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BMW 3-Series Run Flat Tires

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Comments

  • bobsapbobsap Member Posts: 14
    I have a 2008 335xi, with Conti RFT's, and have yet to have a problem with respect to flats, wear, etc...for sure, when you hit a pothole, sewer cover etc, its hard, but i have hit a fair share, in addition to a few deep ones, and so far, no problems...

    while i would love to get rid of them, and go to regular go-flat tires, no spare, no room for a spare & jack, make it a pain...i did purchase the tire & wheel insurance for my 3-yr lease, just in case...
  • dannys1dannys1 Member Posts: 7
    Urgent. I picked up my new 2008 BMW 328xi with the Brimstone runflat tires on Saturday. They put pressure on me to buy an $800 insurance policy for my RFT's my 39 month lease and I side stepped the sales pitch. They called me late Saturday and said if I wanted the run flat insurance I could still get it today. I was shocked when I lost 2 GFT tires in the 1st month of my 2005 330xi lease when the Goodyear sidewall blowouts happened. I replaced them at BJ's wholesale club which came with sidewall insurance and never had a problem in 40,000 miles. I did not even know about the RFT situation until I picked up the car on Saturday. Should I tell the dealer to change my tires? I have 100 miles on them. Should I skip the insurance? Should I get the Michelin MV4 GFT and a donut for the trunk?
  • dannys1dannys1 Member Posts: 7
    Urgent. Please reply. Would you buy the tire insurance if you had it to do all over again? I picked up my new 2008 BMW 328xi with the Brimstone runflat tires on Saturday. They put pressure on me to buy an $800 insurance policy for my RFT's my 39 month lease and I side stepped the sales pitch. They called me late Saturday and said if I wanted the run flat insurance I could still get it today. I was shocked when I lost 2 GFT tires in the 1st month of my 2005 330xi lease when the Goodyear sidewall blowouts happened. I replaced them at BJ's wholesale club which came with sidewall insurance and never had a problem in 40,000 miles. I did not even know about the RFT situation until I picked up the car on Saturday. Should I tell the dealer to change my tires? I have 100 miles on them. Should I skip the insurance? Should I get the Michelin MV4 GFT and a donut for the trunk?
  • berkleybmwberkleybmw Member Posts: 3
    For a new set of tires you are going to pay a lot of money. The $800.00 insurance seems cheap based on most of the comments I have read here. The only down side is you will have to take the car in frequently to replace these defective tires. If you have to drive in winter conditions you will also need snow tires. If you buy them from BMW they will be covered under the insurance plan. I can't believe that this problem has been going on for so long. I wonder why is BMW being so stubborn about this issue. They should stock their cars with good tires and get rid of the run flats. I suspect they have some sort of long term financial commitment with Bridgestone and will lose big money if they back out.
  • circlewcirclew Member Posts: 8,666
    I can tell you it cost me $780 for 4 225/45 Conti RFT A/W tires for my 330xi last month. That is close to what TireRack charges with installation at a recommended local shop.

    I would pas on the insurance IMHO.

    Regards,
    OW
  • ratso175ratso175 Member Posts: 1
    tell them to change the tires.And if they won't put the 800$ in a saving account and when the tires need to be changed a new good set will only cost you 500$. You wiil have a left over to fill the tank once, maybe 2xs.
  • rloyderloyde Member Posts: 4
    I have an 2007 335i. I has the staggered tires. 2 different sizes and both are 18" wheels. Bridgestone is the only RFT they is made. The dealership suggested I replace the bridgestones with continentals. It is a lease. I have to return the car with the original Run Flat Tires (rft). Continental doesn't make a run flat in that size and I replaced the front 2 tires, after 1 year with Fukara 452s. They ride great and don't make noise. I had a rear one go out and had to replace it with the original tire which I bought from the dealer at $377.00. The dealer is the only one who had it in stock and the tire was basically coming apart so I had to buy a replacement.
    If anyone knows of another tire manufacturer that makes a 255/35r18 that is not pirelli or bridgestone i would sure like to know. :mad:
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    TireRack is now carrying the new Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP, which is a RFT and is acceptable for a lease return. Unfortunately they ain't cheap ($268 per front tire, and $372 per rear tire), which is even more expensive than the Bridgestone tires. :(

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • circlewcirclew Member Posts: 8,666
    Heck, it's costing a lot to go 3-series sport these days!

