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Side wall bulge

Old Dec 3, 2015 | 08:55 AM
  #1  
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2015 E class W212 FL
Side wall bulge

I just noticed yesterday my driver side front wheel had a bulge on the sidewall!
These tyres had done just 3000 km and haven't crashed into any pothole or clipped the curb.
The make are pirelli p zero 245/35 R19 front and 275/30 back.
Got the tyre checked at the dealership there wasnt any crack on the inner wall.
They said they'll follow a procedure where they will send the images to pirelli and wait for their response if it will get covered in warranty.
Can i claim that this is a manufacturing defect as there are no signs of impact on the tyre,no cracks on the inner wall?W

hat are the chances it will be accepted as a warranty claim?

Last edited by D-Y; Dec 3, 2015 at 11:41 AM.
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Old Dec 3, 2015 | 09:11 AM
  #2  
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Looks like a mfg defect to me.
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Old Dec 3, 2015 | 09:19 AM
  #3  
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I have experienced multiple bubbles exactly like that over the years. It is always the result of hitting a pothole.
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Old Dec 3, 2015 | 07:51 PM
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1953 300 Adenauer, 1971 300 SEL 6.3, 1975 600, 1978 450 6.9
If that is the photo they submitted then it should get rejected. There is a visible marking where the sidewall meets the tread. It could be dirt or it could be a scrape from a curb.

Most bulges are caused by impact damage and there will be few external signs other than the bulge. The extent of damage can only be confirmed by x-ray.

A bulge is a sign that the internal belts are damaged. Such damage can only really be caused by impact.
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Old Dec 3, 2015 | 09:06 PM
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After getting 2 I went with 17" wheels. Warranty didn't cover mine.
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Old Dec 3, 2015 | 10:07 PM
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Originally Posted by CEB
If that is the photo they submitted then it should get rejected. There is a visible marking where the sidewall meets the tread. It could be dirt or it could be a scrape from a curb.

Most bulges are caused by impact damage and there will be few external signs other than the bulge. The extent of damage can only be confirmed by x-ray.

A bulge is a sign that the internal belts are damaged. Such damage can only really be caused by impact.
No that's not the photo.this photo was taken 3 days ago by me.it's like that because of the dirt on the road.
I always keep my tyre covered with shiner .and it was all black when they took the photo

Last edited by D-Y; Dec 3, 2015 at 10:12 PM.
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Old Dec 4, 2015 | 04:51 PM
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1953 300 Adenauer, 1971 300 SEL 6.3, 1975 600, 1978 450 6.9
Keep us posted please
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Old Dec 4, 2015 | 06:19 PM
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Originally Posted by KEY08
I have experienced multiple bubbles exactly like that over the years. It is always the result of hitting a pothole.
But a pot hole should not cause damage like this. If it does the tire quality is bad and as the OP says it is P-zero, whi9ch already tells me the quality is bad.


Same with most Conti tires that come with the car.


I had a tire on my Dodge pickup that had four "bubbles" on it. This was a Michelin tire and I know for 100% sure the tire was never run over a pot hole. Just a very bad tire quality from these "premium" tire makers.


With my current car I have driven over many potholes bad enough to bend my 18" stock rims but no "bubbles" on tires. Went to soften the ride and got 17" rims but this does not lessen the amount of the pot holes. No "bubbles" on tires with these either and these have seen very bad ones.


But I don't run on Michelins, Pirtellis or Contis either. Did have Firestones once but their rubber plain cracked on the inside wall. Outside did not as it sees car washes with shines and I was lucky I did not have a blow-out. No more Firestones for me!


"Bubbles" on tires always is a tire quality issue and it is the tire maker's excuse to blame that you hit a pot hole. A tire is supposed to handle the pot hole unless the impact is so bad it breaks the rim.
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Old Dec 4, 2015 | 07:39 PM
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Interesting, Arrie. Over the past 15 years driving MB I bet I have had 6 bubbled tires. All Contis.
I live in Chicago where all roads suck and I always check after hitting a big pothole which are unavoidable. I have had multiple bent rims as well and I can see below the bubble on the rim where the impact occurred. It is always a smear of rubber at the edge of the rim. Maybe I have been driving on the wrong tires all of these years.
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Old Dec 4, 2015 | 08:45 PM
  #10  
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Originally Posted by D-Y
I just noticed yesterday my driver side front wheel had a bulge on the sidewall!
These tyres had done just 3000 km and haven't crashed into any pothole or clipped the curb.
The make are pirelli p zero 245/35 R19 front and 275/30 back.
Got the tyre checked at the dealership there wasnt any crack on the inner wall.
They said they'll follow a procedure where they will send the images to pirelli and wait for their response if it will get covered in warranty.
Can i claim that this is a manufacturing defect as there are no signs of impact on the tyre,no cracks on the inner wall?W

hat are the chances it will be accepted as a warranty claim?
I'd take it to who ever you bought the tires from and qustion it. They do not look right to me.

I have been running the same continentals that came on the car when I bought it. Never had a problem. But then asking for opinions on tires is like asking for opinions on women. Challenge the dealer who sold you the tires.
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Old Dec 4, 2015 | 08:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Arrie
But a pot hole should not cause damage like this. If it does the tire quality is bad and as the OP says it is P-zero, whi9ch already tells me the quality is bad.


