Quick question.

So my MINI came with Continental Run Flat tires. I discovered yesterday I have a nail in one causing a slow leak. My local gas stations say they won't or can't touch run-flats. I contacted MINI and scheduled an appointment to have it looked at and at the same time have my 20k maintenance done. The SA said they'll evaluate the tire and may be able to fix it. However, to fix it will cost $109 bucks!!

I informed him I paid for the tire warranty and he said they would replace the tire not fix it. I then asked him if I should be concerned about a new tire on a vehicle where the other tires have 20k miles on them. He said he would evaluate the other tire to see if they both need to be replaced.

So my question is ... Do I need to be concerned about a new tire with 3 that have 20k mikes on them. I mean, won't the car ride different/possibly pull more on one side? Seems odd.

Anything I should know before I go there to be better prepared?

 

Dave, from what I hear, the stock run-flats don't last much longer than 30k.
you probably should look to get 2 new tires.
If the dealer won't give you 2 new tires, you have 2 choices:
1. Ask the dealer to give you a great deal on the 2nd tire and pray. or
2. Lean a nail on the tire opposite your damaged one and put it in drive.

 

If you want to make an informed decision, you should know what a local tire store will charge to fix a runflat that hasn't been driven on while flat (this can ruin them), and what a new Continental runflat costs. See TireRack.com for the latter as well as install/balance charges by local installers.

And for when you buy a new set of tires you should know that a 2013 base Cooper hardtop has a spare tire under the rear of the car.

 

I have Continental RFT on our mini, and ran into the same problem. Discount Tire wouldn't touch it, so off to mini dealer. Same story, they would only replace the tire, which we did. I was somewhat concerned about having one new tire, and 3 with about 20k miles. This was two years ago, hasn't been a problem.

 

Isn't this the whole point of run flats? Why does it ruin them? I've never had them before this car.

 

Thanks everyone. However, I want to reiterate I paid for the tire protection plan.

I'm wondering if I NEVER filed a claim against that plan if it's refundable. I believe it cost me around $900ish when I purchased the car. If it is refundable I could use that to buy four new non run flats. I feel uncomfortable driving with one new tire while the rest have 20k miles on them.

I mean, it has to have an adverse affect on the car's handling I assume.

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I had a long discussion about this with the Discount Tire guys. They said some RFT's are repairable, most are not. They didn't seem to know why, they go by what their computer tells them. A Continental RFT goes for about $300 a tire at the mini dealer. Next time it happens to me, I'll replace all the RFT's with non-RFT from either Discount or Tire Rack.

 

For the record, I had one of my run flats fixed shortly after having them mounted when I bought the car (part of the deal at the time). I had it fixed and rode on it for around 10k, it's totally fine. They are Bridgestone RFT, which I believe are... Turanza? I can't confirm because they are currently sitting in my shed waiting to never be mounted again.

 

The point is that you can get the car to somewhere that the tire can be replaced, not that you can just drive and drive. It's like the "donut spare" tire, where you're supposed to limit the speed and distance you drive on it.

 

For what it's worth, it looks like a small nail. The head on it is quite tiny, though I know that means nothing because it could have the shaft of a walrus. It's also dead center right on the tread itself. Additionally, it appears to be holding the air 2-3 days before it drops approximately 2 pounds. I just hope I don't damage the tire as I keep it at 34psi and check it twice daily.

 

Mine was also a nail, a decent sized 2" nail. It was also on the middle of a tread, and leaked out within a couple hours.They first tried a plug from the outside which blew out upon adding pressure. They then patched it from the inside and plugged from the outside, which worked. They did mention it was difficult, but they did it. 20 bucks to boot.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

Running on a runflat with low or zero psi overheats the sidewalls. They must then be inspected off of the rim and even then can have hidden damage. According to TireRack Pirelli, Yokohama, and Continental recommend not repairing their runflat tires. Other manufacturers specify limiting conditions. None guarantee they can be run on for 50 miles and 50 mph without damage, just that they are designed to make it up to that distance without completely failing. You can't blame tire shops for worrying about damage they can't see and customer lies they can't detect.

Of course, marketing and sales people never mention the downside of their products, so many seem to have a rude awakening when they actually have a flat.

Another option is to pull the nail and insert a plug. It is fairly easy to do. However, if you don't have a patch added on the inside of the tire you risk having the plug blow out giving you an instantly deflated tire. I've used a plug but only temporarily until I could get it patched.

You can learn a lot for free at TireRack:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...jsp?techid=226

 

I've been keeping mine at 34psi and check it twice daily until I have it looked at Tuesday. I keep a portable air pump in Zippy and check the pressure before I get on the highway. It's a slow leak, and the only way I discovered it is because my low air pressure light came on at 30psi and I discovered the small nail. It hasn't dropped to 30psi since then as I'm constantly checking it.

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So much for canceling. I checked the contract and could have cancelled within 60 days. Well, it'll be a year next month. OMG!!! I just realized I put 20k miles on my new MINI in just one year. :(

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Here's the nail which also shows the current tire tread.

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Closer photo

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As long as you don't drive on the runflat with zero pressure you should be OK. If you have driven on it with zero pressure it may or may not be dead. The tire needs to come off the rim & be inspected. If it is OK it can be patched internally & all will be fine. I had our Local Discount Tire fix a runflat for me with a nail in it. They didn't change me, I'm guessing because I'm a regular customer there. DON'T go to the dealer for anything tire related. As you know they are crazy expensive & it is not their area of expertise.

 

If you don't get sick can you get your medical insurance back?!
Its insurance.... They sell it to make $$...they MUST have more folks fail to make claims less then the payout....

 

That nail is too close to the side to fix....the photo appears to show it within 2 inches of the edge...most places will fix within 1 1/2 to 2 inches....more than that, the patch fails from the sidewall flex.
If they yank it, and air comes out, tire is junk...
But the nail might be so short, no problem...seen it many times.the longer it stays, the more of a chance it will work its way into the tire body, and into the belts, which will allow corrosion to start, allowing a blowout later, even if it never penetrates the butal layer (air keeping layer)

 

It's pretty much right in the middle. Of course air will come out when they pull the nail, it's a puncture.

That is easily patched. As long as you didn't drive while the tire was flat, take it to an independent shop and have them patch it for $20.

 

What size are your tires?

 

They're 16s because it came with the sport wheels.

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FWIW, the wifey got a nail in one of the runflats on her 328i about a year ago. It was in the middle of the tread so my local tire guy just plugged it. A year has passed and it's still holding air.

 

You have a lot of tread left on that tire. If you have to replace it with a new one, it's not going to be a problem..

 

You don't think a new one (which will be free) will cause issues running against the remaining 3 at 20k? If not, do you suggest I keep it in the front, or put it in the rear with the right-side front one?

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