runflat tyres

Radsteral

OUr mini, got front ones runflat type and one defenately got a leak...light came in and i reset it after putting air but it needs fixing anyway
we suspect the other one too loosing a bit air too

wondered can these tyres be fixed as the standard ones?
they still got some life on them, though was wondering , if we change we need to change both..and would it be ok to use normal tyres instead?

Doozergirl

If they have gone then you shouldn't be able to put air in them at all. If you reset the warning light it doesn't stop the tyre from being shot, you need to change it. So you need to establish what caused it and when.

I understand that some places will repair them but it has to be a certain type of damage because if the sidewalls have been used to support the vehicle for any distance then they have to be changed. When I spoke to MINI Emergency Service they told me that as soon as the light comes on, you need a new tyre.

Why have you only got runflats on the front? You might as well change the front for regular tyres if you're being half-hearted about it. You don't know which one is going to go first!

Tricia_^^

This is gonna sound very strange.... but are you sure you are re-setting it correctly. It isnt very clear in the handbook, from the set/info stage... you have to hold the button in longer ~ it then confirms the re-set! Took me ages to figure that one out ~ after one of mine had a nail in it!!!! They are not cheap either!

Radsteral

thank you, will change them anyway for normal ones seen somewhere here you can book onlice for a good price but too many come on my google search.

my wife was told on shop today it ll cost 50 pounds a tyre but the made of it was one i had never heard in my life..any i been on the road for quite a long time

mark5

I give up on runflats and went for the normal Goodyear Excellence tyres when I had a Mini, it was a much nicer drive after.

It wasnt much cheaper possibly £10 per corner but it made the car more enjoyable.

Austineer_2

On the subject of fixing runflats, even the NTDA (National Tyre Distributors Association) has yet to come up with a definitive answer.

When tyre fitters examine a punctured tyre after demounting it from the wheel rim they look for signs of secondary damage caused by running the tyre in a deflated state. On a standard tyre this is normally seen as black rubber crumbs inside the tyre, and sometimes a visibly worn area of the tyre where the sidewall has been suffering excess force due to being squished. These mean that the tyre is not safe to be repaired - its intrinsic structure has been damaged and it must be scrapped.

On a runflat tyre you can't see these signs - there may be secondary damage but you'd never know. Therefore, if repaired, the onus is on the tyre fitter if the tyre fails after being refitted and used.

It's an understandably grey area, as are many things with runflats.

The official lines from the tyre manufacturers are nearly as baffling:
Bridgestone says that it depends how far and at what speed the tyre was driven in an underinflated state. What they don't say (and which could hardly be quantified) is HOW deflated; your light comes on, you don't know whether your tyre has 25psi or 5psi in it.

Continental, Kumho, Hankook, Pirelli and Michelin say no to repair. Wanli say yes, but you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who'd risk their job to repair what could be a dangerous tyre.

BMW (who mainly use Bridgestone) say do not repair, but they suggest you contact the tyre manufacturer (mixed signals...)

Mini say they should not be repaired.

As for fitting non-runflats on cars with runflats as original equipment, the last word from the NTDA was "don't", although previous advice from certain quarters was that if it was to be done, it should be done to all four tyres at once to avoid handling issues (those of you who have driven on runflats will probably confirm that they do perform somewhat differently to normal tyres).

Personally, I can't stand runflats. Driving a Cooper or 1-series on runflats feels like driving over cobbles. I've joked to people in the past that I feel like I need a reinforced bra to drive with them.

Runflats leave the customer stuck between a rock and a hard place - to find a centre willing to repair with the risk of having the tyre fail at high speed or to spend a substantial amount on replacement.

harveybobbles

Doozergirl wrote: »

When I spoke to MINI Emergency Service they told me that as soon as the light comes on, you need a new tyre.

Next time your light comes on can I have your old tyres?

Sounds like MINI Emergency Services are trained at the same place as Kwik Fit people...

liam8282

Am I missing the obvious here?

Minis have run flats because they have no spare.

If you have a puncture, what are the people without run flats going to do?

vikingaero

liam8282 wrote: »

Am I missing the obvious here?

Minis have run flats because they have no spare.

If you have a puncture, what are the people without run flats going to do?

Buy the MINI compressor and a tube of gunk.

alleycat`

Use the can of goo that ruins the deflated tyre but can be used to get you somewhere?

A lot of cars now have no spare and don't have run flat boots either.

Pretty much the same deal as chucking the run flat away anyway once you've driven it to the local boot seller(based on what mini say).

Edit:- What viking said.

liam8282

vikingaero wrote: »

Buy the MINI compressor and a tube of gunk.

Fine, but with regular tyres when you have a puncture, the tyre usually shreds or rips pretty quickly if you attempt to drive on it deflated.

All well and good if you notice a slow puncture and have time to put the gunk in and inflate the tyre, but no good for a fast or sudden puncture.

At least with a run flat, you should have enough life in the tyre to get you to a garage.


BTW I am talking from experience, I had a puncture on Sunday. I don't have a mini or runflats, but I couldn't get my wheel off due to dodgy lock in nuts.

Now if I had runflats I could have made it home or to a garage to sort the tyre out, instead I had to call out a recovery truck.

This is all with 2 kids and the girlfriend in the car, took about 4 hours for a 20 mins journey.

So comparing it to those with minis and run flats, I would stick with the run flats if that is what is on your car. I would also add that my dad and sister both have minis.