Spare Tire

I was told by the dealer that I have a type of tire that will not go flat for ~50 miles, that's why I don't have a spare. Should I invest on getting a spare? I never heard of these type of tires before.

Originally Posted by drboomer

I was told by the dealer that I have a type of tire that will not go flat for ~50 miles, that's why I don't have a spare. Should I invest on getting a spare? I never heard of these type of tires before.

They're called Run Flat Tires or commonly referred to as RFTs on this forum. You can read more here:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=56

A lot of forum members get rid of their RFTs due to the harshness in the ride that they cause. Not everyone picks up a spare but if you do there is a sticky on this forum about it.

Do you suggest I get different tires down the road?

Originally Posted by drboomer

Do you suggest I get different tires down the road?

It's up to you, I haven't switched so I can't really comment on the difference. I would search "Pothole explosions" for a thread that had a bunch of people's experiences with both types. I'm sure someone else will chime in with their experience switching.

I used RFTs for my car and they were handy when I had flats. Some things to note:
1) If you get a nail on the portion of the tire that touches the ground, as long as you didn't ride the tire empty you can get it repaired at a shop with a plug. I did this on two tires and drove them just fine for many miles
2) You may want to buy a couple of spares and keep them in your garage. You can get them online for fairly cheap. Great way to save money. Then if you ever get a flat that requires replacement you have the tire, and don't need to pay dealership over inflated prices.
3) BMW tires tend to lose air on a regular basis. I got a portable air pump and keep it in my trunk. Then if the tire is ever low I can fill it up where I am at. These devices can go from $20-$100. The $20 ones are just fine

You should also note that if you drive it with no air in it for 50 miles or so, the tire is toast and needs to be replaced. If you refill it with air when you get the alarm and if it is a slow leak, you can get it fixed, within the constraints on damage location that Furby notes above.

I got a spare for mine, even when it had run flats (now has non-RFT tires). Many people just go with the compressor noted by Furby or carry nothing extra at all.

The run flat & non-run flat debate has been going on for a while. In general, we can sum it this way. Run flats are good because it usually does not go flat right away, thus allowing you some time to get to a spot to change it, but the longer you drive on it, the tire slowly gets chewed up and you would need a new tire.
If you have conventional tires, you wont be able to drive it after a puncture, but assuming you have a spare tire on hand, you swap it out and fix the damaged tire, usually at a much lower cost. the conventional tires also drive much better, you can read up a bit on the spare tire if you do decide to get one for your E90+ : http://www.bimmerzone.com/BMW_Perfor...T-E90-KIT.html

^ $300 for a spare and a jack that should be included with the vehicle is a joke. Sorry, but I had to. What were the engineers thinking? Anyway, I digress....

The RFTs work as advertised...about the only good thing about them (personal experience w/ a flat). So, unless you decide to ditch RFTs for driving reasons, I wouldn't bother w/ a traditional spare. It's just going to eat up trunk space if you keep it w/ you. If your tire light goes off don't go over 50 mph though, slower is better where possible.

Thanks for all the info. I never even heard of RFT before I got this car. Just picked it up yesterday. I do agree that a spare should be included but, oh well. Cant do much about it now. Not going to turn away the car over a spare tire. What about a can of fix a flat, I know that ruins the tire if you use it but is that something to consider besides an air compressor?

Originally Posted by Hound Passer

The RFTs work as advertised...about the only good thing about them (personal experience w/ a flat). So, unless you decide to ditch RFTs for driving reasons, I wouldn't bother w/ a traditional spare. It's just going to eat up trunk space if you keep it w/ you. If your tire light goes off don't go over 50 mph though, slower is better where possible.

RFTs work as advertised ONLY when you have a flat, and even then not 100% of the time (slash or rupture in the sidewall). The rest of the time (100% for most of people) they just suck so bad to take the joy of ownership away from you. Of course, people are different and as such have very different priorities and parameters to judge anything. But I am for sure not alone to think it that way.

Originally Posted by drboomer

Thanks for all the info. I never even heard of RFT before I got this car. Just picked it up yesterday. I do agree that a spare should be included but, oh well. Cant do much about it now. Not going to turn away the car over a spare tire. What about a can of fix a flat, I know that ruins the tire if you use it but is that something to consider besides an air compressor?

Somebody posted a link above, you can get a donut spare for E9x BMW. I have it and use it only for road trips (one in more than a year since I changed to normal tires). For running around the town (so to say), I have a compressor and glue in the package and if that fails, tow truck.

The only problem is that when you need a space for luggage (road trip), then you need a spare tire as well.

Originally Posted by drboomer

Thanks for all the info. I never even heard of RFT before I got this car. Just picked it up yesterday. I do agree that a spare should be included but, oh well. Cant do much about it now. Not going to turn away the car over a spare tire. What about a can of fix a flat, I know that ruins the tire if you use it but is that something to consider besides an air compressor?

Current Fix-A-Flat systems can be compatible with both the tires and the pressure sensors. Many systems, including the BMW "Mobility Kit", include a bottle of sealant and a mini-compressor. There are people who carry it as an option.

YMMV.

Originally Posted by Mark K

RFTs work as advertised ONLY when you have a flat, and even then not 100% of the time (slash or rupture in the sidewall). The rest of the time (100% for most of people) they just suck so bad to take the joy of ownership away from you. Of course, people are different and as such have very different priorities and parameters to judge anything. But I am for sure not alone to think it that way.

The jarring ride is not just the RFT but the tight as hell suspension. Once you get used to it / expect it, then it is not a big deal.

I enjoy every moment of ownership from my BMW except when I have to pay to repair it.

Originally Posted by SwissCheeseHead

^ $300 for a spare and a jack that should be included with the vehicle is a joke. Sorry, but I had to. What were the engineers thinking? Anyway, I digress....

That's not a proper assessment:

1) Since the car has run flats, a spare and jack are not necessary to include. It'd be nice (and the 5-er for example did have it included), but saying it should have to be included isn't right.

2) The $300 you might chalk up as a loss were given to you in the form of a more expensive tire. RFTs can easily run twice the cost of a comparable GFT tire.

I might go back to the RFTs since I can get an A/S now on my wheel setup. The spare would only come with me if I travel outside of my home area. I have been satisfied both the GFT I had on the care and the RFT it came with. Had an A/S been available when I replaced tires, I likely would have never gotten the spare and ditched the RFTs.

Originally Posted by furby076

3) BMW tires tend to lose air on a regular basis.

How exactly do "BMW tires" differ from other tires? And what brand are "BMW tires"?

if you shop around locally im sure you can find a spare and a jack for a lot less. thats what i did for my wifes e90 and she still has the rft

Originally Posted by drboomer

Do you suggest I get different tires down the road?

The first and most important thing for you to do is to READ the owner's manual. All of it. No offense, but if you had reviewed it you would not have had to ask....and there are tons of other, much more technical details that this car requires you to understand.

Personally, I have no problem with the run flat tires, and neither does my wife. We do have the Continental tires, which are reputed to be a more pleasant ride than the original tires.

In the end, do your research and see what you are comfortable with, some people prefer fun flats, some people prefer non run flats with a spare, Its not going to be a one size fits all solution