    Regards,
    OW
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Only if you insist on keeping RFTs on the car. Per TireRack, a competent set of 4 Yokohama S.drive GFTs (in the proper size for a 335i SP) can be had for $684 plus shipping and taxes. Not too steep, especially when compared to a set of those nasty RFTs. ;)

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • circlewcirclew Member Posts: 8,666
    That just about says everything regarding a true sport set up with RFT gear. The GFT route is the ONLY way to go at the present time if one considers value high on the list.

    Regards,
    OW
  • rloyderloyde Member Posts: 4
    Excuse my ignorance, but what :confuse: does the acronym GFT stand for?
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Sorry, I coined the acronym a couple of years back to mean "Get Flat Tires", and it seems to have taken hold since. :blush:

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • bobsapbobsap Member Posts: 14
    I have a 335xi, with the Conti RFT tires and 3500 miles...although they are hard on potholes etc, on the road at 75mph, they are smoother than my prior 2005 545i GFT tires and I get 28mpg...to go to the GFT tires, get a spare & jack, does not seem worth the ride???
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    I know that if I end up with a car shod with RFTs, I'll probably skip the jack and the spare and just opt for one of these:

    http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/conticomfortkit/index.jsp

    ;)

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • boskiboski Member Posts: 4
    I need some info before placing my order with Tire Rack , please
  • cctdicctdi Member Posts: 82
    I picked up my 335xi 4 months ago, equipped with the 225/45/17/R continental from factory. It is a fun car to drive even by comparing the 07 S8 that I drove for a while, however, the car feels bumpy on rough surface road.
  • silverbullet12silverbullet12 Member Posts: 6
    I didn't read all the posts, but I did not see where anyone has posted the correct information about the Bridgestone Turanza el42's. These tires had a feathering or scalloping problem that would cause abnormal roadnoise. This problem has been amplified by drivers not checking their tire pressure. We get cars in here every day with 15-20psi in them. Yes, the tires have a problem, but people need to learn to maintain their vehicle properly as well. BMW will replace all 4 tires free of charge from 0-10,000 miles, and will pay for 50% from 10-20,000 miles. BMW will pay the labor. The affected tires were built prior to the 22nd of 2007. They are the 205/55/16 el42 RFT's and the 225/45/17's built prior to 26th week of 2006. The newer versions are not supposed to have this problem, but personally I still prefer the Continental runflats as they seem to wear better and are cheaper to boot. As a side note, don't blame BMW for not repairing runflats, that is a tire manufacturer suggestion, and if BMW allowed tire repairs and a tire failed, they could be held liable .I highly recommend purchasing the road hazard policy from your selling dealer(or other source) to cover your tires in an event of a puncture.
  • highlandpetehighlandpete Member Posts: 46
    I believe I've mentioned pressures on here, as my experience lead to running even higher pressures than BMW first suggested. Even BMW have increased some of their recommended pressures as time has gone by. I'll go along with the pressures are too low thinking/observation. Something else to note, if you don't do long trips, running correct/increased pressure is even more important as the tyres (tires) don't warm as quickly as GFTs and are slow to get to full working pressure. This adds to the 'toe and heel' wear.

    Plus it is known in the UK that folks lower the pressures to try and get a better ride. But some of us who have been experimenting, find pressures at or above BMW's normal load rating are best, as the sidewalls don't then carry all the load . The crown of the tyre does, like a normal tyre.

