is why it has run flats. Only choice in an awd minivan, so I found out the hard way why you don't want runflats even after the first replacement set was free due to a law suit over short life.

If it's on a highway around us it's not safe to be out of the car. I'd call AAA even if I had a spare or fix kit. People have gotten killed stopping to help and cops who have lights on are hit all the time when stopped. Middle of nowhere is different, but then that's not most people.

carboy21

tom_in_mn said:

carboy21 said:

There is always a wheel well for spare tire even if the car did not come with a spare. I just buy a wheel and tire from TireRack and place it in the wheel well. I don't choose cars based on whether they come with a spare or not. That would be stupid as most good cars don't come with a spare and a [non-permissible content removed] one might come with one.

A awd sienna does not, that is why it has run flats. Only choice in an awd minivan, so I found out the hard way why you don't want runflats even after the first replacement set was free due to a law suit over short life.

If it's on a highway around us it's not safe to be out of the car. I'd call AAA even if I had a spare or fix kit. People have gotten killed stopping to help and cops who have lights on are hit all the time when stopped. Middle of nowhere is different, but then that's not most people.

Neither does any model of Honda Odyssey. The wheel well area is turned into a storage space in all minivans. BUT Odyssey has a space for donut spare on the sidewall of the rear storage space.

zandor

I had a real BMW. 2002 525i. Tool kit in the trunk, rechargeable flashlight in the glove box (with recharger!), manual transmission, and full size spare on a matching alloy wheel. I miss that car.

andres3

agentorange said:

Could of been worse, you might have been on Highway 318 in Nevada. You would have been found only when somebody noticed the large gathering of Turkey Vultures. Seriously, I will not buy a car without a spare for this very reason. Yes, it is restricting my choices in nice cars. So be it.

I would drive on the bare metal rim before letting vultures eat me.