# another pothole, another busted tire



## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

Well, I hit another one. Moravia Rd, right before the 95N exit. Huge pothole soon after the entrance ramp from 40W. I hit the pothole so hard my CD actually skipped, so there was a huge silence after I hit it. Almost like in a TV show, when something bad happens, and there's a big pause and silence...

Anyway, I got out and inspected it, and it sounded like air was coming out pretty fast. Didn't look like there was any wheel damage, but there was a small bulge in the sidewall right next to the wheel. I don't have a jack on me, and the OEM jack people here have disparaged so much I figured I'd call roadside assistance.

30 minutes later, this guy pulls up in a AAA truck. (I didn't know BMW contracted roadside service out. MB has its own guys drive around in an ML with Roadside Service painted all over it...) Anyway, the guy said for BMW and MB he's required to use the OEM jack because it's supposedly specially designed for the jackpoints. Then he used my OEM lug wrench, too. Weird. (Oh, he also said the OEM wheel locks are terrible because any Pep Boys carries parts that can be used to take them off. He suggested I ask a BMW dealership for "standard wheel locks." Anyone know anything about this?)

So now I'm riding around with a space-saver spare as my front right tire. I can't exceed 50 mph. I don't know how I'm going to get to where I want to get without going on any highways. I think all the closest BMW dealers are pretty far out, too. All definitely highway traffic away.

Now my questions. The AAA guy said I'd have to get a front alignment done. Is that true? Should I go to a BMW dealer or just any repair shop? Also, about fixing the tire, does it sound like there's sidewall damage? Should I ask a BMW dealer or a repair shop to try to patch it? Or do I need to get a new tire? If so, that really sucks, because I've only put 650 miles on the tire (and on the car).

Also, I read in the extended maintenance thread something about BMW covering tire/wheel damage. Does that coverage come with the regular warranty, or was that just something the extended warranty threw in?

Okay, now for people in Baltimore, anyone filed a claim to get pothole damages paid for? I called the pothole office and they're sending me a claim form. Apparently I don't need to have an officer come out and file a report, but I just need to send this form in within 180 days. The woman also said I should either send in a receipt of the repair costs or two estimates. She also suggested I take a picture of the pothole and report the pothole to the Baltimore government so I could get a claim number. So, I assume if I need to get the tire replaced, Baltimore will pay for it. Will they also pay for my front alignment, mounting, and balancing?

I guess that's it. If anyone has any answers to my questions, please let me know.

TVMIA.


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## jw (Dec 21, 2001)

I've also heard it's smart to document the potholes and damage with photographic evidence.

Sucks! I banged a pothole this morning very hard. CD stopped for a sec or two. No flat so far. :yikes:


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

Glad you didn't suffer any damage. I think I banged the same tire just a few weeks ago, also in Baltimore. Argh, potholes suck. I just hope that tire was the only thing damaged. Also, I wonder why my right rear tire wasn't damaged, considering I must've hit it with the same force.

Anyway, I need to add a question. Considering I'm going to be on my spare for a while, does anyone know what tire pressure I should keep it at? I'm sure it's in the manual somewhere, but I'm supposed to be in a lecture right now, so I don't have time to check it out now.

TIA.


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## jw (Dec 21, 2001)

swchang said:


> Glad you didn't suffer any damage. I think I banged the same tire just a few weeks ago, also in Baltimore. Argh, potholes suck. I just hope that tire was the only thing damaged. Also, I wonder why my right rear tire wasn't damaged, considering I must've hit it with the same force.
> 
> Anyway, I need to add a question. Considering I'm going to be on my spare for a while, does anyone know what tire pressure I should keep it at? I'm sure it's in the manual somewhere, but I'm supposed to be in a lecture right now, so I don't have time to check it out now.
> 
> TIA.


Did I read right... space saver? My '01 came with a full size spare. What happened?


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

jw said:


> Did I read right... space saver? My '01 came with a full size spare. What happened?


I dunno. Maybe it's the ZHP option? Or the CWP? I didn't even have a choice.

(I hope it at least has ZHP air in it...)


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

I would have tha lginment checked, because that hard of a hit can move things around.

I prefer dealing with Russel, which is out 40 West towards Ellicott City. There is also Towson, but I have not had great luck with their service department.


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## jw (Dec 21, 2001)

swchang said:


> I dunno. Maybe it's the ZHP option? Or the CWP? I didn't even have a choice.
> 
> (I hope it at least has ZHP air in it...)


Ah... that must be a ZHP thing. :thumbup:


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## Cliff (Apr 19, 2002)

jw said:


> Ah... that must be a ZHP thing. :thumbup:


It's an 18" wheel thing.


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## jw (Dec 21, 2001)

Cliff3 said:


> It's an 18" wheel thing.


Doh! Yours is bigger in than mine. :rofl:


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## Ajax (Feb 1, 2002)

swchang said:


> Also, I read in the extended maintenance thread something about BMW covering tire/wheel damage. Does that coverage come with the regular warranty, or was that just something the extended warranty threw in?VMIA.


I think that's separate coverage than the extended warranty.


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

Pinecone said:


> I would have tha lginment checked, because that hard of a hit can move things around.
> 
> I prefer dealing with Russel, which is out 40 West towards Ellicott City. There is also Towson, but I have not had great luck with their service department.