    HighlandPete
  • blueroadblueroad Member Posts: 10
    While it is true that road surfaces and driving habits can cause tire failure beyond what BMW can be held responsible for, I don’t let BMW off the hook on the RFT issue. I bought a 325 for my wife partially because of the expectation BMW created that the car was as maintenance-free as technology could make it. The oil lasted longer, normal maintenance was free for the first 50K miles, and heck, you didn’t even need a spare. They forgot to mention that you might need $1500 in tires before you got to 50K, that any blowout would be ghastly expensive, and the noise would remove any pleasure the car might otherwise provide. They failed the good faith test that the added expense of the BMW would be justified because of the effortless, cost-free 50K of driving pleasure one could expect. Indeed, that is what I gifted my wife, but the gift was not as advertised. And they tried to blame the customer, claiming they (EG, my wife) were at fault for not checking tire pressure weekly. It’s a great car, but BMW failed at component testing, customer expectations, and customer relations. All tires fail in unpredictable situations. That’s different than putting a flawed design on their car that creates unexpected expense and aggravation for the customer.
  • highlandpetehighlandpete Member Posts: 46
    I'll agree BMW has failed on this RFT issue. I have fitted Koni FSD dampers to try and get the RFTs to run better, but still no true BMW. I run on Goodyear F1 non run-flat rubber and now have a 'real' BMW. What really gets at me, we never had the option to have RFTs and/or a spare wheel in the 3-series. I'm a BMW kind of guy, but this issue has tested the limits, only my own solution means I enjoy this car. No thanks to BMW or Bridgestone (with whom I've had extensive debates and meetings) I might add.

    HighlandPete
  • silverbullet12silverbullet12 Member Posts: 6
    I hope you didn't seriously expect to get 50,000 miles out of a set of tires on a vehicle designed to be one of the best handling cars sold.
  • circlewcirclew Member Posts: 8,666
    Thanks for representing our discontent with the manufacturers. They fail to listen and are staying with this technology.

    It cost me $250 more than would have for the RFT in my 3 year lease so far (1 flat RFT). I just changed out the free set of Conti RFT's with new Conti's so there will be about 9K miles on them at turn-in with enough rubber for the new owner for about 20K miles.

    Regards,
    OW
  • dannys1dannys1 Member Posts: 7
    I leased a 330xi that came form the factory with Goodyear (go flat) tires. They lived up to their description. I had two flats in the first month. I replaced them with Michelins that got 40,000 and had plenty of tred at the end of the lease. I leased a new 328xi last week and only found out they were runflats when they tired to sell me the insurance for $800. The problem is, why don't they just give you a good tire instead of one a go flat or run flat that is prone to go flat. Please tell me if you were able to use you factory rims that came with run flat tires to put on go flat tires.
  • silverbullet12silverbullet12 Member Posts: 6
    Yes, you can put non-runflats on a runflat rim. I recommend leaving the tires that are on it there. The car does not come with a spare and a runflat tire can get you home. Runflat tires are the wave of the future and most cars will be outfitted with them. Ck your tire pressure at least once a month(check by using a tire gauge,not just visual) and you'll get good mileage out of them. I recommend running 35psi front and 40psi rear. That's a little more than factory settings, but it seems to help them last longer.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    "Yes, you can put non-runflats on a runflat rim. I recommend leaving the tires that are on it there. The car does not come with a spare and a runflat tire can get you home."

    Funny, I'd recommend just the opposite and suggest that the OP takes the RFTs off and saves them for lease end or resale. In their place I'd suggest a good set of GFTs and the following kit:
    http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/conticomfortkit/index.jsp

    "Runflat tires are the wave of the future and most cars will be outfitted with them."

    Ummm, personally I think the jury is still out on that one, and given the significant backlash from owners of RFT equipped cars, I'm thinking that if anything, the trend is heading back to GFTs. Case in point, Honda has switched from exclusively equipping the Odyssey Limited with RFTs to making the RFTs an option. I predict that other manufacturers will follow that trend, and sooner or later all of this RFT silliness will just go away.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,504
    ". . .sooner or later all of this RFT silliness will just go away."

