Grrr...Got a flat!
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 63
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2008 C350 Sport / Steel Gray / MM / AMG
Grrr...Got a flat!
So what else are forums for other than sharing our experiences so others can learn from our trials...
I was driving home the other night and all of a sudden my dash lights up bright red and tells me I need to check tire pressure. I pull over (in the cold rain) and check the pressure w/ my little digital gauge. The left rear tire was about 4lbs low but looked fine. I thought that maybe the recent cold weather pushed it to some threshold that triggered the alert. I drove it all the way home (10mi) and checked it again. It read the same so I figured that I'd just add some air the next day. The next morning after leaving Starbucks and on my way to get some air, I get another glowing red alert that says "Tire Malfunction". At that point, I could feel the car drifting all over the road. I pulled over and that puppy was flat.
A few notable items:
If you've never used a jack like the one in the C350, it's going to take you a minute and you'll likely need to reference the OM. I've never used a jack that didn't sit flat on the road surface.
After inspecting the tire (Contisport on my 18 AMGs) the inside sidewall had a small (1in) gash in it. Not sure how that happened, but they told me that it wouldn't be covered under warranty. I'm not sure how it went from slightly low to completely blown-out, but I'm glad I was only doing about 30mph at the time.
Lastly, the donut tire (like most) is nothing you want to drive too far on and over 50mph.
Not a good start after only 1000mi, but we'll just call this one a fluke.
I was driving home the other night and all of a sudden my dash lights up bright red and tells me I need to check tire pressure. I pull over (in the cold rain) and check the pressure w/ my little digital gauge. The left rear tire was about 4lbs low but looked fine. I thought that maybe the recent cold weather pushed it to some threshold that triggered the alert. I drove it all the way home (10mi) and checked it again. It read the same so I figured that I'd just add some air the next day. The next morning after leaving Starbucks and on my way to get some air, I get another glowing red alert that says "Tire Malfunction". At that point, I could feel the car drifting all over the road. I pulled over and that puppy was flat.
A few notable items:
If you've never used a jack like the one in the C350, it's going to take you a minute and you'll likely need to reference the OM. I've never used a jack that didn't sit flat on the road surface.
After inspecting the tire (Contisport on my 18 AMGs) the inside sidewall had a small (1in) gash in it. Not sure how that happened, but they told me that it wouldn't be covered under warranty. I'm not sure how it went from slightly low to completely blown-out, but I'm glad I was only doing about 30mph at the time.
Lastly, the donut tire (like most) is nothing you want to drive too far on and over 50mph.
Not a good start after only 1000mi, but we'll just call this one a fluke.
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 63
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From: Toronto, Ontario
C300 Sport 6-spd
The jack is a bit weird to use and it feels a little flimsy for the weight of the car. I was changing over to my winter tires, and the car fell off the jack on a perfectlly flat concrete floor. Luckily, the car still had the wheel on before it slid off the jack. It was my fault because I was using the jack incorrectly, so I had to refer to the owner's manual to figure out how to use it. After my "practice session", I completed the change-over of the wheels with my 2-ton hydraulic jack.
I would suggest that owners get some practice with the jack before being forced to wrestle with it under emergency conditions.
The car also uses lugbolts (instead of lug nuts), which means that you must lift up a heavy wheel and keep the holes of the wheel and hub perfectly aligned, while trying to attach the wheel to the car with the lugbolts. It is going to be lots of "fun" putting on those huge rear wheels on the C300 Sport in the springtime.
I would suggest that owners get some practice with the jack before being forced to wrestle with it under emergency conditions.
The car also uses lugbolts (instead of lug nuts), which means that you must lift up a heavy wheel and keep the holes of the wheel and hub perfectly aligned, while trying to attach the wheel to the car with the lugbolts. It is going to be lots of "fun" putting on those huge rear wheels on the C300 Sport in the springtime.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,481
Likes: 2
From: Southeast
2008 C300 Sport, RWD, US
...snip...
The car also uses lugbolts (instead of lug nuts), which means that you must lift up a heavy wheel and keep the holes of the wheel and hub perfectly aligned, while trying to attach the wheel to the car with the lugbolts. It is going to be lots of "fun" putting on those huge rear wheels on the C300 Sport in the springtime.
The car also uses lugbolts (instead of lug nuts), which means that you must lift up a heavy wheel and keep the holes of the wheel and hub perfectly aligned, while trying to attach the wheel to the car with the lugbolts. It is going to be lots of "fun" putting on those huge rear wheels on the C300 Sport in the springtime.
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
From: Toronto, Ontario
C300 Sport 6-spd
Sounds like an excellent idea. If you're using the MB jack, you should be able to fine tune the height of the vehicle. However, with a small hydraulic jack, the car drops very fast as the pressure in the jack quickly dissipates.
Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
From: Long Island, NY
'08 C300 Sport White w/ P2 MM & Pano
Sorry to hear that. I actually had a similar, (worse) experience. I wasn't paying attention and drove over a DEEP pothole which caused 2 flats.
The worst part was that it was a 2 day process because of the different size tires on the front and back, and no1 had the back tire.
What a stinkin' waste of money!
The worst part was that it was a 2 day process because of the different size tires on the front and back, and no1 had the back tire.
What a stinkin' waste of money!
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 320
Likes: 0
From: Ohio
2003 C230K SS
I just did that too. Wasn't paying attention and drove over a huge pothole at 70+ on 18's and blew out the sidewall on the front tire and the day before got a 6" nail in my rear tire. Then just my luck my donut just went flat, no reason it just went flat, somehow it had a tiny tiny hole slowly letting air out.
Those donuts scare me to drive on.
Those donuts scare me to drive on.