Okay, thanks. Would you recommend doing the rear alignment as well, since I'm pretty sure I drove over it with the right rear tire as well (even though there seems to be no damage)?

BTW, as I was taking a picture of the pothole, I saw another car hit it, and it sounded like they got a flat, too. The guy didn't slow down, though and took the exit to 95N. I hope he didn't ruin his wheel... Oh, and the person in front of me lost a hubcap to that pothole, which alerted me to the fact that danger was lurking. Too bad I was driving faster than I could swerve. And another thing that's kinda funny, but not really, is I saw about 10-15 hubcaps by the side of the road near where the pothole was. I wonder how many victims that pit has claimed.

And for anyone wondering, I RTFM and the space saver spare is supposed to be at 61 psi! I wonder why it's supposed to be at such a high pressure... :dunno:


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

AJAX said:


> I think that's separate coverage than the extended warranty.


Yes, apparently. Unfortunately for me.


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

*speed limiter*

Almost forgot. After I had the spare on, since I couldn't go faster than 50mph I used the NAV speed limiter function to set a warning at 45mph. But every time I set it, it would revert to 44 mph. When I tried setting it at 59mph, just as a test, it reverted to 58. Why is it doing that? Did the software engineers really mean to program it that way?


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## mbushnell (Aug 7, 2002)

I also hit a pothole on one of the local streets yesterday. Didn't get a flat, but later in the day I was washing the car & found a huge bubble in the sidewall of the left rear tire.

So, I go down to Goodyear (the factory tires on my car are Goodyear), and they didn't have my size tire in stock, so I have to go back in this morning.

This is the second time this has happened. The first time was in January of last year on the right front. Because this is the second time, I decide to get Road Hazzard Insurance on all 4 tires.

So, I go in this morning, they pull the car around back & in a little while the salesman calls me over to the car. It turns out that the other rear tire also has a bubble in the sidewall (alot smaller that the tire being replaced), and the tire that they sold me last year on the right front is the wrong size. It's a 215 instead of a 205.

They only had the one tire that was shipped in stocked, so I will have to go back again, but the second tire with the bubble will be covered by road hazzard, & they are replacing the incorrect tire from last year at no charge... $20 each if I want road hazzard on these tires.


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

mbushnell said:


> I also hit a pothole on one of the local streets yesterday. Didn't get a flat, but later in the day I was washing the car & found a huge bubble in the sidewall of the left rear tire.
> 
> So, I go down to Goodyear (the factory tires on my car are Goodyear), and they didn't have my size tire in stock, so I have to go back in this morning.
> 
> ...


So, bubble in sidewall means tire must be replaced? 

How on earth did they give you the wrong tire? Weird. Maybe they realized they ran out of stock of the 205 and just gave it to you? Although, wouldn't 215s be more expensive? Hmm...


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

Oh, another thing. I guess the space-saver tires come with steelies instead of alloys? Well, the AAA guy said that you don't need to torque the lug nuts on steelies, only alloys. Why is that? It doesn't really make sense to me, and I'm wondering if he was just saying that.


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

swchang said:


> Okay, thanks. Would you recommend doing the rear alignment as well, since I'm pretty sure I drove over it with the right rear tire as well (even though there seems to be no damage)?
> 
> BTW, as I was taking a picture of the pothole, I saw another car hit it, and it sounded like they got a flat, too. The guy didn't slow down, though and took the exit to 95N. I hope he didn't ruin his wheel... Oh, and the person in front of me lost a hubcap to that pothole, which alerted me to the fact that danger was lurking. Too bad I was driving faster than I could swerve. And another thing that's kinda funny, but not really, is I saw about 10-15 hubcaps by the side of the road near where the pothole was. I wonder how many victims that pit has claimed.
> 
> And for anyone wondering, I RTFM and the space saver spare is supposed to be at 61 psi! I wonder why it's supposed to be at such a high pressure... :dunno:


Just do a 4 wheel alignment. Russel has deals every so often for about $80 for the 4 wheel alignment, and the guy there knows what he is doing.

WRT not being able to swerve, time for some autoX and track time. You will be amazed at what the car can do.

And check the manual, the space saver tires run very high pressure since they are so small. The load capacity of a tire is based on how much air it holds. More pressure, more air. But 60 - 80 is not unusual.


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

swchang said:


> Oh, another thing. I guess the space-saver tires come with steelies instead of alloys? Well, the AAA guy said that you don't need to torque the lug nuts on steelies, only alloys. Why is that? It doesn't really make sense to me, and I'm wondering if he was just saying that.


They are not as sensitive to being over torqued. But a torque wrench is still a good idea so you don't stretch the bolts permanently.

ANd yes, a bubble in the sidewall means internal damage. And hte air pressure is beign held in by just rubber, without any reinforcement. Bubbles anywhere on a tire are cause for replacement. You can replace them now, or after they blow out, because they WILL blow out.


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## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

Pinecone said:


> WRT not being able to swerve, time for some autoX and track time. You will be amazed at what the car can do.


Although he said that he was driving too fast to swerve, it sure read a lot more like he was tailgating the car in front of him.


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## EdCT (Mar 14, 2002)

Cliff3 said:


> It's an 18" wheel thing.


As is the broken wheel-pot hole thing.

Ed


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