    Sure hope you're right, and sooner than later.
    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    hasn't Michelin just abandoned their entire fancy-pants RFT design? I think so.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Yes, and no. True, they've announced that they're putting no more R&D into PAX, and that there will be no new models or sizes of existing models, however, for the time being at least, they are going to continue to produce the tires for the replacement market. It will be interesting to see how easily Odyssey Limited and Acura RL owners will be able to find PAX tires in eight or ten years.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    That's easy to answer---they won't. Try and find those metric sizes they put on BMWs 15 years or so ago. You can find them, but bend over.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 236,555
    TRX... they put those on Mustangs, as well.. I think those were all in the '80s..

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  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Up to very early 90s I think on Bimmers.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 236,555
    Yeah... probably on the E34 M5..

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  • silverbullet12silverbullet12 Member Posts: 6
    That's not any better than a can of fix-a-flat. It even says it will damage the tpm sensors. Not a good alternative.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    I completely disagree. In the unlikely event of a flat, yes, you'll lose the TPMS sensor. So what? Given that RFTs cost a premium over GFTs, the cost of a replacement GFT and a new sensor won't cost you all that much more in the end (assuming you're driving a non-SP vehicle, the RFTs on the SP cars are so much more expensive than their GFT brethren, that a sensor and a new GFT should cost you less than a single new RFT).

    Then there's the whole factor of reparability. Unless a GFT has damage to the side wall or within one inch of the shoulder, the tire is usually repairable. On the other hand, many shops and BMW dealerships flatly refuse to repair RFTs due to the possibility of them having been "run flat" and suffering non-visible/internal damage to the sidewalls.

    All in all, I'm thinking that if you took one hundred RFT cars and one hundred GFT cars with fix-a-flat cans, and drove them each 50,000 miles, you'd find that the cost of maintaining the tires will be significantly less on the cars with the GFTs.

    The one has to ask, what dollar figure are you willing to put on ride and handling? By all accounts, a cheap set of Kuhmos will transform a car from a harsh riding and skittish handling beastie to a well mannered, more comfortable and much faster car (in the twisties that is) than that same car would have been had it still had the factory RFTs on it.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • oriole54oriole54 Member Posts: 2
    i have a '07 328xi. i just replaced the factory 16s rfts w/ 17" great looking aftermarket wheels without a sensor. is there anyway that i can get rid of the annoying tire pressure idiot light that keeps coming on?

    thanks, oriole54
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    As far as I know, no, there's no way you can turn the light off. Your best bet would be to buy some new sensors and have them installed in your wheels.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • oriole54oriole54 Member Posts: 2
    shipo, thanks for the response. i thought that would be the answer. i'm also noticing that the new wheels and tires are actually louder than the run flats. could i have missed something?

    oriole
  • bizunitbizunit Member Posts: 5
    Hello. I am new to the forum.
    Ive read alot of the posts but not all. Im considering a 2008 BMW 328i sedan (no sport upgrade) for 24 or 36 month lease. Two questions...
    1.) Do the 2008's still have these same tires and huge issues or did they improve?
    2.) Is this tire problem so much an issue to look at other cars in this range? (also considering a Mercedes C300 sport)
    3.) If I go with the BMW and they still have tire problems...should i get the tire insurance or just buy better tires right away (and use theres for return or resale) or just test my luck with the tires that come with it with no insurance.
    THANKS
  • mjbauermjbauer Member Posts: 19
    I have a 2008 335xi and I don't have any problems with the RFT's. I believe there were problems at one time but it seems to be solved. Now there may be a personal preference for or against RFT's but I don't think there are problems anymore. There are pros and cons but I did not let it bother me. So far I have no regrets after about 3500 mikes on a variety of roads and surfaces and many types of driving. The car is quieter that my 2005 Acura RL at all speeds and is a joy to drive.

    I did not get tire insurance and this car is a much better car to drive than a C300. It is more of a driver car, Go out an drive both extensively and pick the one you like. They are both excellent cars and you will enjoy them.

    my $0.02 worth, your mileage may vary
  • gbeckowskigbeckowski Member Posts: 2
    I have Contintenal RFTs on my 2007 328xi. I have had a few instances where a tire has not held pressure and the dealer cannot find a problem. Three have stopped this behavior but the fourth continues to lose pressure, sometimes within a day and sometimes within a week. Dealer continues to find nothing wrong. The tire have 10,000 miles on them.

