Teckno

Hi,
I'm in Melbourne too.
Have 250d with 20" Pirelli.
Oz does not have full TPMS, it does not give you onscreen tyre pressure or temp detail, only if a tyre drops out of presets you get a warning.
Not sure if Oz allows change to 18", without a cost. Car in Oz does not come with wheel jack, tyre brace or changing equip.
I doubt you will get a 5th spare. In my boot area there is a large fuze box that stops a spare being put there. Physically check a demo, most sales staff have no idea.
Yes I would prefer a spare, if you take out MB comp ins you can select additional cover for rim and tyre replacements, 2 free a year. Most other packages in fine print exclude runflats from any ins cover. I purchased a spare from Goodyear (Pirelli) for $503. Peace of mind that I have one and not have to wait 3 days for one from interstate. Happy to talk PM.
Hope this helps.

fabbrisd1

I skimmed over the thread a bit.. and this forum does try to be constructive by the most part...

1) MOE/Extended-Mobility - design for all have come a LONG way from the Original Run Flat in terms of cost/handling/ride from the original Run-Flat designs.
Original passenger SUV/car RunFlats - taken from interstate truck designs - had interior aluminum discs - so when tire went flat - it would run up to 200 miles. For multi-tire interstate trucks that could be "close" to highway speed - for 4-tire passenger cars that would be at a much reduced speed. For passenger SUV/cars - original run flats were VERY high cost - VERY poor handling - and VERY poor mileage/tread life.
MOE tires - technology has increased the strength of the sidewall towards the tires towards the center of the tire - and maintained flexibility of the sidewall towards the tread.
As compared to Original-Run-Flats- LOWER COST - IMPROVED HANDLING - IMPROVED TREAD LIFE.

2) Tire Repair - Dealers and major chain tire companies have been driven to further restrict repair policies on ALL tires to reduce potential accident liability. Sidewall repairs not recommended by tire manuf for ANY tire - and not done by any shop I know. Center tread repair for outer edges/row increasingly restricted by tire manuf and by shops themselves. The way of the world - to prevent liability where consumer gets tires repaired - drives unknown miles - has blowout at speed - insurance suits to come.

3) Broader car lineup for all car manuf - broader wheel/tire options -broader OE tire manuf base - increasing headache for ALL dealers across ALL brands.
Frankly for EVERY car manuf I know - literally service needs to see what brand/type tire is actually on the vehicle - and original tire brand NOT required to be on the vehicle master record from the factory.

4) Has anybody else noticed a increased # of flat tires especially in growth areas/neighborhoods ? To me - new home construction and/or remodel/upgrades in neighborhoods - you wouldn't believe the stuff we pull out of tires now-a-days - like 2"/3" nails-spike-bolts - to the tire industry credit haven't see glass or sharp rocks - at all - in the past 4-5-6 yrs - this long/sharp nails/screws - sh*t that falls off a contractors pickup truck.
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5) MOE tires - yes, are the future: Call it cost, car manufacturers call is Sustainability - shipping cars/SUV's with 4-tires - rather than 5 - a full 20% and adding 5th tire adds 25% more... and market asking for more cabin room on top.

6) If you get a flat on a standard tire - you are fortunate to get to the side of the road - if you get a MOE flat - you get better than that - you can safely get OUT of traffic and to a safe place.

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6) Buying a new vehicle - and if you are in a growing area/neigborhood increased likeliehood of a flat - YES more people are opting for Wheel/Tire policies. In this example a replacement GLC tire - let's call that $260+ - and if you have machined-finish wheels - versus silver painted wheels - a wheel scrape on a machined finish wheel requires replacement of the whole wheel - makes Wheel/Tire policies a new consideration.
Consider this - Bentley GT have no spare - MB S-Sedan/Coupe and many/many more heavy metal cars have no spare... make your own list... sh*t.. my "weekender" GTS/S63 customers with lithium car batteries need plug-in with MB supplied chargers...

7) Tire manuf do NOT offer road hazard on the tires they supply OE to car manuf - and you should ALWAYS ask if you have (or can buy) Road Hazard when buying a replacement tire(s).

8) YES - get a spray can of tire goo - even if your MB has TireFit pack - heaven knows a goo-can can become handy - YES just like getting a $5 LED flashlight for the trunk/boot or glovebox can be handy - and I don't see anyone clamoring for car manuf to provide flashlights
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9) I don't know of any dealer who cannot get replacement tires 2nd/3rd working day - there can be selective awkward exceptions to this - over 270 flat tires over the past two yrs - there were 7 exceptions that were 4-5 working days (notably specific size/style "normal" tires)
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YES - in most non-metro areas - MB dealers that I know do supply free loaners if they have one available - in metro areas - with the limited # of loaners (compared to dealership service appts) Enterprise/rental cars are common on repairs.
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If you want the "Camry" ride - by a new Camry - and frankly I will take a GLC on 19's and 20's all day long over 18's - but themy daily driver is a E63 - and that's low profile over a GLC on 20's... as the world move's .. we move.. agreeably move or disagreeably move..

