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I've decided I'm going to get some winter tyres for our 3 series in the next month or so as temperatures start to drop. Previously I've just risked it and put non run flat winters on an old 3 series I had and popped a jack, inflator, gunk, repair, etc. type equipment in the boot in case of emergencies. However, this time I'm minded to get run-flat winters in order to reduce the risk of being stranded by a puncture and general faff.
Is anyone using full winter run-flats? If so, which ones have you got? I've priced them up and for 19's they are eye-wateringly expensive (still cheaper than buying 18's AND tyres) so I'm after some real world experience before I plump for the new boots.
Cheers
Nick
Can't speak for the 3 but my old 5 touring had runflats - I bought a spare (about £200 for the kit from BMW) and swapped to regular tyres as they wore out.
An option?
Aye, that's an option, cheers. Thing is, the boot on the 3 saloon whilst decent isn't exactly cavernous.. I could probably put up with a space saver in there for the winter but certainly not all year. It beggars belief how common it is not to have a spare on a modern car!
Out of interest, when was the last time you had a proper puncture in the car?
I'll be honest and say never in many years of driving (apart from when I caught a kerb and it pushed the tyre off the rim).
Run flats generally harm the ride quality of the car and usually heavier. Every car I've had has had a proper spare (not space saver) so never considered run flats.
It was a loooong time ago so granted it is pretty uncommon. The newer run-flats are much better but still a bit harsher than the non-RFT eqivalent and obviously more expensive!
Just be aware that some insurers require you to advise them if you change to winter tyres.
Crazy, but true.
I've run Bridgestone Blizzack although on 16s and they have been fine, no dramas at all.
Also running currently Goodyear Ultragrip 8s on 17s and they have again be spot on.
I picked up a really cheap set of alloys (17s) that had just been refurbed for about £120 so it didn't make sense to get 18s and swap the tyres.
I run 205/55 R16 Yokohama W-Drive RFs on steel wheels for winter but they won't be going on until mid November-ish. They replace the standard 225/45 R17 Driveguard RFs on the alloys. I think they're OK, but haven't tried any others and TBH they're so different from the OP's size I don't think my experience (such as it is) is much use.
And really, if I hadn't got them with the car I don't think I'd bother with winters at all. I live in the SW and although I typically drive to the Lakes, North Yorks and Scotland a few times over winter I'd be happy running something like CrossClimates or Vector 4Seasons on a single set of wheels all year. If the weather really requires full-on winter tyres I'm staying home.
Out of interest, when was the last time you had a proper puncture in the car?
Here's a scenario - get up in the morning, walk outside and realise you've got a flat. Drive to the garage on your runflat tyres and ask them to repair your puncture. They refuse as you've driven on the tyre while deflated and charge you £200 for a replacement.
To quote from Kwik-fit:
Can I get mine repaired?
In short, the answer to this is almost certainly not. The vast majority of tyre technicians won’t agree to repair a run flat; instead, they’ll offer to replace it.
...or National Tyres:
Can Run Flat tyres be repaired?
In line with most leading tyre retailers, National Tyres will not repair a run flat tyre following a puncture.
...so that simple puncture which would have cost £20 for a normal tyre has ended up costing you way, way more for your run-flat. As a note, this is a specifically UK thing. In Germany where run-flats are far more common, repairs are generally performed, but over here you'll be lucky to find anyone who will do it for you.
Obviously punctures aren't that common, but you can bet your money that, when you do have a puncture, you'll be in the middle of nowhere or, like me last one, be stood looking at a tyre with a 6" gash in the sidewall. Fortunately, that car had a spare so I was back up and running in 15 minutes. Had I not, you can bet that I'd have been stood at the side of the road for the rest of the afternoon.
Sorry, but I think that runflat tyres and cans of gas are the single, stupidest idea to come into motoring in the last 20 years.
Thank you for the responses all. I'm very diligent when it comes to notifying insurers so will definitely call them when the time comes (I was bitten quite badly by some void insurance many moons ago).
I'll have a look at the brands/models of tyres noted above thanks. I would definitely consider smaller steel wheels if it wasn't for the big m sport+ brake calipers. Some people on the motoring forums are even saying there are clearance issues on certain 18 inch alloys.
Just be aware that some insurers require you to advise them if you change to winter tyres.
Crazy, but true.
True, but it's worth pointing out that nearly all mainstream insurers do not! Only three insurers on that list actually require it and I suspect that, even here, they would be very hard pressed to justify refusing a claim on the basis of winter tyres having been fitted to a car.
