Run-Flat tire questions

bthienthai · 08-28-2007, 12:34 AM

Hi guys,
I'm planning to buy a new 2008 328i in a few months. But I heard about some people complaining about their ride being rough because of the tires. I then did some research on the topic and read a lot of posts in a forum on Edmund, I think. It kind of scared the heck out of me. Since you guys already own the cars, can you tell me if that's the truth, that the tires are going to wear out quickly and that it's not a smooth ride when the tires are RFT? I want to know if all owners have that kind of experience or just only a few.
Thanks.

Kamando · 08-28-2007, 06:47 AM

I have not had any issue with the RFT's at all. I think it depends on the condition of the road you are driving on more than anything else. On the nice smooth roads and autobahns here the RFT's work just fine. Even on the cobblestone streets in the old towns it is nothing to whine and complain about. Once I go back to the US and some of the poorly upkept roads there Im sure it will be a bit rougher but Im not too worried. Unless you frequent the really bad roads I think you will be fine with the RFT's. As for longevity of the tire itself I have not had any issues with the tire wearing out excessively yet, but I have been able to spread the mileage between the RFT's and my winter tires which helps a lot. The treadwear is lower than most tires but so far they are still going strong even with the pretty much daily high speed trips down the autobahn. Overall I am content with my RFT's to this point.

gthal · 08-28-2007, 08:49 AM

I have the Continental RFTs on my 328i and they are quiet and relatively smooth. No complaints at all. I live in Canada so our roads are even worse than our neighbors to the south (at least my experience indicates that) and the Continentals deal with the potholes and ruts just fine.

They have a 400 tread wear so I would bet they will wear relatively well. I think the concerns on the BMW were with the old Bridgestone Turanza's.

Firefly6 · 08-28-2007, 09:14 AM

My 330xi came with the Bridgestones. After about 9000 miles my experience is a mixed bag. The ride is fine until I hit a buckled expansion joint or a recessed manhole cover (Manhattan has it's share) The stiff sidewalls don't absorb small sharply angled hazards, so you feel a "bang." Scares the hell out of your passengers. I once had a full bottle of water in the dash "cupholder" which shot straight up about 4" -- about the depth of the recessed manhole cover I drove over. As for the run-flat capability - it came in handy when I got caught in a sudden rainstorm, punctured a tire on some debris that washed out from the side of the FDR Drive. The cost to replace (they are not supposed to be plugged) was over $200 but it beat being sidelined on the Harlem River Drive in the pouring rain. No signs of significant wear, but the noise is starting to annoy me. And a rough sensation at lower speeds - like I have sand in my wheel bearings.

F32Fleet · 08-28-2007, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bthienthai

Hi guys,
I'm planning to buy a new 2008 328i in a few months. But I heard about some people complaining about their ride being rough because of the tires. I then did some research on the topic and read a lot of posts in a forum on Edmund, I think. It kind of scared the heck out of me. Since you guys already own the cars, can you tell me if that's the truth, that the tires are going to wear out quickly and that it's not a smooth ride when the tires are RFT? I want to know if all owners have that kind of experience or just only a few.
Thanks.

No probs. Biggest grip is from lack of options and or/spare tire (more on that later). Only 1 or 2 manufactures make RFT's in our tire sizes so that really pisses off the modders. Read up on the treadwear rating and compare with similiar non-RFT's.

What I find absoultely hilarous is reading threads about the lack of spare on the E90/92/93, and then in the same breath praise the M3 or any M car since they don't have sparse and are not shod with RFTs!!!. Go figure.

bthienthai · 08-28-2007, 09:47 AM

These kind of negative experiences are what worried me...I suppose we can replace them RFT with regular tires and put one spare in the trunk? I know it'll take up space, but that'll beat the unpleasant ordeal that you have to go through with RFT....