There is the way the world is going - from full size spares - to collapsible mini-spares - to increasing # MOE tires... it's best to paddle into the future and set your strategy...

MB190

I have the Pirelli run flats, and when I had less than a 1000 miles on the car, I had picked up my first nail. I went to the dealer expecting to pay for a new tire, and he said no reason for one. They gave me a loaner car, patched it, after about another 6000 miles now, it hasn't lost any air pressure. Like some others have said, and a general rule for tires, as long as it is not in the sidewall, it is easily and safely patched.

bfinkie99

It's worth noting that Pirelli has a separate manufacturer's warranty that applies only to their run-flats. It also explicitly recommends against repair of run flats. From the Company's warranty page:


Road Hazard Policy for Run Flat Tires Only
Pirelli Run Flat tires are manufactured with technology that allows limited low inflation operation in the event of sudden loss of pressure. Pirelli does not recommend the repair of run flat tires and as a result, Pirelli provides road hazard coverage on all Pirelli produced tires that are manufactured with run flat technology. To qualify for Run Flat Road Hazard coverage, a completed claim form along with the tire exhibiting the road hazard must be returned to Pirelli through an authorized Pirelli dealer.

If a Run Flat tire becomes unserviceable due to workmanship or materials anomalies or road hazard injury during the initial warranty period, which is one year from the date of original retail purchase of the vehicle or purchase of replacement tires (purchase receipt required) or within the first 2/32” of the original usable tread, whichever occurs first, the tire will be replaced with the same or comparable tire at no charge for the tire to the owner. After the initial warranty period, if a Run Flat tire becomes unserviceable due to workmanship or materials anomalies or road hazard injury, the owner must pay the cost of a comparable new Pirelli brand or PTNA private brand replacement tire on a pro-rata basis. The authorized Pirelli dealer will determine the cost by multiplying the percentage of the original usable tread worn by the current dealer selling price. The owner must pay for any associated service charges, including costs associated with mounting and balancing of the tire.

https://www.pirelli.com/tires/en-us/.../tire-warranty (under "Special Warranty Information")


So if you are still within the warranty period, you might as well avail yourself of the ability to get a new tire at no cost to you (apart from mounting and balancing).

bfinkie99

Pirelli run-flat looks to be the exception -- see my above post.

The catch is that MB dealerships might not be authorized Pirelli retailers -- as is the case with MB of Manhattan, for instance.

TestnDoc

What is the range on GLC run flats after a flat?

larrypmyers

An extended mobility (runflat) tire with zero pressure can safely be driven 50 miles, at reduced speed.

bips

I thought I might post my Australian experience in this thread, so that it's in the right place. Apologies to those who have read some of this in another thread.

My local MB dealer said that they had recently sold one of the first GLC Coupes to a customer who had picked up a nail in a sidewall after only a short time. I gather the coupes run a different tyre (Continental?) to the tyre that had been fitted to the other previously available GLC models (Pirelli?), and there were absolutely no spares to be had. That customer was driving a loaner while they sourced a wheel, which (I was told) may have to come off a stock vehicle. I think it's negligent to import and sell a vehicle when there are no spare tyres available. I have no idea what the legal situation is in this country, although at least the local dealer was doing the right thing.

The dealer also said that if the nail had been in the tread rather than the sidewall they it could have been plugged. This contradicts earlier comments that either run-flats can't be plugged, or that Pirellis can but not Continentals.

In the last few days I had cause to put this to the test. I picked up a nail in one of my 20" Pirelli Scorpion Verde run-flats. As I was told when getting it plugged, it only just punctured the tire. So it was a slow leak, and was holding pressure at 23-24psi. I could be pumped up for short periods. I was close to home and drove perhaps 8-10kms to get home. The dealer said that they could plug it, but it would be faster and probably a little cheaper to get a tyre place to do it, which I did ($AUD35 ~ $US27 at Goodyear). We'll see how that goes. It ran for very little distance on low pressure, and given that it was holding some, perhaps not much at all on the sidewalls. I pumped it up to drive the 2kms to the tyre dealer. The run-flats probably didn't do all that much for me in this instance, as such a slow leak that didn't fully deflate would probably have still been driveable.

I wonder if that Pirelli warranty applies in this country? I'll check with my dealer.