Completely agree Daern - the thing that winds me up about the 3 series specifically is there is actually a good amount of space under the boot floor to stow things.. but it's completely the wrong shape for a spare! Volume wise it's probably adequate which is really frustrating as with a bit of thought they could have engineered the space so it was at least an option. The last car I had with a full size spare was a 2004 VW Passat.
the thing that winds me up about the 3 series specifically is there is actually a good amount of space under the boot floor to stow things.. but it’s completely the wrong shape for a spare!
With my old 5 series, the kit came with a replacement boot liner carpet that replaced the original one which also wouldn't have accepted a spare. I've never had a 3 series so can't comment, but is it possible that it's the same?
I've had run flats repaired as per a normal tyre
My local fitter had no worries removing a screw in the tread and patching it
I don't think it's a possibility on the 3 saloon - it would need to raise the floor an awful lot accommodate a spare given the useless square shaped void under the standard floor.
That's interesting Alan - I always assumed it was possible as I thought it was only the sidewalls that differ.
Out of interest, when was the last time you had a proper puncture in the car?
This morning.
Occupational hazard when you routinely drive onto building sites.
Kuhmo winter runflats on my 3 series touring
got them for £100 each, the tyre place I use swap them for no charge, and store the set I’m not using.
As for real world experience. Our road is flat by us but has a good incline to the junction at the end. When it snowed heavily this year I was able to easily get my car out, the good lady in her front wheel drive, on summer tyres couldn’t get up the hill.
Oh, and I’ve had a run flat repaired, had a screw in a tyre, right in the middle. Mended no question.
If you drive a distance on them, or out the jizz in them to reseal a hole I believe that’s a different matter.
The thing with the run flats is if you run on them when flat/punctured for a distance and at moderate speed, the sidewalls will degrade and the tyre will then be unrepairable.
But that's the same with a standard tyre, albeit you wouldn't probably be able to run it flat without causing other damage.
If the issue (hole, screw, nail) is in the main part of the tread and can be repaired with a plug patch then there should be no reason not to repair it, just like a conventional tyre. Similarly if the issue is in a place that you couldn't repair a conventional tyre then the run flat wont be repairable either.
I had read that run-flats couldn't/wouldn't be repaired, but that is obviously not the case and mine was only a tenner too. Bonus.
But that’s the same with a standard tyre, albeit you wouldn’t probably be able to run it flat without causing other damage.
...of course, with a standard tyre you would hopefully have a spare so wouldn't need to drive on it while deflated.
I had read that run-flats couldn’t/wouldn’t be repaired, but that is obviously not the case and mine was only a tenner too. Bonus.
I was only quoting from the various websites of the major UK retailers:
Kwik-fit: "Almost certainly not"
National Tyres: "Will not repair run-flats"
ATS Euromaster: "Will repair, where possible"
Halfords: "For safety reasons, we do not repair punctured or damaged run flat tyres"
I am pretty sure that you will be able to find other, probably non-chain, tyre repair centres that will repair them but it's probably worth steering clear of the mainstream. I'm sure it's down to a combination of profiteering (make more money selling tyres than fixing them) and the poorly trained staff that they use, who may not have the skills that are needed to repair a non-standard tyre.
This is an interesting website which summarises it by some of the major tyre manufacturers:
https://www.bushtyres.co.uk/tyre-news/can-you-repair-run-flat-tyres
Continental and Pirelli are both reported as non-repairable according to the manufacturers.
Just for reference the tyre I had repaired was a Pirelli P-Zero, so whilst the manufactures state they are not repairable, I had it successfully repaired and managed to get another ~15K miles of it.
The tyres were run until they were worn out/ready for changing and I opted for non run flat Goodyears as a replacement.
Daern - I agree that the information out there all points to run flats not being repairable and certainly the big chains don't want to know, but (as you say) if you find a reputable trust-worthy indi then you shouldn't have any problems getting them repaired if the circumstances are right for a repair.
I’ve had run flats repaired as per a normal tyre
My local fitter had no worries removing a screw in the tread and patching it
Me too, on the A1 south of Newcastle, by an AA-contracted dude.
to not repair runflats is just profiteering dressed up as lititgation-paranoia, frm my reading into it.
I'm not a big fan of runflat tyres but if that whining bell end Cadogan hates them maybe they're not all bad.