Lucky escape

For the M Powered Z3 derivatives
Post Reply
Tilly
Joined: Wed 26 May, 2004 19:45
Posts: 439

  M roadster S50
Location: Sussex

Lucky escape

Post by Tilly »

Yesterday was sunny warm day so I decided to take the car for a run. However, I had first to drive to the garden centre to buy some wasp deterrent. The centre is about 3 miles from the house. A leisurely drive over no problems.
On leaving the centre, after about 400 metres in a 30M.P.H zone, I heard an ominous rumble from the rear. Luckily there was a bus lay-by a few yards ahead. On inspection, the off side rear tyre was completely flat.
I applied tyre sealant and tried to inflate with the compressor. There was only very limited success with inflation. I felt the tyre surfaces and I could not feel any sharp object. I therefore decided to drive home very slowly with hazards on.
At home the tyre was completely flat and now the side wall looked badly rubbed. Again trying to inflate so I could get to my Local Euromaster, about a mile away, I could heard the air escaping and I could get no pressure in the tyre. I could took the wheel off and went to Euromaster. On removing and checking the tyre they said that the inner wall looked like it had been damaged by a pothole and a sudden catastrophic failure had occurred. The wheel had not been affected. The damage must have happened before I took out the car yesterday. The tyres had been replaced just over three years ago and had travelled just under 11000 miles. They were, as originally fitted, Goodyear F1's. The garage put a spare tyre on the wheel so I could refit it and then drive the car slowly down to the centre. I have ordered two new rears which have to be collected from Somerset which will take 4-5 days.
If this failure had occurred at speed, although it was a rear, the consequences could have been severe. Having just returned from Germany you can really see how poorly our roads are being maintained and how easily it is to damage tyres and wheels.
abh29
Joined: Wed 06 Jun, 2012 09:48
Posts: 32

  Z3 roadster 2.2i

Re: Lucky escape

Post by abh29 »

Daughter recently swapped her A3 for a Mini Cooper Countryman.
A few days later heading home hit a pothole , but while tyre damaged she was able to get 60 miles home, and drive to dealer next morning to get new tyre fitted, unfortunate as tyre was as new.
She now asks why all cars are not on RunFlats.
Must add the wheels look great not sure if genuine splits or imitation but look very nice.
Z3 2.2 Sport Silver
X1
User avatar
Koolflyer
Joined: Fri 05 Jul, 2013 15:51
Posts: 586

  Z3 roadster 2.8

Re: Lucky escape

Post by Koolflyer »

The Zed and I have just come back from France, and as soon as you hit the UK roads you are faced with uneven surfaces and potholes. They are so bad on a lot of the roads around Leics and Notts I have written letters of complaint as rather than repair them at an early stage, the local councils seem to just let them be! Annoying, frustrating and dangerous! :head:
Image
1997 Z3 2.8 (M52) Roadster Montreal blue
2013 330d (F31) M Sport Alpine White
User avatar
TitanTim
Joined: Mon 23 Jun, 2008 18:56
Posts: 5488

  Z3 roadster 1.9i
Location: Stafford

Re: Lucky escape

Post by TitanTim »

Hasn't the Zed got a space saver? if you were running with the tyre partially deflated it could have caused additional damage to the. I keep my space saver in the boot rather than slung under the car as its easier to ensure its inflated and to keep it away from the elements. I would never trust the foam get you home kits which is why I've decided to spec runflats on my M140i due in Sept.

Tim.
Image
2001 Z3 1.9 Roadster Sport - 2012 Z4 sDrive 2.0 M Sport
abh29
Joined: Wed 06 Jun, 2012 09:48
Posts: 32

  Z3 roadster 2.2i

Re: Lucky escape

Post by abh29 »

TitanTim wrote:Hasn't the Zed got a space saver? if you were running with the tyre partially deflated it could have caused additional damage to the. I keep my space saver in the boot rather than slung under the car as its easier to ensure its inflated and to keep it away from the elements. I would never trust the foam get you home kits which is why I've decided to spec runflats on my M140i due in Sept.

Tim.
but if you fit the space saver what do you do the tyre/wheel you take off?
Like you I have absolutely no faith in the spray of foam.
BMW provide a white bag to put it in ,but it will not go in boot or frame under boot ,so if you have a passenger and don't have a luggage rack your in trouble.
My X1 has run flats and as no spare I just have one of the winters/summers in the boot. Unfortunately my last couple of puncture [both around 10 years ago]had wall damage that would been beyond run flats.
Z3 2.2 Sport Silver
X1
Del
Joined: Sat 19 Nov, 2011 18:35
Posts: 2136

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Lucky escape

Post by Del »

I don't think the Ms have a space saver - because of the extra (showing off) exhaust pipes :D
User avatar
Koolflyer
Joined: Fri 05 Jul, 2013 15:51
Posts: 586