I bought the GLC with run-flats with some reluctance. We cover a lot of distance in this country and are often a long way from either a MB dealer or a major tyre retailer. I guess the US and Canada are similar. (I was on holiday in the US West recently and was a bit nervous when I discovered that my Chevy Malibu rental had no spare and only a tyre goo kit.) So I purchased a complete fifth wheel complete with another Pirelli plus the jack kit for the GLC. This was only 2/3 of the price of the emergency tyre kit and is a vastly superior option, as the emergency still only gets you 80kms. But it is huge. It does take up a large part of the luggage area. How we travel with it is to put one rear seat and the central section down and carry it there, which leaves the luggage space free. You can carry three passengers this way, so long as the one in the rear doesn't mind the spare next to them, but not four.

Cars without run-flats are often no better, as some come with only an emergency spare. The Audi Q5 is like this. A friend has a VW Tiguan that is the same, and when he saw my spare and thought through the implications of a flat far from home, was considering purchasing a complete fifth wheel for longer journeys. Personally I like what Subaru has done, as rather than an emergency spare they come with space-saver spare, which is not speed or distance limited. It's a pity that the Europeans can't do this.

As I have said in another thread, I am rather disappointed with the ride quality of my GLC on rough roads and over sharp bumps and potholes, and I'm not sure which to blame the most - the AMG Line pack's suspension, the steel springs or the run-flats. I can't change the first two without upgrading, and I'm not likely to get the GLC's other owner's agreement to that. But I could replace the tyres with non-run-flats when the time comes. Has anyone done this and if so what difference to ride quality did it make?

URBassman

I'm a fan of the harder AMG Line suspension, having owned two Mercs previously with that setup. So I'm used to the ride on steels and I can just about put up with run-flats.

But the car that the dealer provided for a demo had conventional tyres and right up to delivery gunk tyres were listed on the configurator. So imagine my surprise when I collected my new car with run flats. Did Merc pull a fast one? Well let's just say that their standards are no higher than any other manufacturer, irrespective of their 'quality' image. Take it or leave it.

jimmykashmir

Hello - I believe this nail is closer to the tread and should be simply patchable?

This is a run-flat tire that the GLC comes with...

larrypmyers

Based on the location of the fod, I'd say its repairable.

Philamg

In the UK most tyre manufacturers advise against repairing run flats.

larrypmyers

We have some repair shops in the US taking the same tack. I think it has more to do with desire to sell a new tire at several hundred dollars in lieu of a repair costing $25/30. And in some instances reluctance to repair has to do with liability concerns on the part of the shop.

The two extended mobility tire punctures I've experienced, both shops were readily amenable to repair.

Bruze

"Mercedes-Benz Original Extended Tires (MOExtended or MOE)

(Lea en español)

Tires branded with MOExtended or MOE on their sidewalls identify them as being specifically tuned for Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The Extended portion of the name identifies they feature run-flat-like tire characteristics by offering temporary extended mobility. However since they don't meet all of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) run-flat tire operating limits under all permitted vehicle loads, they cannot be branded as run-flat tires.

Mercedes-Benz vehicles traditionally provide high levels of comfort, which makes it challenging for chassis engineers to add traditional run-flat tires without experiencing some sacrifices in ride comfort. Mercedes-Benz believes much of the undesirable ride firmness is directly associated with traditional self-supporting run-flat tires, so they collaborated with several tire manufacturers to develop lighter-duty temporary extended mobility tires that are designed to increase trunk space and provide a location for the BlueTEC diesel urea tank while enhancing vehicle fuel economy and everyday ride comfort.

Operating Limits
In the event a simple puncture results in tire pressure loss, traditional ISO run-flat tires are rated to provide temporary mobility for up to 50 miles (80 km) at up to 50 mph (80 km/h) for all permitted loads after the vehicle's tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) alerts the driver of significant tire pressure loss.

While the same speeds are permitted 50 mph (80 km/h), MOExtended tires are designed to provide temporary extended mobility on a fully loaded vehicle for up to 20 miles (30 km) and on a lightly loaded vehicle of up to 50 miles (80 km) after the vehicle's tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) alerts the driver of significant tire pressure loss.

Tire manufacturers that produce MOExtended tires for Mercedes-Benz vehicles include Bridgestone, Continental, Dunlop, Goodyear, Michelin and Pirelli".

The above info states that MOE tires are not true runflats because they don't meet all the ISO criteria established for RFs. Concerning repairability, each manufacturer establishes their own policy.

bips

I had a nail in a similar location and had it plugged. My MB dealer would have also been prepared to do it, or so the service manager said over the phone.

TBH, I don't understand why people / companies say you can't plug a run-flat if a nail has gone into the tread, like in Jimmy's case or mine. If this was not a run-flat, would you plug it? Probably yes. What's the difference between a run-flat and normal tyre? Stiffer side-walls as I understand it, not the tread. So why not plug a hole in the tread well away from the side-wall when you'd do the same for a regular tyre?

