Runflats, 19s, and Conti DWS

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Oct 25, 2019 | 06:25 AM
  #1  
I picked up my 2018 c43 sedan in April 2018. Over the past 18 months, I have had 5 flats, including 2 blowouts, with the conti OEM runflats. Currently, I am at 11k miles and I was told that I needed to get 3 of the 4 tired replaced due to wear and tear. I made it through last winter with some difficulty in my summer runflats, I was either going to go to a summer / winter setup or just get non-runflat all seasons. So, I decided to go with the conti DWS extreme contacts. I know I need to pick up some sealant and pump in case of a flat...

My daily commute is riddled with potholes and I worry each day about getting a flat tire with the runflats...hopefully, I can worry a little bit less!
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Oct 26, 2019 | 09:50 AM
  #2  
I would have went with the Michelin pilot sports 4s. Better tire and a much nicer case size and thread pattern. Compare the 2 if you have not purchased yet. Where do you live and what year is your car .
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Oct 26, 2019 | 10:52 PM
  #3  
I just changed my run flats to Michelin Pilot Sports 3+ A/S. Love them.
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Oct 27, 2019 | 12:07 AM
  #4  
Man, I live in Montreal - pot hole central, you guys have got me stressed out over this purchase.
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Oct 27, 2019 | 08:15 AM
  #5  
Quote: Man, I live in Montreal - pot hole central, you guys have got me stressed out over this purchase.
Strongly suggest you get other tires such as AS3+, DW6, or PS4's. I got AS3+ after having side wall puncture after only 2500 kms, never had one in 30+ years of driving. With the roads in Montreal, replacing your rft's is a MUST to prevent aggravation with the OE rft's.
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Oct 27, 2019 | 08:24 AM
  #6  
Quote: Strongly suggest you get other tires such as AS3+, DW6, or PS4's. I got AS3+ after having side wall puncture after only 2500 kms, never had one in 30+ years of driving. With the roads in Montreal, replacing your rft's is a MUST to prevent aggravation with the OE rft's.
I just blindly bought whatever the dealer suggested (Pirelli Sottozero's). This is my 3rd C-class and believe me, I know that even the non run flat version of these tires bust real easily. On my previous W204 coupe, I busted 13 of those non run-flat Pirelli's in one winter and the local tire place voided my road hazard warranty.

Reason why I just got whatever they told me to? I bought the tire and rim protection they offer for 5 years. It was a no-brainer for me! I'm relatively confident that I will never buy another set again, as they will be continuously replaced by the dealer. But if I do, I'll ask if they honor that warranty with non run-flats, as it may create more towing situations for them.
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Oct 28, 2019 | 10:39 AM
  #7  
Quote: I would have went with the Michelin pilot sports 4s. Better tire and a much nicer case size and thread pattern. Compare the 2 if you have not purchased yet. Where do you live and what year is your car .

I live in the DC metro area. 2018 sedan. We had a lot of rain over the weekend; the DWS's handled 2+ inches of standing water with no issue. Even rain water coming down a slight slope would have caused the conti OEM RFT's to cause my car to hydroplane....
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Oct 29, 2019 | 09:29 AM
  #8  
After 2 cracked rims and 3 tires replaced, I went from OEM run flats to Michelin Sport 3+ All Season. It's pot hole central here in NC, but the new tires feel more compliant. The ride quality has been transformed.
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Oct 29, 2019 | 12:39 PM
  #9  
I am eager to get rid of my run flats. Aside from the hazards mentioned above, the ride quality is not the best. Any recommendations on tire repair kits for those who ditched their run flats?
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Oct 29, 2019 | 01:29 PM
  #10  
I put Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3s on my Audi (after taking off the winter tire/wheel package), and found the Michelins to be very noisy...velvet/quiet ride with the winter tires, so I was very disappointed when I made the switch as I was hoping to avoid the hassle of running a summer and then winter set. I spoke with a TIre Rack rep today as I am considering swapping out the C43 run flats (whenever my car ever comes in!) before even taking delivery and his recommendation (not surprisingly) was the A/S 3s. I mentioned my disappointment with the experience I had with them on my Audi and he did not disagree about my noise comment. I asked for several other top quality recommendations (I have no need or interest in extracting the last molecule of performance from this car so I was open to other suggestions), and for a quieter ride choice that was still highly recommended overall he offered the Bridgestone Potenza RE 980 AS or Continental Extreme Contact DWS 06. I hate the fact that based on the numerous posts on this forum about the dreaded run-flats that I even need to be considering this.
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Oct 29, 2019 | 05:19 PM
  #11  
I got rid of the runflats after 22K and went with the Michelin Pilot Super Sports and now the Continental DWS. Traction, control, road noise and treadlife all markedly improved on both vs. OEM runflats, but I prefer the Conti DWS. Great tire for the price and fits well on the C43.
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Oct 29, 2019 | 06:51 PM
  #12  
Quote: I got rid of the runflats after 22K and went with the Michelin Pilot Super Sports and now the Continental DWS. Traction, control, road noise and treadlife all markedly improved on both vs. OEM runflats, but I prefer the Conti DWS. Great tire for the price and fits well on the C43.
are you on 18s or 19s?
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Oct 30, 2019 | 08:08 AM
  #13  
Apologies as I can't seem to find the info, but what are the OEM tires on 2018 C43? I bought mine CPO with about 15000 miles, car is sitting on Continental ContiProContact SSR's. 19" inches if that makes a difference.