ZBMW · 08-28-2007, 11:12 AM

So far the Bridgestone runflats have been great. Over 6000 miles and no problems. They do very well on the track as befits a high performance soft tire. The complaints I have heard relate more to lack of experience with them than to actual faults in their performance.
I think the tradeoff for eliminating the spare is more than made up by the large amount of trunk space it allows. I use the trunk a lot - I would use a spare maybe two or three times in the cars life.

DPritchett · 08-28-2007, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bthienthai

Hi guys,
I'm planning to buy a new 2008 328i in a few months. But I heard about some people complaining about their ride being rough because of the tires. .. Since you guys already own the cars, can you tell me if that's the truth, that the tires are going to wear out quickly and that it's not a smooth ride when the tires are RFT? I want to know if all owners have that kind of experience or just only a few.
Thanks.

As you can tell, some people HATE the RFTs. I was concerned when I read all the comments too, but after a test drive ... well, I'm here as a BMW owner. It seems like people get better results from the Continentals than the Bridgestones. You might want to ask them to change if the car your looking at has the Bridgestones.

I have about 8800 miles on mine, with no appreciable tread wear. I do have some feathering on the front tires. The ride is noisy on some, but not all road surfaces. I don't think I will replace the Bridgestones with the same tire whenever that time comes for me. If that was today, I'd go with either the Contiennetal (also cheaper)or a non-RFT.

But, go figure ... there was an article about technology in cars in the Wall Street Journal a few days ago, and RFTs are in the top 3 things JD Power says consumers want to see in cars (tech features are not that much in demand).

jbblack · 08-28-2007, 12:53 PM

I have a 2006 E90 330 XI. It came with Bridgestone run-flats. After spending most of the year listening to excessive tire noise I discovered that the tires had become unsafe at 18,000 miles. NO TREAD on the inside of the front tires (almost to the core). The rear were almost as bad. BMW with their "service bulletin" offered to replace them for $600 out of my pocket.

I went to Firestone for Potenza RE960AS Pole Position high performance all weather - NON RUN FLAT TIRES. My BMW is now driving like I always thought it should. No more bumps that toss you to the roof of the car.

The cost was about $65 over what BMW was going to sell me the run-flats for. I also got a tire with a mileage warranty of 40,000 miles and road hazard insurance which is not offered with the Bridgestone run flats. Also any Firestone dealer will rotate,repair or replace at no charge under the road hazard insurance. Run flats are not to be fixed if you get a nail in the tire, that will run you over $200 at a dealer.

I ordered a spare from ZLeather and it should be here this week.

I have been driving for years and years and the Bridgestone run flats are the worst tire I have ever had on a car.

Be of good cheer,
Jeff

Tonybest · 08-28-2007, 01:09 PM

I have the bridgestones and frankly can't find anything wrong about them. I was also worried reading posts. I don't want to say that thes posters are exagerating or making this sh*t up. Because I believe what they say is true in their specific cases. But do remember that negative feedback will always outnumber by alot, the positive ones. People that are happy don't tend to say it on a forum. They just go ahead and enjoy... While most people who have experienced a bad thing will most probably post it right away.

Have a nice day

MikeDLA · 08-29-2007, 12:20 AM

What's the deal with the TPM system when you replace RFTs with non-RFTs - does the computer system freak out looking for tire pressure data?

Noob question... thanks for any clarification

Mike

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbblack

I have a 2006 E90 330 XI. It came with Bridgestone run-flats. After spending most of the year listening to excessive tire noise I discovered that the tires had become unsafe at 18,000 miles. NO TREAD on the inside of the front tires (almost to the core). The rear were almost as bad. BMW with their "service bulletin" offered to replace them for $600 out of my pocket.

I went to Firestone for Potenza RE960AS Pole Position high performance all weather - NON RUN FLAT TIRES. My BMW is now driving like I always thought it should. No more bumps that toss you to the roof of the car.