    I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this and what they done about it. Also, a mechanic said I could not just replace the one tire since it will "damage the xDrive". Does this sound correct?
  • bobsapbobsap Member Posts: 14
    I have 4500 miles on my 2008 335xi coupe, with the Conti RFT tires...i keep 28psi in front & 30 in rear for a smoother ride...so far, so good, albeit as we all know, you feel the bumps, but at 75mph on a free-way, its smoother than my 2005 545...

    i have noticed a bit of air leakage, perhaps 1-2 pounds over a couple of week period...the BMW shop forman says its not unusual, just fill them up and check once a week...

    i think its nonsense about replacing one tire & damage to the x-drive is "nuts"!!!
  • gbeckowskigbeckowski Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the feedback.

    I am glad you have the same feeling about the xDrive. I was thinking it is impossible to be affected by a 1/8th or 1/4th inch difference.

    I'll continue to refill that tire for now.
  • rhmassrhmass Member Posts: 263
    I don't think it is normal for a tire to lose 1 or 2 pounds of air pressure every couple weeks. If indeed it is the case, you need to get the tire checked out, probably not by the BMW dealer service you went to. Make sure you check the tire pressures in the morning before the car was driven to get the correct reading.

    As to the replacement of one tire leading to possible damage to the axle, it is true if you already have 10,000 miles on both tires. Check with Mike Miller of Tech Talk at Roundel. He will tell you so.

    As an owner of a BMW, you may want to join the CCA. The BMW membership magazine, Roundel, is well worth many times of the membership fee, not to mention the rebate you'll receive when you consider the purchase/lease of another new BMW in the future.
  • janette07janette07 Member Posts: 1
    I also have the Conti RFT's on my 2007 328xi. I have yet to replace them and have about 19K (orig tires, car purchased 1/1/07). I've definetly hit some hard potholes, but overall, mostly highway miles. Personally, although the taxes are outrageous, central NY takes great care of the roads, so I think thats part of the reason the tire wear/ride has been decent. My only complaint is that there is noise on some road surfaces, but after reading some of these posts, I feel pretty lucky/happy w/ the tires I have.

    BTW, tires are: Conti Pro Contact SSR - 225/45R 17 - o I also wanted to add - I have never checked tire pressure or rotated the tires.
  • circlewcirclew Member Posts: 8,666
    I just bought new Conti's for this 330xi I lease. I rotated the last set front to back, same side every 5-6K miles and never had noise. Wear was extremely even with this approach. Great tire, IMHO.

    Regards,
    OW
  • jp900jp900 Member Posts: 5
    Occasionally folks have mentioned they purchased a spare donut tire with a rim and a jack. If I chose to do this where would be the best place to do so?

    Thanks
  • rflrfl Member Posts: 100
    i bought a full size spare and an extra wheel. I know it takes up a hell of lot of space but with the drop down rear seat in the 335xi it's tolerable. I had a jack left over from my last bmw and it fits nicely in the (inadequate) well. I got the wheel from my bmw dealer ($286) and the tire from tire rack $145. had it put together at my local tire guy ($30). I bungy cord it in the trunk and so far everything fits nicely (luggage for a 2000 mile trip for 2 as well).
  • atechz1atechz1 Member Posts: 2
    I have major problem with my tires, this is the second set of tires I purchased, a total 8 tires $2500. just brought another one today, 328.00 from Tire Rack. I keep getting side wall damage , Bridgestone Potenza runflat tires are horrible. I also declined the tire insurance, which I now regret, I drive safely avoid potholes and it doesn't matter, still get side wall (bubble) damage, does anyone know if I can replace these RFT with
    regular tires, the car does not have a spare. There is a sensor that tell you when the tire pressure is low, will this work if I remove the RFT, any help is appreciated..
    :lemon:
    thanks
  • larry175larry175 Member Posts: 68
    bridgestone/firestone same company. dump the run flats and buy a good set of regular tires. save one for a spare in case of flat and be happy.
    caio for now
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