Run Flat Tires

Hi,
I have a 335i Conv 08. Absolutely lovin it. Anyways, just got a screw in my rear tire. Dealer said they would not fix it, the only option is replacing it for $558!!
Then the dealer suggested me taking it to Discount Tire. Discount tire fixed it in 30 mins for FREE.
Just wanted to know, if anyone fixed the run flats and if they had any issues with that ( after having it fixed)? Once the tires wear out, is there an issue with getting non-run flats? They are a lot cheaper than what I have now.
Thanks,
Erfan

I had a screw in one of my RFT's 4 months ago. I called my dealer and got a similar response. So I dug into it. Here's what I learned.

It's OK to repair a RFT if the nail/screw isn't near the edge AND the tire hasn't been driven with little or no pressure. The problem is that a repair shop can't tell if you've driven with little or no pressure in a RFT like they can with an ordinary tire. So the safest thing for them to do is refuse to fix them. Some independent shops will fix them. In my case, the TPMS warned me about the low tire but the pressure never dropped below 28 psi. I fixed the RFT and it's been fine for 4 months.

These tires are really expensive. If your car is a lease, I would try to get it fixed first. If you decide to buy a regular tire, you won't have a spare when you really need it.

Originally Posted by scanbek

These tires are really expensive. If your car is a lease, I would try to get it fixed first. If you decide to buy a regular tire, you won't have a spare when you really need it.

Does anybody have replace their runflats with normal tires? I´ve been reading on some forums and there are more arguments on changing the Runflats to normal tires (less weight, they can be fixed, the last longer, the gas milage is better) than the opposite.

If you have a Firestone shop near you, ask for a quote. RFT version should run you about $340 with installation.(what I paid for) Or you can order the tire from tirerack.com at about the same cost, but you still need to get it installed.

Keep in mind that regardless of the tire, anything more than a nail or screw in the middle of the tire compromises the tire. At that point, you just need to toss the tire. If you can safely fix and reuse the tire, great. But only use the tire for street use. NO TRACK.
RFT's are great for keeping you going until you can get somewhere safe. That's the plus side to them. After that, there's nothing good about them. They're heavy, noisy, and extremely expensive. Many people either ditch them put on non-RFT's or else they get the RFTs regrooved.
If you're concerned about not having the spare, you have 2 options. One: buy a can of fix-a-flat tire gel and keep a small emergency air compressor in your car. BMW has a kit that they put in my E46 M3 that has both integrated together and it works.
Option Two: for the price of one RFT, you can buy an aftermarket 17" wheel and a cheap tire (like Kumho, General, or Fuzion) and keep it in your trunk. BMW sells a jack kit that you can keep in your trun with the tire and wheel setup. Otherwise, go to Sears and buy a small jack and tire iron/T-bar and keep it in your car. Still cheaper than buying a RFT. I did this for long trips in case of emergency.

Originally Posted by scanbek

These tires are really expensive. If your car is a lease, I would try to get it fixed first. If you decide to buy a regular tire, you won't have a spare when you really need it.

unless you buy a spare and tote it around haha

your best bet would just be to keep the rft's and get them fixed, i have tire insurance and it def is something to think about if you live in a nail-ey or screw-ey city haha

I read in the Brigstone site that you can repair the Runflats if you have the problem in the running surface. You can not repair the rft if the problem is on the sides of the tire. Also a condition is that you have not run the tire without air pressure.
I got a nail in one tire and I repaired it about 3 moths ago and I hadnt no problem so far.