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I was driving on the highway doing about 120 km/h and then I hit a pothole. ( genuine MB 18" winter tire package on pirelli sotto zero runflats) Immediately the check tire pressure soon in red letters came up on the multifunction display. I reduced my speed to about 80km/h and found my way onto the off ramp and to a nearby gas station to have a look but the dip in the car level and the "wobble wobble" sound was a dead give away. At the time I was driving with the airmatic suspension in Sport. Tire wouldn't hold even the slightest bit of air. I called roadside assistance. They instructed me to drive to the nearest dealership since I can drive up to 80km/h for up to 80km on a flat run flat. It was a Sunday and all the dealerships here are closed. Since I was about 30km to work and was going to be late, I continued to work using residential routes at about 50 to 60 km/h. From there I called roadside to tow my car back to my home dealership which was 5km outside the covered area but they were willing to accommodate it when I suggested I could drive 5km East on the flat to be in the covered zone! Taking transit home.... Sucks! I have under 7500 km on the car and probably 4000km on the winters....
Ouch bad luck i am still undecided regarding by feelings of run flat tires. In theory they seem great in reality they seem very troublesome (very expensive too here.)
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
Yes is is good to know they sometimes work. I have had to recover a BMW driving lady in our family no fewer than 4 times where run-flats (Conti's) have left her stranded. She now carries a full size spare in the boot/trunk.
Less than 1k miles on my C300 and already had to change out a tire. Crap.
Originally Posted by jbbeauso
I was driving on the highway doing about 120 km/h and then I hit a pothole. ( genuine MB 18" winter tire package on pirelli sotto zero runflats) Immediately the check tire pressure soon in red letters came up on the multifunction display. I reduced my speed to about 80km/h and found my way onto the off ramp and to a nearby gas station to have a look but the dip in the car level and the "wobble wobble" sound was a dead give away. At the time I was driving with the airmatic suspension in Sport. Tire wouldn't hold even the slightest bit of air. I called roadside assistance. They instructed me to drive to the nearest dealership since I can drive up to 80km/h for up to 80km on a flat run flat. It was a Sunday and all the dealerships here are closed. Since I was about 30km to work and was going to be late, I continued to work using residential routes at about 50 to 60 km/h. From there I called roadside to tow my car back to my home dealership which was 5km outside the covered area but they were willing to accommodate it when I suggested I could drive 5km East on the flat to be in the covered zone! Taking transit home.... Sucks! I have under 7500 km on the car and probably 4000km on the winters....
I guess 1st of all glad to hear it didn't cause an accident. That must have been one hell of a pot-hole you hit...do you think the tire blew out specifically cause it was a run flat or would that hole have created a problem for anything it came across?
I guess 1st of all glad to hear it didn't cause an accident. That must have been one hell of a pot-hole you hit...do you think the tire blew out specifically cause it was a run flat or would that hole have created a problem for anything it came across?
Honestly I have gone over bigger potholes with regular tires and never had an issue. It's hard to say, maybe it was just the right circumstance.....
I don't like the concept of run flats. I don't trust them. If I have any trouble I will dump them and go to regular tires and find a spare for the trunk. It seems like most of the weight loss in teh new C-Class came from the removal of the spare tire. I feel abused!
I don't like the concept of run flats. I don't trust them. If I have any trouble I will dump them and go to regular tires and find a spare for the trunk. It seems like most of the weight loss in teh new C-Class came from the removal of the spare tire. I feel abused!
There is no space in the sedan for a spare tire (I think Vic Viper said that in the estate, there is, though).
I'm with you with not trusting runflats. However, despite the W205 being bigger than the W204, it weighs ~200lbs less. The spare tire does not weigh that much, in fairness to MB.
There is plenty of space in the trunk for a spare tire? Rarely is my trunk ever full of suitcases or groceries! Your right the spare would only save about 50 lbs but the spare in my R class is lighter and more compact and would easily fit in my trunk. I wonder if it would fit on the car? Or even finding one of those "temporary Spares" that are in so many cars these days. They are narrow and have a speed limit of 50kph but would get me home or to a dealer who could fix my regular tire or replace it for much less than the cost of these runflats.
The problem might be getting a tire shop to mount one of these on a wheel that would fit my C400.
The Australian spec booklet lists a spare wheel set as a genuine option (see pic below), although I find it strange that the kit is listed as a 16" wheel, which doesn't match the 18 & 19 inch wheel sizes the car comes with. Nor is there any mention of how the kit is mounted or stored in the car.
The Australian spec booklet lists a spare wheel set as a genuine option (see pic below), although I find it strange that the kit is listed as a 16" wheel, which doesn't match the 18 & 19 inch wheel sizes the car comes with. Nor is there any mention of how the kit is mounted or stored in the car.
The sidewall of the tire should be larger, making it the same size overall as both the 18 and 19 inch wheel set-ups.
There is plenty of space in the trunk for a spare tire? Rarely is my trunk ever full of suitcases or groceries! Your right the spare would only save about 50 lbs but the spare in my R class is lighter and more compact and would easily fit in my trunk.
I meant underneath the trunk's floor, where it would normally go.
Originally Posted by Glyn M Ruck
+1^ ~ higher profile once inflated. Same rolling circumference. SLK type spare is stored uninflated with pump or inflator can.
So it's just a bag in the trunk, or will it fit (in this uninflated form) in the space beneath the trunk floor?
C250 CDI coupe, Obsidian Black Vision Pack, Drive Assist Plus pack, Comfort Pack, Rev Camera
Originally Posted by Glyn M Ruck
+1^ ~ higher profile once inflated. Same rolling circumference. SLK type spare is stored uninflated with pump or inflator can.
Actually. Might not be the case! In my 204 the temp spare, which I used a couple of times was a different circumference to the regular tyre wheel combo.
Whilst you may think this is unsafe or a no no as a temp spare it is acceptable.
Not the best to drive as it veers off the road but it is what it is. I think when I replace my tyres, I might just get a compressor and some goo. Whilst it won't help solve every situation its at least as good as runflats.
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
The trouble is on the back it overworks the diff. I guess OK for short distances. The SLK unit I'm used to took it up to rolling circ. of standard wheel & tyre.
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i am still undecided regarding by feelings of run flat tires. In theory they seem great in reality they seem very troublesome (very expensive too here.)