The cost was about $65 over what BMW was going to sell me the run-flats for. I also got a tire with a mileage warranty of 40,000 miles and road hazard insurance which is not offered with the Bridgestone run flats. Also any Firestone dealer will rotate,repair or replace at no charge under the road hazard insurance. Run flats are not to be fixed if you get a nail in the tire, that will run you over $200 at a dealer.

I ordered a spare from ZLeather and it should be here this week.

I have been driving for years and years and the Bridgestone run flats are the worst tire I have ever had on a car.

Be of good cheer,
Jeff

jbblack · 08-29-2007, 02:38 PM

From a Technology Report:

BMW uses an indirect-measurement system called the Tire Pressure Monitor (TPM) on the 2001 to 2002 M3, 2003 3-Series and 7-Series and the Z4 roadster. BMW’s TPM was formerly referred to as the Flat Tire Monitor (FTM). The system can be reset or initialized using the FTM switch on the dash. In the event of a tire pressure warning light, all tire inflation pressures must be checked manually and, if possible, set to the tire pressure recommendations in the owner’s handbook. Here is the procedure:
1. Inflate all tires to the correct pressure.
2. In key-on/engine-off (KOEO) mode, press the FTM button until the warning light turns on.
3. Continue pressing the button until the light goes out.
4. After driving in a straight line a few minutes, the FTM system will accept the corrected inflation pressure as the value to measure against.

From the E90 manual (Non I Drive)
Initializing the system
The initialization is completed during driving,
which can be interrupted at any time.
When driving resumes, the initialization is continued
automatically.
Do not initialize the system while snow chains
are attached.<
1. Start the engine immediately before pulling
away, but do not drive off yet.
2. Lightly push button 1 in the turn indicator
stalk repeatedly up or down until the appropriate
symbol appears in the display,
accompanied by the word "INIT".
3. Press button 2 to confirm your choice of the
Flat Tire Monitor.
4. Press button 2 and hold it down for approx.
5 seconds, until the reading shown below is
displayed.
5. Start to drive.
Initialization is completed while the car is on
the move, without any feedback.
Indication of a flat tire
The warning lamps come on in yellow
and red. In addition, an acoustic signal
sounds. There is a flat tire or substantial
loss of tire pressure.
1. Cautiously reduce speed to below 50 mph
or 80 km/h. Avoid sudden braking and

Sorry no pictures.
I understand that it is different for 335, that uses a monitor on the tire.
Hope this helps, or atleast points you in the right direction.
Cheers,
Jeff

cl2990 · 09-02-2007, 01:21 PM

my only complaint about the run flats is that you can't patch them and they were 500 a piece for me to replace. I unknowingly patched my first flat and it blew out while i was driving.

niralpatel80 · 09-04-2007, 10:53 AM

by reading all this...
Is it true that we can fit Non-Run-Flat tires on those rims that actually came from bmw with Run-Flat tires? I have the 18" one that comes with 07 sports pkg.

I heard some one telling me that we cant fit Non-Run-Flat on a Run-Flat Rims..

HighlandPete · 09-05-2007, 05:29 PM

I had Bridgestone Potenza's on my E91. Awful tyres. Premature stepped and 'heel and toe' wear. (Not a pressure issue). Driving ruined, skitter, bump steer, tug steer, crashing of suspension and noise. Goodyear F1's... what a BMW should be. Fitted to genuine E90/1 rim set. No issues if you go RFT to normal rubber. It is the RFT's that need the improved rim bead.

HighlandPete

Revlis · 09-05-2007, 05:33 PM

RFTs are by no means the end of the world. But they do lack compliance and feel. I believe Bridgestone to pretty much be the worst tires on the market however and their RFTs did little to convince me otherwise.

ENINTY · 09-06-2007, 12:59 PM

I've been grappling with the RFT issue myself. I have a 325i with sports package and Bridgestone RE50s. I've been able to get almost 23K miles out of my tires, but they have been very noisy since about 12K (thank God for the good stereo). I think the tread wear is lousy, but they do stick like glue. It's a trade off between performance and wear. I haven't had a problem regarding the ride too much, but the local roads I drive are in good shape.

