My MCS has Dunlop 16" runflats, which have about 5300 miles on them. The runflat light came on yesterday, so I stopped and looked at the tires, and checked the air pressure and they were all about the same. So I reset the tire pressure sensor and thought everything was fine.

Then this morning the light came on again as I was driving out of my driveway, AND when I rolled the window down, it sounded like I was running a studded winter tire on the driver's side rear.

This is not a drill! So I drove to a local Tiretown end explained the problem, only to hear, "Oh yeah, we've changed runflats. Never repaired one before!"

I said get the thing off, and let's see what happened. Evidently a 1" iron staple (and it was a biggun') had punctured it. And, they did in fact repair it, and I'm one happy.

Conclusion. I like my runflats. I drove about 15 miles to the tire place, and other than the noise (which disappeared when sufficiently loud Deftones was applied) I couldn't feel much difference in the driving quality.

 

I agree that runflats are a good thing. I had a 1 1/2" screw implanted in mine and was on the interstate on my way to work when my tire pressure light came on. The pressure was indeed down on my right rear tire and I filled it back up at a service station. I was able to go to work and come back again (60 miles) before I made it to the tire place. Granted, I did slow down a bit... But my runflat got repaired and I haven't had any problems with it since!

 

I also have the 16" Dunlop SP5000 runflats on my MCS, and have not had a problem with them (toc-toc-toc, knock on wood)!
I really do like the idea of runflats and the safety margin they deliver. I like the idea of not having to pull to the side of a busy interstate and change a tire in the emergency lane. I like the idea of not having to stop in a bad spot in the middle of the night somewhere. However, they do make the ride very, very stiff on our disastrous Texas roads, and I have pondered going to regular tires. I will probably keep thinking about it for a while. In general though, I think runflats are a great idea, and there is nothing wrong with them. What is wrong is the quality of roads here, simply abysmal.

 

My reccomendation when you see said light come on, stop, and top up the air pressure in the tire. This diameter counting indirect monitoring system, it warns of low inflation pressure. The heat the builds up under excessive deflection due to low air pressue, this can be the factor that makes run flat tire unusable. If your aware, and you can't repair, add air! .

Alex

 

Yea runflats are nice in the safety column but you won't like them so much when it comes to replaceing them, my dealer quoted a price of $298 a piece. Let's see that number times 4 is $1192. I will choose instead some ES Yokahama's with new lighter rims from tire rack and save about $300 (and that's for tires and rims!!)

 

>>Yea runflats are nice in the safety column but you won't like them so much when it comes to replaceing them, my dealer quoted a price of $298 a piece. Let's see that number times 4 is $1192. I will choose instead some ES Yokahama's with new lighter rims from tire rack and save about $300 (and that's for tires and rims!!)

Holy cannoly

My Dunlop runflats are available at around $130-140 each at online stores.

 

I've had a similarly positive runflat experience. Once the tire was actually repaired (it took taking it to a few places before someone was willing to try to repair it), it's held up well since. About 2500 miles.

I am a little wary of how long the repair will last. I just have this feeling in the back of my mind that I'm riding on damaged goods. Does anyone have any idea whether a patched runflat is really as good as new?

 

>>Yea runflats are nice in the safety column but you won't like them so much when it comes to replaceing them, my dealer quoted a price of $298 a piece. Let's see that number times 4 is $1192. I will choose instead some ES Yokahama's with new lighter rims from tire rack and save about $300 (and that's for tires and rims!!)

I have OE Pirelli Eufori's @ 163 ea!!! wow

Alex

 

>>I've had a similarly positive runflat experience. Once the tire was actually repaired (it took taking it to a few places before someone was willing to try to repair it), it's held up well since. About 2500 miles.
>>
>>I am a little wary of how long the repair will last. I just have this feeling in the back of my mind that I'm riding on damaged goods. Does anyone have any idea whether a patched runflat is really as good as new?

A punctured speed rated tire brings with it additional considerations. While some tire manufacturers "allow" a tire to retain its speed rating if a specified multi-step repair procedure is followed exactly, most tire manufacturers reason that since they have no control over the damage caused by the puncture or the quality of the repair, they can not confirm that the tire has retained its high speed capability. Therefore, their policy is that a punctured and repaired tire no longer retains its speed rating and should be treated as a non-speed rated tire.

Alex

 

I'm taking my runflat in today for another repair. Got some sort of spike in nearly the same spot I had a phillips head sheet metal screw. It's in the same tire too! I wonder if that makes a difference if I have two patch/plugs in the same tire??

 

>>Holy cannoly
>>
>>My Dunlop runflats are available at around $130-140 each at online stores.

Yea the dealer is inflated big time, Tirerack I think sells them for $163 which is still $70 more each than the Yok's

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Member #47

2002 Dark Silver Mini S white roof and mirrors with Premium and Sport pkgs.
He has come and his name is MINI ME

 

I priced tires recently just for kicks. As I recall the run flat option adds about $15.00 per tire. Can you confirm that Alex?

 

>>I priced tires recently just for kicks. As I recall the run flat option adds about $15.00 per tire. Can you confirm that Alex?
>>
$15 a tire... in instalation or tire price? Eufori is Runflat at $163 ea.

Alex

 

Alex, just curious, do you sell the Goodyear OE all season runflats (17&quot?

 

Goodyear Eagle RS-A emt is $214 each, and currently in stock

Alex

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>>I'm taking my runflat in today for another repair. Got some sort of spike in nearly the same spot I had a phillips head sheet metal screw. It's in the same tire too! I wonder if that makes a difference if I have two patch/plugs in the same tire??

OK, got back from the tire place. The nail pierced directly down the sidewall. It neither punctured into the inside nor outside of the tire. Robinhood-like in its accuracy. Being worried about any damage to the side wall I was contemplating getting it replaced. However the run-flats are very expensive and hard to find. Discount Tire did not have any. So then I thought about just replacing all 4 tires with AVES 100s from Discount Tire, they wanted 525 total. Not bad for 17". But would have to order them so I figured if they were ordered, I'd get them from TireRack due to Alex's constant attention he pays to the MCO. It goes a long way for a company's representative to spend so much of his time answering questions for people who may or may not shop with him. So before I called Alex, I researched as to the size and new wheels I'd be getting. I knew I had to get 16" for their performance factor over the 17" (debate for another thread...I think there's been a few). So after talking with Alex on the phone he held my hand thru the decision making process. He actually made it pretty easy compared to all the information and choices I was looking at on-line. So I got a 16" wheel and tire combo set-up. Then spur of the moment I bough one replacement Pirelli Euphori@ for 163 per Alex's post right here in this thread. Sure it'll be one new tire with three tires with 10K on them. But I have two choices. I can sell the stock XLite 8 spoke white wheels with the four runflats and make back some of what I spent today. Or I can simply keep them for trips or special occasions. I'm really not sure yet what I'll do. I'm really not sure if the run-flat with the nail removed will hold up over the next few days while I await my new shoes. Or maybe there's no concern at all and the tire has lots of good motoring left in it. Better to play it safe, eh? Thanks again Alex for being supportive and informative in both the phone call today and from all your efforts here on the MCO!