Same with most Conti tires that come with the car.


I had a tire on my Dodge pickup that had four "bubbles" on it. This was a Michelin tire and I know for 100% sure the tire was never run over a pot hole. Just a very bad tire quality from these "premium" tire makers.


With my current car I have driven over many potholes bad enough to bend my 18" stock rims but no "bubbles" on tires. Went to soften the ride and got 17" rims but this does not lessen the amount of the pot holes. No "bubbles" on tires with these either and these have seen very bad ones.


But I don't run on Michelins, Pirtellis or Contis either. Did have Firestones once but their rubber plain cracked on the inside wall. Outside did not as it sees car washes with shines and I was lucky I did not have a blow-out. No more Firestones for me!


"Bubbles" on tires always is a tire quality issue and it is the tire maker's excuse to blame that you hit a pot hole. A tire is supposed to handle the pot hole unless the impact is so bad it breaks the rim.
Sorry Arrie, but that is just plain wrong.

Each pothole is different and in some cities there are more potholes that smooth surfaces. A tire cannot be expected to handle everything. There are just too many variables - speed, depth, how you hit the pothole, outside temperature, temperature of tire, inflation and so forth.

Clearly, lower profile tires are more susceptible to impact damage and a bubble is merely a visible sign of belt separation.

Some tires (like the Goodyear LS fitted to BMW 535 with the 19" tires) are just more likely to suffer impact damage but the damage is ALWAYS caused by impact damage.
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Old Dec 4, 2015 | 11:22 PM
  #12  
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My car came with 17" wheels i later upgraded them to 19" from the mercedes dealer itself.
As the stock wheels were hideous to me and didn't suit the aggressive stance of the car .
These pirelli p zero are MO(mercedes approved) or whatever mercedes calls them,and i was assured that these are better than michelin or continental tyres from the dealer.
I can assure you that i never hit a pothole at high speed and always slowed down to idling speed before going over bumps because i know lower profile tyres are much more susceptible to damage.There are no inner wall cracks from where bubble could be formed as i checked it myself during inspection.To me it looks like a poor quality tyre.

Stock wheels





Brand new wheels and tyres being installed.



Last edited by D-Y; Dec 5, 2015 at 12:23 AM.
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Old Dec 5, 2015 | 01:22 PM
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Originally Posted by CEB
Sorry Arrie, but that is just plain wrong.

Each pothole is different and in some cities there are more potholes that smooth surfaces. A tire cannot be expected to handle everything. There are just too many variables - speed, depth, how you hit the pothole, outside temperature, temperature of tire, inflation and so forth.

Clearly, lower profile tires are more susceptible to impact damage and a bubble is merely a visible sign of belt separation.

Some tires (like the Goodyear LS fitted to BMW 535 with the 19" tires) are just more likely to suffer impact damage but the damage is ALWAYS caused by impact damage.
Well, we all have the right to our own opinion. In my mind I cannot accept the fact that the different layers of the tire separate under an impact and then shows like a "bubble" on the side of the tire. Only way I can accept this is if the impact is so severe that the sidewall gets ripped against breaking wheel, which certainly would leave very clear marking on it.

But there are hundreds of "bubbled" tires that have no sign of any kind of mechanical contact with anything, like the OP has it. This can only be bad quality tire, period. The layers of the tire should not separate under any conditions except if something just cuts thru it.
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Old Dec 5, 2015 | 01:42 PM
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There is no regulation as far as tire sidewall construction. Some tires are more susceptible to sidewall bubbles than others due to its sidewall design, that's not to say they are defective. Someone bought up the BMW Goodyear eagle LS2 tire bubble fiasco, I can confirm first hand that those Good Year tires are among the worst when it comes to tire bubbles. The OP's tire only had 3000 km on it, chances are, they were defective from the factory. Then again, the OP's tires are 35 profile, it doesn't take much to damage those tire. Bigger rims to a certain point sure does improve the way a car looks, but the price for admission is the risk of tire and rim damage. Personally, I think 18" is big enough on most sedan and the 18" is much susceptible to damage for those of us who live in an area with terrible roads.
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Old Dec 9, 2015 | 09:01 AM
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UPDATE-
As expected my warranty claim was rejected today.I'll have to buy a new tyre.
Please recommend me some good tyres i'll see if i could sell the remaining three and get some decent rubber.
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Old Dec 9, 2015 | 09:18 AM
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Originally Posted by D-Y
UPDATE-
As expected my warranty claim was rejected today.I'll have to buy a new tyre.
Please recommend me some good tyres i'll see if i could sell the remaining three and get some decent rubber.
Where are you located? Do you want all season or summer tires?
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Old Dec 9, 2015 | 09:33 PM
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2015 E class W212 FL
Summer tyre
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Old Dec 9, 2015 | 10:56 PM
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Originally Posted by D-Y
UPDATE-
As expected my warranty claim was rejected today.I'll have to buy a new tyre.
Please recommend me some good tyres i'll see if i could sell the remaining three and get some decent rubber.
check tire rack for the top rated grand touring tire. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=188
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Old Dec 10, 2015 | 09:01 AM
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Originally Posted by D-Y
Summer tyre
If you want a well constructed tire, try the Michelin Pilot Super Sport.
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