Front tires cupping

We have a new (to us) used 2011 550i GT. We got it with 21k on it. I noticed that the front tires were cupping. The dealer replaced the tires and did an alignment.

We also had to add a qt of oil.

Is this normal for this car?

Thanks.

What brand of tires? My E46 used to do this at this type of mileage. Plenty of tread, but roared like a freight train.

One quart of oil in 21K. Are you worried that is a lot?

I don't know the brand of tiers since it is still at the dealer. We got it at 21k and now has 24k. We got the oil message about 22k.

It may be nothing but I was just wondering. However I do love the car. :-)

Originally Posted by katiesdad7

I don't know the brand of tiers since it is still at the dealer. We got it at 21k and now has 24k. We got the oil message about 22k.

It may be nothing but I was just wondering. However I do love the car. :-)

Ah, ok, you don't know the brand of tires that came off, or the ones going on?

Cool, awesome car, enjoy. BTW I would not worry about a qt of oil in 21K. That is a 4.4L turbo V8 though, right? Would not be surprised if it was a little thirsty. Maybe other owners (I am not) can chime in.

People have reported needing a quart more than once between oil changes with the V-8. The I-6 is much better in this regard. My first oil change was at 11K (12-months, not mileage), and the computer was still registering it as full.

I'm similar to jad with 10 months on my I-6 and I have had no messages about oil either.

I had to add a quart just before its annual (24k miles I think).

Mine will be 2-years old in April, but as of now, only has about 18K on it...my oil change so far has been because of time, not miles but it still showed full when it was changed as it does now. From what I hear, this is not the norm for those with a V-8.

My 2013 has used 2 quarts so far, once about 2,400 and again at nearly 5k. From what I have read in the posts it's normal for the engine to use oil at this rate....think it's up to a quart every 750 miles. Make sure there is no blue smoke at startup, or behind you after a hard acceleration. Also, carry a quart of oil in the car.

My 2011 550GT needed a quart at 9K. Got an Oil and Filter change at 13K and needed another quart at 22K. So it seems about every 9K after an oil change to me. I have Goodyear Excellence 245-40R20's on the front and 275-35R20's on the rear of my RWD GT (So obviously no rotations for me) and had a little extra inside edge wear on both of the rears at 20K miles, but one tire had a nail and one tire had a screw so both were replaced under my Tire and Wheel warranty right before I needed to replace them anyway. Those guys lose a ton of money on me. I'm surprised I still qualify for purchases. I did do a 4 wheel alignment ($190) and will see if that fixes future issues, but I won't know for a while. That was only 2 months ago in December. LOVE my GT though!

The dealer replaced the 2 front tires under warranty and did an alignment. Don't know if was a 2 or 4 wheel alignment. I guess the oil usage is just normal so I won't worry about it. But I will keep an eye on the tires.

Cupping is often a balance issue. I doubt the shocks are shot at that mileage, which can also affect that. Alignment is what usually causes an edge to wear out first, although under or over inflation can hit either the edges or middle if way off. One thing to do periodically is to rub your hand over the tread first one direction, then the other. If you feel a feather edge in one direction, the tire is scrubbing rather than simply rolling and is an early indication that the alignment needs attention. You can usually feel this long before the wear gets too bad. A good thing to do when checking the tire pressure, which is recommended monthly.

The actual recommended inflation pressure depends somewhat on how heavily the vehicle is loaded, and your average speeds. Radical changes in elevation can also affect tire pressure, but most people won't experience that issue and if simply going over a pass, not worthy of attention.