# Changing from runflats



## RONAN (Nov 4, 2003)

I had a nail in the tire of my 645. Turns out that this makes the tire unrepairable.
I asked the dealer about alternatives, ans he mentioned that the car rides and handles much better on conventional tires and that the 5 series spacesaver tire would work in emergencies. There is a huge trunk in the 645 so it would not take up much space. 
Has anybody tried alternative tires on the 19 inch rims and is there a handling and ride advantage? If you look at the profile of a runflat the tire wall are over an inch thick- a definite xcontributor to a harsh ride.


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## captana (Aug 13, 2004)

Seems that you have an honest dealer unlike me, I had the same problem (Nail in tire) and I had to buy a new tire.Since runflats are uncommon where I come from, I ended up paying a little over 575 USD to the BMW dealer to replace the tire. it's the first time that I hear about this space saver tire,but I will definitely look it up.


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## Spngd (Feb 28, 2004)

*Nonsense....*

Had a nail in my run-flat at 1000+/- miles, and had it repaired. It was in the center of the tread and was deemed repairable by an "expert" tire repairman. Done ($100) and worked perfectly (plugged). Go with the party line if you want and replace the tire, but mine is perfect. I have also heard that the non-run flats ride better, but I will wait till mine wear out prior to replacing them. By the way, my tire pressure monitoring system worked perfectly....at 4-6 psi under it alerted me repeatedly.


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## Grey Coupe (Nov 15, 2003)

*Questions about runflats*

Thanks for this information about runflats. I really don't think my 645 Ci is running at its best on these tires, and have been debating what to do. Mine are Goodyears and are not very grippy in the dry, and downright greasy in the wet. So I have not been very impressed with the tire in general, and the ride and handling of these tires do not seem like they are in the same class with the car's suspension, and cornering capability.

I have been debating as to just taking them off or running them off, and turning to the Pilot Sport 2. The original Pilot Sport makes them in stock sizes, but the Pilot Sport 2 does not, and so am uncertain as to which nearby size to mount.


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

Spngd said:


> Had a nail in my run-flat at 1000+/- miles, and had it repaired. It was in the center of the tread and was deemed repairable by an "expert" tire repairman. Done ($100) and worked perfectly (plugged). Go with the party line if you want and replace the tire, but mine is perfect. I have also heard that the non-run flats ride better, but I will wait till mine wear out prior to replacing them. By the way, my tire pressure monitoring system worked perfectly....at 4-6 psi under it alerted me repeatedly.


You paid $100 to have it plugged? Do runflats require a special plugging procedure? If not, you could've gone to a Mobil or other gas station and had it done to the tune of $10...


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## RONAN (Nov 4, 2003)

The dealer told me the tires are extremely difficult to remove-the walls are over an inch thick and it takes a long time,so it is not the same as a conventional tire job. I had a look at the destroyed tire and it is quite different to a conventional tire.


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## Warot (Aug 3, 2004)

I worked at BMW over the summer and one of the 1-series got a flat (nail as well) because the journalist took it near a construction site. The I-drive system warned me that the tyre had a flat, went to my manager to ask him what to do because the car had to leave the next day. We didn't have spare run-flat tires in stock so I asked him if we can just plug it. THe answer is a big NO. He told me that run-flats aren't supposed to be plug :dunno: 

I asked him because I'm still a amateur in this business. :angel:


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## shoes (Jan 7, 2005)

*I want to switch*

I am thinking of switching away from run flats even though I have a 645 with the 18 inch wheels. Is there any problem using the stock BMW 18 inch wheels with tires other than run flats?


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## RONAN (Nov 4, 2003)

Have been unable to get an official position from BMW on this question I am trading my 645 for a new M6 in the Fall and it is interesting that they have deleted the runflats as standard on the M6 and instead supply a tire inflation kit.
Interestingly they have also deleted variable ratio steering, the glass roof and a couple of other items on the M6, including,sadly the option of a standard shift.


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## gojira-san (Mar 1, 2004)

Warot said:


> We didn't have spare run-flat tires in stock so I asked him if we can just plug it. THe answer is a big NO. He told me that run-flats aren't supposed to be plug :dunno:


Depends on the brand of run-flats; some allow special plugs if is is in the tread face. If it is in the sidewall you are pretty much SOL.


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## grahambishop (Mar 27, 2005)

About three weeks ago,I kept getting warnings of a flat tire on my 645 coupe. I have the Bridgestone tires. I took it to Palm Springs BMW as it needed an oil service anyway and they found a vey small nail in the tread, but they could not fix it. I took it to a tire store in Twentynine Palms where I work and they checked it out and said it did not appear to have penetrated the tire. Two days later I got another warning. This time they took the tire off and put it in a big drum of water and found the leak. They took the tire off the rim and found where the nail was on the inside. He pulled the nail all the way through and it was about 1/16th of an inch long and very small. He roughed up where the nail had been and put a patch on it. I got to watch the whole process....about 25 minutes. I asked why he didn't put a plug in, and he told me that plugs enlargen the hole and make the tire weaker, and that patches were the way to go. I specifically asked about doing this to run-flat tires and he said he would drive with his wife and baby in the car. The bill was $10.00. He also said the tires were repairable as long as it was not the sidewall, speaking of which, when I first got here I bumped a pothole with my right front and did have to buy a new tire. The BMW asssit worked great and they ordered me a new tire for delivery to the BMW dealer the next day. And I was in and out in two hours. However with the free car wash, the bill was $512. I forgot all about the Tire rack...the tires there are $360.00, but that is based on a set of tires not just 1. And I don't think tire rack could have responded as fast as BMW. SoI did pay a lot, but I got back on the road vey quickly.


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