There are only three RFT tires for the OEM 17" sports package wheel, which are the Bridgestones, Pirelli's, or Contentials. The rear Continetials are on back order, a local place I called told me the rears are no long available, but the Tirerack, just today, said they had no info that size was no longer manufactured and anticipated getting them in soon.

If I had a preferance I'd wish the E90 had regular tires and a spare. I really think they put the RFTs on the cars to avoid all the change-my-flat calls they get under the free 50,000 mile roadside assistance.

I think I'm going to go with non-RFTs and the Contential tire repair kit the Tirerack sells.

08-28-2007, 12:34 AM	#1
bthienthai Banned 3 Rep 64 Posts Drives: bimmer Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: LA iTrader: (1)	Run-Flat tire questions Hi guys, I'm planning to buy a new 2008 328i in a few months. But I heard about some people complaining about their ride being rough because of the tires. I then did some research on the topic and read a lot of posts in a forum on Edmund, I think. It kind of scared the heck out of me. Since you guys already own the cars, can you tell me if that's the truth, that the tires are going to wear out quickly and that it's not a smooth ride when the tires are RFT? I want to know if all owners have that kind of experience or just only a few. Thanks.
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08-28-2007, 06:47 AM	#2
Kamando Captain 57 Rep 617 Posts Drives: - Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: - iTrader: (3)	I have not had any issue with the RFT's at all. I think it depends on the condition of the road you are driving on more than anything else. On the nice smooth roads and autobahns here the RFT's work just fine. Even on the cobblestone streets in the old towns it is nothing to whine and complain about. Once I go back to the US and some of the poorly upkept roads there Im sure it will be a bit rougher but Im not too worried. Unless you frequent the really bad roads I think you will be fine with the RFT's. As for longevity of the tire itself I have not had any issues with the tire wearing out excessively yet, but I have been able to spread the mileage between the RFT's and my winter tires which helps a lot. The treadwear is lower than most tires but so far they are still going strong even with the pretty much daily high speed trips down the autobahn. Overall I am content with my RFT's to this point.
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08-28-2007, 08:49 AM	#3
gthal Major General 1909 Rep 5,678 Posts Drives: 2018 340i xDrive Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Canada iTrader: (2)	I have the Continental RFTs on my 328i and they are quiet and relatively smooth. No complaints at all. I live in Canada so our roads are even worse than our neighbors to the south (at least my experience indicates that) and the Continentals deal with the potholes and ruts just fine. They have a 400 tread wear so I would bet they will wear relatively well. I think the concerns on the BMW were with the old Bridgestone Turanza's. __________________ 2020 X3 M40i \| Black \| Current DD 2020 C8 Corvette \| Z51 \| Torch Red ... built and waiting for delivery 2016 M2 \| Long Beach Blue \| 6MT 2015 M4 \| Austin Yellow \| DCT 2012 MB C63AMG \| 2011 E92 M3 \| 2010 E92 M3
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08-28-2007, 09:14 AM	#4
Firefly6 Lieutenant 13 Rep 412 Posts Drives: 2018 330i Xdrive Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: New Jersey iTrader: (2)	My 330xi came with the Bridgestones. After about 9000 miles my experience is a mixed bag. The ride is fine until I hit a buckled expansion joint or a recessed manhole cover (Manhattan has it's share) The stiff sidewalls don't absorb small sharply angled hazards, so you feel a "bang." Scares the hell out of your passengers. I once had a full bottle of water in the dash "cupholder" which shot straight up about 4" -- about the depth of the recessed manhole cover I drove over. As for the run-flat capability - it came in handy when I got caught in a sudden rainstorm, punctured a tire on some debris that washed out from the side of the FDR Drive. The cost to replace (they are not supposed to be plugged) was over $200 but it beat being sidelined on the Harlem River Drive in the pouring rain. No signs of significant wear, but the noise is starting to annoy me. And a rough sensation at lower speeds - like I have sand in my wheel bearings.
