My wife had a flat tire (with 7000 miles on tire) on her Cooper this week. She has run flats and she has a space saver spare...so no problem for her. It got me thinking about having a flat tire on my MCS which also has run flats. My friend also has an MCS and we began discussing what we would do in the following scenario: It is a Sunday and you have 300 miles to go to get home. You have a flat tire. (The manual says you can drive on your run flats 155 miles with light load/30 miles with heavy load). Too many miles to drive home with flat tire! It is a Sunday and there are no dealers or tire shops open &/or you are in area where any shops would not stock an equivalent run flat. You could call AAA but they have no way to get you a tire. What would you do?
Our discussion inclluded the following possibilities: (1) Buying an extra wheel and tire and carry it with you on long (or remote) trips--taking up valuable space (2) Possibly buying a space saver wheel and tire and carry it with you on long (or remote trips).
We also discussed replacing our tires with non run flats. The manual states the wheels for run flats are "special" wheels. So we wondered: Can you put non run flat tires on the stock SLites that came mounted with run flats?

 

I have a Cooper that has run flats. I'm gonna ditch the run flats and mount nice summer tires (not sure which yet, toyo or BFG or goodyear F1s). AND i'm removing my facorty space saver spare + tools and replacing w/ a can of fix-a-flat (to drop 32ish lbs). Note: on long distance trips i will remount the spare + tools, but day to day i drive locally w/ cell phone always.

Yes you can mount non run flats on stock rims.

 

Yes, you can put non-runflats on your S-lites.

I have my non-runflats for my 06 on their way to me right now. Most of the time I will drive with no spare and whine to roadside assistance if anything happens. For long trips, one of my x-lites in a tire tote will go with me.

 

My answer to that question was to purchase the Tire Rack emergency kit and a couple tire patch kits, takes up a small place in back. The kit has quite a few nice little things that my kids can't take and lose.

I currently have on the snows with 16" ASA's so the kit would be important.

I plan to mount 17" non-runflats on the OEM S-lites soon when I'm done painting them. I've seen a few members in our NEOhio club with MINI OEM wheels and newer non-runflat tires. While I can't say for sure, the "special" aspect of the wheels may be only to be able to handle runflats, not that they couldn't handle non-runflats. Maybe someone here is sure of it.

Just check your tires each day for air as you walk up to it and inspect them closer for nails, screws, bolts, hangers, buckles, and other shards of metal when you wash the car. Stay away from construction sites and trash bins.

We found a big screw hanging out inside one runflat when I had them dismounted. Didn't see it on the outside nor ever lost air. Be lucky, think lucky. Be .... be .... be lucky.

 

Carrying a bulky and heavy spare tire on the boot of my MCS, is simply not an option. I need the space for a piece of two of luggage when we go away in roadtrips. Yes the same taughts have crossed my mind and specially now that I have decided to take my '05 MCS on its very first long distance roadtrip in a couple of months.

So I will keep my cell phone fully charged and my roadside assistance card on handy. Anyway if I were to experience a flat "runflat" in the middle of nowhere and there are no shops or dealers to attend to it right away, MINI Road assistance will pay for my emergency lodging and meals as long as the breakdown takes place more than 100 miles away from home.

This is one of the little risks you assume when you buy the MCS and intend to use it for frequent or ocassional long distance driving.

 

I bought a compact donut spare here in the marketplace & a bag for it from NAM's very own bag lady Jerseygirl. http://millpondminis.com/baglady.html The only time I plan to use it are on trips far from home. Tire patches & fix a flat won't work in all cases. Although I think having a kit is great too. When I've worn my runflats out I'll be buying nonrunflats. They will fit on the standard runflat rims with no problems.

 

Fix a Flat. I carry 2 cans in my car with me everywhere i go.

 

I've got an equivalent to the MINI tire kit... a 'Slime' kit w/ compressor. It fits perfectly into the boot storage on the driver's side of the car.

 

(3) i would take my other car.

 

Two Concerns:
1. Would roadside assistance have an issue with being called to a problem caused by the car being out of factory spec? Meaning, would they have a problem due to the fact that you have a flat and are not running the fatcory runflats (but for the fact of you not running runflats, you would not have a flat and would not need us and we would not have to respond, so tough we're not coming).
2. A local mechanic/friend has warned me that Fix-A-Flat can be highly caustic to alloy wheels and a royal pain-in-the-rear to mechanics when they have to fix the flat. Moral seems to be warn your mechanic about it prior to his pulling the tire of the wheel, get the stuff out/off the wheel ASAP and clean the sealnt off the wheel thoroughly.

 

I have yet to hear anybody that likes run flat tires. My first 03 Cooper had them and they lasted 25,000 miles. My new Cooper S has them also, but as everybody knows, there is no spare. Can someone tell me why BMW puts run flats on the Mini, and continues to do so even though nobody likes them? It sure is puzzling to me.

 

typical flat is a screw, nail, etc. that can be fixed with fix a flat or tire patch kit. there are some nice kits out there - i got one for my motorcycle that was very small.

with the flat tire monitor, you should get enough warning to pull over before the tire is damaged beyond repair.

its too bad bmw is going down the run flat path with the MC and 3 series to save room and cost.

 

I personally, love runflats

When you say "Nobody likes runflats" that is a very broad and generalized statement like most everything else in internet message boards. Many people like them for different reasons, so please don't dump me into that group.

The MCS has no space for a spare tire, hence it is a safety requirement to fit them with runflats from the factory. Why would I want regular radial tires on a car that has no room for a spare?

