Do I need to take it to MINI, or can I take it to a Discount Tire store? I took the tire pressure and it's at about 33psi. Doesn't seem bad. It's right in the center of the tire. Think it'll need to be replaced???

 

You'll need to get it fixed, as sooner or later it will start leaking.

Having said that, you can fix it yourself for just a few bucks if you have access to an air compressor to reinflate the tire.

Go to Autozone, or any other car parts store. They'll have a tire plug kit for sale. Follow the instructions to plus the tire, and it will be as good as new.

I've had to fix a couple of tires myself, and the kits come with plugs for several repairs. I ditched the runflats right away, so I carry one of these kits plus a portable air compessor (plugs into the cig lighter) just in case.

Scott
90SM

 

I have not had to have my runflats repaired but, with the price of replacement of one of them...I would take it someone to have it fixed immediately....the longer/further you drive on it with that in there the more damage to the tire itself.

 

you should get the tire removed and patched from the inside out.
then mounted and re-balanced. make sure you take it to a
reputable store that can do runflats and remove/mount
without scratching them.

 

I got a screw in one of my tires a while back. The faster I drove the louder it tapped! It eventually wore the head of the screw out and I havent heard a peep since! It never went flat and tire pressure never dropped. Meh, long as it holds air!

 

Interesting...that's EXACTLY what I'm going through right now. Hell, this is going to be a heck of a lot more expensive then a regular tire, isn't it? *siiiiigh*

 

I agree with 90SM. Just buy a plug kit, get a pair of pliers and yank out the screw, plug it, add air and drive. It's as easy as that and has worked for me very well. Many happy miles after plugging.

 

--If it is holding its air take it to get repaired immediately. If money is an issue try this:

http://www.slimesealant.com/

I used it on a slow leak and it did the trick. Good stuff. But whatever you do don't use that tire on a race track after the repair. Racing on repaired tire is bad.

But definitely don't procastinate as you could be causing more damage to the tire by driving around with the nail still in.

Call around and see what repair costs would be. But if they are going to repair it from the inside out, make sure they are experienced with working on Run flat tires or they might damage your tire more or worse your wheels.

Hope this helps.

 

Lots of good advice so far... This is the best approach:

Just do be sure to ask these questions up front. Some will tell you run flats can't be repaired. They can be repaired. Go somewhere else.

On occasion, I've also chosen to simply plug the tire myself. That may work out fine for you but there is a chance, especially since there's no way to inspect the tire inside for unseen damage, that the carcass of the tire is compromised. Even if it hasn't been, you could damage it yourself trying to plug it. So, I've relegated this technique to an emergency fallback.

You could just remove the screw. It may not have gone all the way through. Sometimes you get lucky.

Leaving it alone is asking for trouble and hoping for luck. Get if fixed. And don't let the price of the repair or even replacement prevent you from doing it. By comparison to the cost of repairs if the tire should fail or the value of your car, the cost of taking care of this tire is negligible.

Please let us know how things work out for you.

 

Duck, I took a runflat with a screw in it (set off my flat tire sensor) to the Big O at Warm Springs & Pecos, they charged me $19 to fix it and I never had another problem until the tires wore out.

 

I drove my other car today to be safe (even though no air was leaking) so when I get home, I'm just a block away from a Discount Tire and I'll take it there. I've encountered incompetence there before, so we'll see what happens today.

I don't want to do it myself, just because I dOn't know the extent of the damage and I won't risk more problems. As far as I Know, I picked up the screw on THursday sometime and it's been sitting ever since.

WIll let you know what happens.

 

You state that the screw is in the center of the tread, that's good. This tire runflat or regular tire can be repaired. Radial tires should be repaired with a plug/patch, this plug seals the tire from the outside from water etc. and the patch gets vulcanized to the innerliner to seal the air in.

As far a damaging the tire beyond repair, as long as it has not lost all air pressure and been driven there should be no damage to the tire contruction. This can be checked easily after dismounting the tire, little ***** of rubber from the innerliner will be inside the tire rolling around.

Please take care of your tires a.s.a.p. Remember tires are the only contact with the road! ABS, traction control, etc. can only do their jobs if your tires are doing theirs.

 

I plug all my tires, runflats, motor cycle tires, everything except motorcycle fronts, I go cross country and everywhere after the plugs go in, couldn't live without them. I'm not buying new tires at 100 to 150 bucks a pop everytime I pick up something, try these guys, straight from the farm belt... NEVER ever, SLIME a tire, big mess and dangerous to the tire guy when he breaks the tire from the rim.

http://www.tirerepairkit.com/

 

You dont think its bad and your wondering if you should replace it

Nah ... sounds good. Just keep it in there until it goes totally flat Why waste good money on a patch when the nail will do fine for a while

 

I mean WINDMILL and Pecos. Sorry.

 

I've never had runflats so I'm a bit cautious AND curious about how good they really are when it comes to punctures.