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08-28-2007, 09:47 AM	#6
bthienthai Banned 3 Rep 64 Posts Drives: bimmer Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: LA iTrader: (1)	These kind of negative experiences are what worried me...I suppose we can replace them RFT with regular tires and put one spare in the trunk? I know it'll take up space, but that'll beat the unpleasant ordeal that you have to go through with RFT....
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08-28-2007, 11:12 AM	#7
ZBMW Black Forest Bimmerphile 2 Rep 137 Posts Drives: 2007 335i Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Colorado iTrader: (1)	So far the Bridgestone runflats have been great. Over 6000 miles and no problems. They do very well on the track as befits a high performance soft tire. The complaints I have heard relate more to lack of experience with them than to actual faults in their performance. I think the tradeoff for eliminating the spare is more than made up by the large amount of trunk space it allows. I use the trunk a lot - I would use a spare maybe two or three times in the cars life.
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08-28-2007, 12:53 PM	#9
jbblack New Member 1 Rep 17 Posts Drives: E-90 330xi Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Reno, NV iTrader: (0)	run run flat bald I have a 2006 E90 330 XI. It came with Bridgestone run-flats. After spending most of the year listening to excessive tire noise I discovered that the tires had become unsafe at 18,000 miles. NO TREAD on the inside of the front tires (almost to the core). The rear were almost as bad. BMW with their "service bulletin" offered to replace them for $600 out of my pocket. I went to Firestone for Potenza RE960AS Pole Position high performance all weather - NON RUN FLAT TIRES. My BMW is now driving like I always thought it should. No more bumps that toss you to the roof of the car. The cost was about $65 over what BMW was going to sell me the run-flats for. I also got a tire with a mileage warranty of 40,000 miles and road hazard insurance which is not offered with the Bridgestone run flats. Also any Firestone dealer will rotate,repair or replace at no charge under the road hazard insurance. Run flats are not to be fixed if you get a nail in the tire, that will run you over $200 at a dealer. I ordered a spare from ZLeather and it should be here this week. I have been driving for years and years and the Bridgestone run flats are the worst tire I have ever had on a car. Be of good cheer, Jeff
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08-28-2007, 01:09 PM	#10
Tonybest Enrollment Officer 117 Rep 5,014 Posts Drives: 997.2 Porsche C4S Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Montreal, Qc. iTrader: (2)	I have the bridgestones and frankly can't find anything wrong about them. I was also worried reading posts. I don't want to say that thes posters are exagerating or making this sh*t up. Because I believe what they say is true in their specific cases. But do remember that negative feedback will always outnumber by alot, the positive ones. People that are happy don't tend to say it on a forum. They just go ahead and enjoy... While most people who have experienced a bad thing will most probably post it right away. Have a nice day
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08-29-2007, 02:38 PM	#12
jbblack New Member 1 Rep 17 Posts Drives: E-90 330xi Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Reno, NV iTrader: (0)	TPM system From a Technology Report: BMW uses an indirect-measurement system called the Tire Pressure Monitor (TPM) on the 2001 to 2002 M3, 2003 3-Series and 7-Series and the Z4 roadster. BMW’s TPM was formerly referred to as the Flat Tire Monitor (FTM). The system can be reset or initialized using the FTM switch on the dash. In the event of a tire pressure warning light, all tire inflation pressures must be checked manually and, if possible, set to the tire pressure recommendations in the owner’s handbook. Here is the procedure: 1. Inflate all tires to the correct pressure. 2. In key-on/engine-off (KOEO) mode, press the FTM button until the warning light turns on. 3. Continue pressing the button until the light goes out. 4. After driving in a straight line a few minutes, the FTM system will accept the corrected inflation pressure as the value to measure against. From the E90 manual (Non I Drive) Initializing the system The initialization is completed during driving, which can be interrupted at any time. When driving resumes, the initialization is continued automatically. Do not initialize the system while snow chains are attached.