Thanks
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Oct 30, 2019 | 12:17 PM
  #14  
Quote: I put Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3s on my Audi (after taking off the winter tire/wheel package), and found the Michelins to be very noisy...velvet/quiet ride with the winter tires, so I was very disappointed when I made the switch as I was hoping to avoid the hassle of running a summer and then winter set. I spoke with a TIre Rack rep today as I am considering swapping out the C43 run flats (whenever my car ever comes in!) before even taking delivery and his recommendation (not surprisingly) was the A/S 3s. I mentioned my disappointment with the experience I had with them on my Audi and he did not disagree about my noise comment. I asked for several other top quality recommendations (I have no need or interest in extracting the last molecule of performance from this car so I was open to other suggestions), and for a quieter ride choice that was still highly recommended overall he offered the Bridgestone Potenza RE 980 AS or Continental Extreme Contact DWS 06. I hate the fact that based on the numerous posts on this forum about the dreaded run-flats that I even need to be considering this.
The DWS06 are very good all season tires, great in the rain, decent in snow. I've had them on a few different cars. The ride fairly quiet for the first half of their tread life, but get noisy as they wear. Maybe also look at the Pirelli P-Zero All Season Plus.
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Oct 30, 2019 | 11:26 PM
  #15  
19"s
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Oct 30, 2019 | 11:27 PM
  #16  
Quote: are you on 18s or 19s?
19"s
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Nov 26, 2019 | 05:51 PM
  #17  
Also considering the switch over to DWS06s (due to the occasional light snow in the PNW). Just wanted to know what tire pressures folks are running on their non-runflat 19" tires?

And does anyone have a suggestion for a repair/compressor kit to keep handy (I think Porsche sells one...).

Thanks
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Nov 26, 2019 | 11:58 PM
  #18  
The Porsche kit is fine but is unreasonably expensive I think. I bought this compressor plus a bottle of the Slime sealant - all stored where the spare wheel would have been.

Amazon Amazon
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Nov 27, 2019 | 11:45 AM
  #19  
Just did Mich A/S 3+ at 23k miles.
Revelation !
The runflats are a pox upon the car. How MB lets them out (I see a suspension engineer quietly crying at his desk) is unknown. Must be really cheap at OE.
A 12v compressor and bottle of tire seal from the local auto-mart-zone-whatever is all you need, unless you really like the Porsche logo.

Dynamic select is a lot more useful when the tires allow you to sense the suspension settings. Like sex, but with four condoms.....

I've had the A/S 3 and DWS 06 on a variety of cars, and really, either one is good. DWS a bit softer, A/S 3 a bit stiffer, but it is a small degree.

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Nov 27, 2019 | 11:46 AM
  #20  
Quote: The Porsche kit is fine but is unreasonably expensive I think. I bought this compressor plus a bottle of the Slime sealant - all stored where the spare wheel would have been.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This. Unless you feel the need to support Porsche's endeavors, no need to overthink or overspend.
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Nov 28, 2019 | 02:08 PM
  #21  
Good stuff - thanks all. The one thing I had read about the Porsche kit was that the sealant was TPMS-safe and could be removed off the rim easily, whereas slime could require a TPMS sensor replacement...will do a bit more digging.

Back to the question about tire pressures on non-runflat tires, I found a reference to the Michelin site which has recommendations for the 19" staggered setup (C43 sedan 39 PSI F/R; coupe 38 PSI F/R) : www.michelinman.com
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Dec 22, 2019 | 09:50 PM
  #22  
Proud new member of the tire blow out club here. Drove 5 hours from Phoenix to San Diego and blew my front left on a decent sized pot hole a block away from our hotel. I was doing 30-35 mph and the thing burst like the fourth of July.

$377 later - I'm really pleased MB decided to effectively put defective tires on these cars. Thanks!
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