  Z3 roadster 2.8

Re: Lucky escape

Post by Koolflyer »

so if you have a passenger
........keep a tenner in the car and tell 'em to get a taxi :D
Image
1997 Z3 2.8 (M52) Roadster Montreal blue
2013 330d (F31) M Sport Alpine White
Tilly
Joined: Wed 26 May, 2004 19:45
Posts: 439

  M roadster S50
Location: Sussex

Re: Lucky escape

Post by Tilly »

The M doesn't have a spare. The fronts are different size to the rears. The car comes with a compressor and integral sealant in the unit. If you use the sealant in the unit the cost of replacing is I believe over £100.For that reason I use the Holts Tryeweld at £10 It is fine if you have a nail in the tyre but anything bigger or damage in the wall means it is ineffective. With my failure the tyre was unrepairable even if I did not try and move it. Since I had only a couple of miles at very low speed(20 M.P.H) I hope the tyre would not totally shread. It didn't.
In response to the idea of run flats, my 5 touring F11 had them fitted as standard. I had two puntures in two years. The first they could repair the second was unrepairable and I needed a new tyre. Based on the my experience I replaced the runflats when new tyres were due with normal Michelines.
Appart from better ride the two other main reasons were when I had a flat I had to wait three days for a replacement tyre, through lack of availablity, and the cost of a new run flat was over £300.
abh29
Joined: Wed 06 Jun, 2012 09:48
Posts: 32

  Z3 roadster 2.2i

Re: Lucky escape

Post by abh29 »

Tilly wrote:The M doesn't have a spare. The fronts are different size to the rears. The car comes with a compressor and integral sealant in the unit. If you use the sealant in the unit the cost of replacing is I believe over £100.For that reason I use the Holts Tryeweld at £10 It is fine if you have a nail in the tyre but anything bigger or damage in the wall means it is ineffective. With my failure the tyre was unrepairable even if I did not try and move it. Since I had only a couple of miles at very low speed(20 M.P.H) I hope the tyre would not totally shread. It didn't.
In response to the idea of run flats, my 5 touring F11 had them fitted as standard. I had two puntures in two years. The first they could repair the second was unrepairable and I needed a new tyre. Based on the my experience I replaced the runflats when new tyres were due with normal Michelines.
Appart from better ride the two other main reasons were when I had a flat I had to wait three days for a replacement tyre, through lack of availablity, and the cost of a new run flat was over £300.
Reference Holts Tyreweld check you may need more than one according to tyre size
Before ordering the X1 I took out two demo models alternating them for about 1 hour spells and I found it hard to see difference between run flats and normal tyres A few years ago I quickly got rid of run flats on my e61 They really have improved these days. I have never had trouble locating the tyres I wanted at short notice. My local depot seems to get tyres as required delivered during the day , and I do not live in a city.
In my daughters case she went to local BMW dealer ,in stock and I have since checked price it was competitive. In fact my local BMW Mini dealer was very competitive on my sons CooperS recently.
Regarding cost I have thought the tyre insurance was a good idea ,but I never had it.
Z3 2.2 Sport Silver
X1
Tilly
Joined: Wed 26 May, 2004 19:45
Posts: 439

  M roadster S50
Location: Sussex

Re: Lucky escape

Post by Tilly »

Thanks for the info.

Got my 5 in October 2010 and noticed the difference with runflats when I put on winter tyres. Even with variable control damping, normal tyres gave a much better ride. I must admit that I changed to non runflats in 2012 when supplies were difficult to get and many main dealers did not carry stocks. I believe that situation has changed with supply and also prices have lowered. In addition I have heard some people say the newer tyres are now much improved for ride quality. Since I have both summer and winter tyres ( lived in Switzerland for many years so appreciate the advantages of winter tyres) I will keep to the non flats with this car.

With respect to the tyre sealant, I used a full can which was the manufactures advice for the tyre size on the M roadster and even then still had the compressor to try and further inflate the tyre. However, on close inspection when the tyre was removed, the technicians said the damage was too serve for the sealant to work effectively. I must admit if I was more than 5 miles away from home I would have called the AA recovery service to get the car transported home.

One further interesting fact was the manager of the tyre centre said with the current state of our roads this type of damage is becomming quite common and they have also seen a number of fractured BMW alloy wheels as well.

The take home message is driver beware.
User avatar
Alfie
Z Register member
Joined: Thu 29 Apr, 2004 14:28
Posts: 3312

  M roadster S54
Location: Broadchurch....

Re: Lucky escape

Post by Alfie »

With an ///M (ie: no spare of any kind), the best insurance is AA Relay or similar. So long as you've got mobile signal, you'll be ok.
I wouldn't waste my time using the sealant spray because it only works on punctures that would probably be repairable, but using it (as far as I'm aware) ruins the tyre anyway.
For less severe punctures such as nails/screws, strategic use of the pump is usually enough to get you to a tyre centre.

A.
Image
Post Reply