< 1. Start the engine immediately before pulling away, but do not drive off yet. 2. Lightly push button 1 in the turn indicator stalk repeatedly up or down until the appropriate symbol appears in the display, accompanied by the word "INIT". 3. Press button 2 to confirm your choice of the Flat Tire Monitor. 4. Press button 2 and hold it down for approx. 5 seconds, until the reading shown below is displayed. 5. Start to drive. Initialization is completed while the car is on the move, without any feedback. Indication of a flat tire The warning lamps come on in yellow and red. In addition, an acoustic signal sounds. There is a flat tire or substantial loss of tire pressure. 1. Cautiously reduce speed to below 50 mph or 80 km/h. Avoid sudden braking and Sorry no pictures. I understand that it is different for 335, that uses a monitor on the tire. Hope this helps, or atleast points you in the right direction. Cheers, Jeff
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09-02-2007, 01:21 PM	#13
cl2990 New Member 0 Rep 14 Posts Drives: jet black '07 335i sport pkg Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Los Angeles, CA iTrader: (0)	my only complaint about the run flats is that you can't patch them and they were 500 a piece for me to replace. I unknowingly patched my first flat and it blew out while i was driving.
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09-04-2007, 10:53 AM	#14
niralpatel80 I335 3 Rep 36 Posts Drives: 335XI 4dr Prm Spt Cld wthr Pkg Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: NY iTrader: (0)	by reading all this... Is it true that we can fit Non-Run-Flat tires on those rims that actually came from bmw with Run-Flat tires? I have the 18" one that comes with 07 sports pkg. I heard some one telling me that we cant fit Non-Run-Flat on a Run-Flat Rims..
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09-05-2007, 05:29 PM	#15
HighlandPete Lieutenant General 6550 Rep 15,857 Posts Drives: BMW F11 535i Touring Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Scotland, Highland Region iTrader: (0)	I had Bridgestone Potenza's on my E91. Awful tyres. Premature stepped and 'heel and toe' wear. (Not a pressure issue). Driving ruined, skitter, bump steer, tug steer, crashing of suspension and noise. Goodyear F1's... what a BMW should be. Fitted to genuine E90/1 rim set. No issues if you go RFT to normal rubber. It is the RFT's that need the improved rim bead. HighlandPete
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09-05-2007, 05:33 PM	#16
Revlis Now With 33% MORE Sarcasm Free! 162 Rep 3,462 Posts Drives: M4 i3 X3 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Phoenix AZ iTrader: (0)	RFTs are by no means the end of the world. But they do lack compliance and feel. I believe Bridgestone to pretty much be the worst tires on the market however and their RFTs did little to convince me otherwise. __________________ A BMW is Just a Car, it doesn't make you smart, handsome, clever, better, cool, or wealthy.
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09-06-2007, 12:59 PM	#17
ENINTY Banned 184 Rep 3,415 Posts Drives: 2006 325i Sport Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	I've been grappling with the RFT issue myself. I have a 325i with sports package and Bridgestone RE50s. I've been able to get almost 23K miles out of my tires, but they have been very noisy since about 12K (thank God for the good stereo). I think the tread wear is lousy, but they do stick like glue. It's a trade off between performance and wear. I haven't had a problem regarding the ride too much, but the local roads I drive are in good shape. There are only three RFT tires for the OEM 17" sports package wheel, which are the Bridgestones, Pirelli's, or Contentials. The rear Continetials are on back order, a local place I called told me the rears are no long available, but the Tirerack, just today, said they had no info that size was no longer manufactured and anticipated getting them in soon. If I had a preferance I'd wish the E90 had regular tires and a spare. I really think they put the RFTs on the cars to avoid all the change-my-flat calls they get under the free 50,000 mile roadside assistance. I think I'm going to go with non-RFTs and the Contential tire repair kit the Tirerack sells.
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