Took it to the shop. First thing I asked if they could fix runflats. They said absolutely, they're just a bit more finicky then a regular tire. They took a look at the tire and immediately said it looked like I'd be fine because it's in the center of the tire and not along the sidewall. They took it in, spent a half hour, brought the car out. I don't know exactly what they did to fix it. I guess I should have asked. Either way, it was a fix at no charge.

Based on comments above on people getting charged, I'm debating on whether or not they fixed it PROPERLY.

 

Duck, FWIW, I spent both Sat and Sun last weekend at the local tire store getting plugs put into my BRAND NEW GY F1s with 300 miles on them. Same exact problem as yours. It was my fault as I was parked on back country roads working on this month's photo contest. Most of the Bay Area shops charge around $30 for a plug repair and $40 for a RF repair.

What others have stated are correct, but you may be interested in this article from TireRack.

I saw the plug used in both of my tires and I have confidence pushing the car knowing they were properly repaired. [disclaimer, my MCS is a daily driver and not a track car].

I can see the plug on the outside exactly like the photo on the TireRack site. I'm sure you could verify it by stopping by the repair store just for a confirmation and make it easier for you to sleep at night.

Hope the TireRack article helps.

 

--I think you're referring to tire foam seal and air products. Those products are a big mess when the tire is removed for repair or replacement. Slime is water soluble and non flammable in its liquid form. Have a read:

http://www.slimesealant.com/customer...aq.php?id=8&q=


You also don't empty the whole bottle into the tire to repair it unlike tire foam repair products. I only put in 4 ounces to repair my slow leak. I think the recommended amount for a full blown hole is only 7.7 ounces. I really don't think 7 ounces of non-flammable bio degradable product will be dangerous to any tire technicians.

I HAVE heard that the tire foam sealant stuff is nasty and hard to clean up because that stuff isn't water soluble and generally stays as a goo. But that stuff is considered a temporary repair whereas the slime is considered a permanent repair for up to 2 years. Popular Mechanics says it will last for 4 years though, but the company will only stand behind it for 2 years under its warranty.

I DO agree that a properly repaired tire (tire removed and inspected internally and repaired with mushroom plug) is the best. In my case my 5psi per day leak didn't warrant such a repair. If I do get a full blown flat I will repair my tires that way.

The motorcycle community swears by Slime too though. No I'm not a spokes person for the company but I'm a believer. This stuff is coming with me on my next cross country motorcycle jaunt.

 

I take all my screws to costco tire repair. And nails and everything else stuck in my tires. Happened many times.

They do all the work. No problems. Sometimes pretty fast.

The latest time was about a few weeks ago. Driving along with the windows down and noticed a clicking noise at low speed from the rear left.

Check the tire to find a screw head showing. Not sure how long it's been there since I rarely drive with the windows down but the head is not totally worn so it's got to be recent.

 

I plug all my own tires, assuming the nail/screw is inthe tread and not near the sidewall. Nothing inthe Mini tires yet, but I picked up a screw in one of my front tires on the Mustang this summer. It would lose about 1 psi per day, so for a few weeks I just kept topping off the tires once or twice a week. I eventualy got around to plugging it, took me 10-15 minutes to find the screw, remove it, plug the tire, and reinflate it. I've been driving on it for a few weeks, and even took a few "fun runs" at the last autocross on the plugged tire at the end of the day after I had removed the race tires. It is still holding air just fine, although I wouldn't make a regular habit out of autocrossing on a plugged tire. I've put tens of thousands of miles on plugged tires and never had one fail, leak, or come out.

-Keith

 

Plugs are temporary - they dont seal against moisture. If the belt package is exposed to moisture you can promote oxidation causing the potential for tire failure. Allways have the tire dismounted and patched. Plugs are a solid emergency soluition but not for ever.

FYI tires have no speed rating after they have been patch or plugged as far as the manufacture will be concerned.

Alex

 

They took the tire off the wheel, played around with it, and put it back. Is it safe to assume they repaired properly? Seems like I"m shooting in the dark here. Maybe its' time to get some NEW tires and put my new wheels on!

 

Who could argue with that? It's a safety issue

I'd be a little surprised if the tire store patched it for free, but you don't know unless you ask them. If it really was patched, I'd have no concern using it until it wears out.

On the other hand... new tires and wheels... mmmm...

 

some tire stores will patch it for free based on the manufacturer's
own road hazard warranty.

 

hmm funny you should say...I had that happend to me just yesterday, I just bought new wheels and was looking for new tire size for my new wheels and wasn't going to be able to purschase til maybe after the holidays, My run flat had a nail in it, about 2 mo's ago, BMW Mini states thay can't fix it and added that it couldn't be done, so I been using flix a flat,, any how when that gave way yesterday, I took it to a repair shop "Griffin Tires" they patched it up in like 30 mins fot $35.00, then as luck would have it. My boss after hearing what happend, offered to pay for new tires for my new wheels....Lucky for me. But all in all I do believe most reputable tire repair shop can patch it- But not Firestone-told me right out- can't do it! Good luck! Now am a happy camper- new tires/wheels with my stock run flats fixed.... Christmas DID come early this year...