My MCS has the 16" V-spokes fitted with Dunlop SP5000 195/55/R16 runflats. Great tires IMO. I rotate them every 5K miles and hope to squeeze out 30K-35K miles before I replace them again with Dunlop runflats.

 

If you read carefully the instructions printed on your trusty can of "Fix-A-Flat" it says thatthe product is not recommended for vehicles equipped with factory tire pressure sensors as it can damage said sensors.

 

Warning from
Product Label:HARMFUL OR FATAL IF SWALLOWED. CONTENTS UNDER PRESSURE.
MAY CAUSE EYE IRRITATION.
DANGER: DO NOT inhale. Use in a well ventilated area. Avoid contact with eyes.
DO NOT puncture or incinerate container. DO NOT expose to heat, open flame, direct sunlight or store at temperatures above 120º F. Exposure to heat may cause can to rupture. DO NOT STORE IN INTERIOR OF CAR (INCLUDING GLOVE COMPARTMENT AND INSIDE HATCHBACKS). TEMPERATURES INSIDE CAR CAN EXCEED 120º F. STORE OUTSIDE PASSENGER AREA OF VEHICLE PREFERABLY SECURED IN SPARE TIRE WELL OR TRUNK.
DO NOT use with any other tire inflator products. DO NOT use on motorcycle tires. Failure of one tire could cause loss of control. Also DO NOT use on high performance or "Z-rated" tires. DO NOT use Fix-A-Flat with tires which utilize tire sensor technology. Fix-A-Flat may block tire sensors and cause them to be inoperable. Fix-A-Flat will not be liable for damage to tire sensors. NEVER WELD ON A RIM. WELDING ON A RIM WITH THE TIRE MOUNTED COULD
CAUSE THE TIRE TO EXPLODE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER TIRE INFLATOR IS
USED. WELDED AND REPAIRED RIMS ARE UNSAFE

 

I had and have the same problem--

My winter tires are non-runflats, so I bought a 15 inch holie here on NAM and keep it and a repair kit with me on long drives.

My Solution.

My runflats are about 4-5000 miles away from needing to be replaced. I am still debating moving to non-runflat summer tires, but I just don't want to be stuck without the possibility of a replacement....

I guess my options are:

1. Buy another set of runflats. By the way, are there any "second generation" runflats that fit the MCS?

2. Go with non-runflats and tote around the holie all the time(not really desireable.)

3. Go with non-runflats and get a compressor and patch kit. I'd really like to do this, but I don't know too much about compressors and stuff. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks.

 

The MINI doesn't have the sensors that the warning is concerning. The warning is for tires that have RFID style electronics built into the tire stem. The MINI uses the tire rotation speeds to determine the posibility of a flat.

 

The basic problem here is that fix-a-flat can damage your tire pressure sensors regardless of the type of tire being used (Runflat/radial).

I hate the idea of carrying a spare tire in the back of the car, taking up precious cargo/passenger space.

So it seems to me, if you insist in moving over to radials, you have no choice but to carry a spare donut tire.

 

That's not what I understood from the warning label.

 

The all season runflats that came with my MCS handled relatively poorly, were noisy and had relatively poor traction wet or dry. In all honesty I was disappointed with these aspects of my MINI and toyed with the idea of selling it. At 10,000 miles I replaced the runflats with a failry pedestrian set of normal radial tires - BF Goodrich g-Force Sports. The new tires made a remarkable difference in handling, traction, noise and were so much better all around, especially in wet conditions. It was like my MINI was reborn - like I finally had the car I'd bought!

And perhaps I'm just an oddity but I've never had a flat. Nor has my wife. We've both been driving for over 30 years, and we both drive at least 15,000 miles per year.

When I weigh the benefits of one type of tire versus the other it's apparent that for me non runflats are the way to go. I feel safer day to day, I'm more comfortable, and the car handles so much better that the difference between the two types of tires will very likely be the margin that allows me to avoid an accident. That compared to the minisucle possibility of having a flat tire is just no contest for me.

 

Why has nobody come up with a carbon-fibre Continetal kit?

 

I was thinking that too, but was afraid to suggest it.

Could go to a single side exhaust system and use the open side for a beneath-the-car spare. 'Course, like my Expedition, you'd have to remove it every couple years and have it re-mounted since it went flat and all the road grim laid in the bead separating the tire from the rim. Out of sight, out of mind.

 

I think you're correct on this one. My MA told me when I took delivery that the rotation speeds are measured, and if one tire's speed is faster than the others (less air in tire=>smaller circumference=> faster rotation,) it will turn on the warning light.

I'm guessing the Slime warning is specific to cars that have sensors built into their wheels. I think C5/C6 Corvettes (and Cadillac XLR's, come to think of it) use this wheel-mounted type of system.

 

There are NO SENSORS in a MINI wheel. It uses the ABS sensors to determine rotation.

As stated above, the fixaflat warming only applies to cars that use sensors mounted in the tire or on the rim.

 

You can mount a non run flat on a MINI rim (S Lite) with no issues.

I carry a can of fix a flat with me, have not had to use it.

Motorcycles types have had to deal with the issue of "no spare" since the invention of the motorcycle. It has not kept us from venturing more than walking distance from home. Solution: patch kit and a pump. I carry a few plugs and a small bicycle tire pump. have never had to use them, even on a 6000 mile trip. With the MINI you have the option to carry a small 12V compressor. Keep it all BMW with the "M" Mobility kit.