Teckno

The debate re repairing runflats is really about the driver of the car's awareness and attitude and the other is the tyre manuf and the litigious nature of our society today.
How many times have you seen a driver totally unaware of their tyre condition and driving on near flat tyre. Worst still, the attitude, you have gone out of your way to let them know and they just say ok, and proceed to drive past the next 5 service stations without even calling in to add air. No attempt to change tyre or call road side service.
So - whilst better cars have TPMS, AND RUN FLAT cars HAVE EITHER FULL DATA TPMS or in the case of our GLC, only TPMS warning alert, UNLESS the driver is alert and responsible and does not drive on the tyre when the TPMS alerts, the repairer has no assurance that the side wall has not been internally damaged.
My view is the tyre in earlier post is repairable, as long as no air escaped, TPMS not activated and it is caught early enough by the driver.
It's not worth the risk of tyre failure later.

bips

I'm not sure what "no air escaped" means. I'm certainly not advocating driving 79km with the run-flat indicator active and then getting it plugged. I drove perhaps 8km to get home after the warning was activated. Found the nail, reinflated the tyre (only a slow leak down to 23psi), and drove another 2km to get it plugged. The further you have to drive, the less likely I'd be to get it plugged, but can't see the problem in my particular circumstances.

What risk are you referring to? I can't see that plugging the tread of a RFT is any different to plugging the tread of a non-RFT. The only risk I can see is driving too far before getting it plugged, meaning that you have no run-flat capacity if you have another flat.

Teckno

Well, I might have been too much a generalist in my post.
A 30% loss of pressure might be ok. 50% loss and extended driving, say 15km at 80-100kph would not be ok.
My comment re sidewall damage relates to stress and other unseen issued to the naked eye, of stress fractures and weakening of tyre integrity., so I would not plug or repair if driven mostly flat or long distance due to heat build up. Happy to have car flat towed and tyre repaired. I have repaired a tyre that had a nail in it, had not punctured the inner bead and was towards the centre of the tread.
I've seen too many peopl drive on completely squashed rubber only for them to pump up the air, then either have tyre plugged later or fit a tube. No way would I use that tyre, blow out a high statistical probability.
Runflats are ok, still feel that normal tyres might give GLC with steel springs softer ride. Possibly too minimise tyre crabbing on wet roundabouts or I painted on concrete car parks ?

larrypmyers

I read an article some time ago about MOE tires. My take on the article was these tires were kinder gentler run flats. So, as Bruze stated above, the rules pertaining to MOE tires are different.

What is puzzling is looking at the Pirellis on my GLC I found the words run flat and MOE embossed on the sidewall.

Makes me think, perhaps there is in fact, no difference between MOE and run flat flat tires.

JIMSHANN

Where can I check this? I have run flats and am contemplating changing to "standard" tyres because of the harsh ride and heavy wear.
Obviously, I won't do it, if what you say is true.

Please advise where to find this information.

PeteInGilroy

We have a GLC 300 on order and also a C300. The dealer told me there is absolutely no way they will change the tires to NON run-flats. They said the car is designed to perform on run-flats and Mercedes would be relieved of liability if anything were to happen (tire-wise) if conventional tires were on the car.

I may still switch to conventional tires, as most of our driving is rather tame, and I don't foresee an issue being attributed to tire selection.

BlueRidge

When I received my 2017 GLC 300 in June, I had the dealer take off the run flats and put on 4 Michelin Premier LTX 235/60 R18 tires. With tire pressures at 34 and 33, they provide a very smooth ride. I am leasing the car, so will put the run-flats back on at lease end. The dealer did not mention anything about warranty concerns.

Flubadub

Lots of talk here about "plugging" a puncture. Technically, a plug is considered a temporary repair which should be followed by an internal inspection of the carcass and patch of the area where the puncture occurred. As has been said before by others, the legal vultures have made this issue a concern for many shops. I can find no technical reasons based on my research that say MOE/run flat tires can not be repaired.

larrypmyers

I've been driving on run flat tires since 1999. In that time experienced two punctures. A two step repair process was employed. In both instances tires were first plugged and then a vulcanize patch applied inside the tire. Both repairs were successful.

bips

Changing to run-flats is like any other mod - in Australia it's virtually impossible to find anything written that says you can, and it's also virtually impossible to find anything written to say you can't.

Teckno and I have rather different outlooks. By his own admission (in another related thread) he is rather risk averse. I'm not a risk taker, but I do believe in informed risk management. The best you can do is talk to your insurance company. I did that and switched to non-RFT.

I was also comforted by the fact that when we bought the GLC, I discussed the option with my dealer and they said, sure we can do that, but people usually wait until the first service, presumably to get their money's worth out of the initial tyres. If my dealer didn't see a problem then nor can I. That said, as you can see from recent posts, dealer responses in the US seem to vary enormously.