I know, that is a crazy stupid question. I wondered if maybe they didn't deflate as a design of the tire?

2 weeks into owning the car and the tire warning light came on. The tire does not look any flatter than the other tires though. Hopefully it's just tire pressure and not a flat or a leak. Off to read the owner's manual.

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Also, if I get a flat am I allowed to use BMW service centers? I don't think MINI's can be serviced at BMW dealers (correct?), but if it's a tire would they take me in?

Thanks.

 

No BMW service for you!

RF tires work just like regular tires except they have stiff sidewalls that will support the weight of the car to be driveable when there is no air in them. They will never be flat to the point the rim is resting on the ground.

If it is flat, expect to be buying a ~$350 tire.

 

***** me. so even though it looks fine like the other tires it could be 'flat'?
do RF tires go flat easier than regular tires? i live in the city, with lots of pot holes and high curb-like entrances into lots and driveways (not curbs, just higher than street level).

i guess i am changing out the tires sooner than i thought! (my wallet is not ready for this, darn it).
off to research some really good NON-RF tires! (sigh...)

 

i hear the Seinfeld soup **** in my head. ;-)

 

If the tire has zero tire pressure than the others, it will compress the contact patch and sidewall down a tad bit - it is noticeable with the eye.

No; either tire will pop a bead if you hit it with enough force.
Or it'll go flat with a nail / screw in the tread patch.

- Erik

 

It should look a little flat compared to another good tire. I hope you have checked the pressure(s) before getting worked up.

A really cold night can drop 5psi out of a tire, especially if was already low will now be even worse.

RF's should not be more susceptible to flats than regular tires. The bad thing about them is once you get a hole from say a nail in one that would be normally repairable in a regular tire, most tire shops will not do it on a RF and you will have to replace it. Also almost nobody stocks them.

There are some more affordable RF tires out there now if you go through independent tire shops.

 

good to know. i need to go buy a tire pressure thingy. i used to have one, but somehow, i do not anymore. and yes, it was super cold last night. first time in weeks. i *hope* this is the reason. fingers crossed.

a quick google shows an AutoZone store less than a mile from where i live. walking distance!

 

once you determine the tire pressure, start the engine and pump the tire up to the recommended pressure (usually 35psi for 16") . the low tire/flat tire light will go out and you won't have to reset the monitor. If you pump the tire up with the engine off then you will have to reset the tire monitor. check the pressure after a few hours and if holding then you may or may not have a nail, etc. in the tire. If it goes down again within a few days you probably have a nail, etc. in it. call around to the tire shops and inquire if they fix RF tires as some do and some don't. if the nail, etc. is in the tread instead of the sidewall the tire is repairable. I had a leak in one of the RF tires and it was obvious with about 22psi left in it.

 

thanks for that info! although, i hadn't read this first and had shut the car off, but i didn't need to reset anything, which is good.

turns out that the wheel in question only had 31 psi in it. the other 3 wheels... 33 !! what the heck? the recommended pressure for my tires is 51. i can't believe the dealer let me drive off with the wrong pressure 2 weeks ago. unless all 4 wheels have slow leaks, which i highly doubt. anyway, correct pressure in them now. i will monitor the one in question.

 

better check your recommended tire pressure again(look on the tag inside the driver side door) as 51psi is probably the maximum pressure and not the recommended tire pressure. you are driving on rocks at 51psi and risking a blowout if you hit a bump or pothole in my opinion.

 

ooooh, you're right. that is the max:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....m=245HR7CPCSSR
explains why the ride home from the gas station (only a mile) was super hard, lol.

the site doesn't say what the recommended psi is... would 35 or 45 be better? if my sensor went off at 31 i clearly want to have more than that.

 

35psi should be the best. it should be posted on a tag at the bottom of the frame and you should see it when you open the driver's side door. good luck.

 

i will look at the door tag when i go out to the car next.
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findings below...

 

38-44 psi. Just read the owner's manual for the Clubman S with 17" wheels.
So 31 was pretty low. Makes sense now.
Never had this type of tire before, learning experience. ;-)

 

All car tires have a max psi...related to the physical structure of the tire.
Then the car has a reccomended psi for each stock tire size (usually on the door jamb or the glove box)....same system for regular tires and runflats on all cars.

 

Studio - Be sure to read what the owner's manual says about both the tire sensor and the run-flats. The nice thing about run-flats is that you can drive a ways even if the tire has a puncture. However, you want to limit this and keep the speeds low (below freeway speed) or you'll do life-limiting damage to the tire (I believe it's the heat build-up that does the damage). I've had runflats the entire time I've owned my MINI. I've had two punctures that were repairable for minimal cost, and one that was not... but it happened about when the tires needed to be replaced anyway.

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the info. Good to know that they can be (sometimes) plugged.

Yes, I read the owner's manual the day this all happened. I've got the sensor reset and my tires at 38psi. All is well and no sign of a slow leak. :-)

I was really nervous the first couple of weeks with the tires. I kept an eagle out for everything and anything in the road. Totally paranoid about having to buy a new tire if I got a flat. I'm over that now though as I counted the times I've had a flat in my entire life (knock on wood the count is relatively low). Although, when I have to drive 150 miles to a contracted event I might get paranoid again, so I'll need to pre-plan a course of action just in case for those dates.

I was happy to find that even though I have no spare I do have all the tools, so I was able to put on the locking lug nuts this week.