theboogers

Front run flat tires are chunking out pieces at 14k miles. Of course the dealer says he has seen it before and the 4 matic fronts do not last. I expected it on the 20" hi performance tire in my previous s class but these are michelin 245/45/19. Tires wont even last thru the lease.

Mitch Alsup

So, just replace them when they are gone--just like you <ahem> owned the car.

theboogers

Done. Still the rear tires are in as new shape. Drive like a sport then pay like a sport.

TestnDoc

The MB tire situation is a debacle. I have had 3 flats with my "run flats" in the last 12 months...We need a SPARE!!

theboogers

Pics

wilassasin

The tire's should have a warranty they are not wearing properly. Contact Michelin send pics, they will probably have you go to a retailer possibly get you some replacements at a prorated price if nothing else.

larrypmyers

No such thing as a flat tire with runflats.

TestnDoc

Sounds like something Hillary would say.

TestnDoc

Wow. Major defects in that tire. That's not normal wear and tear.

larrypmyers

You obviously now little about extended mobility tires.

TestnDoc

Now? To say you can't get a flat with a runflat tire is just incorrect. Ive been driving on runflat for a decade in various vehicles, particularly my BMWs, minus the M variants. One can indeed have a flat, shredded tire with a runflat. Ask me how I know

theboogers

Did contact Michelin and got 30% off two new tires on order thru local tire dealer. Turns out 30 k warranty is actually cut in half on 4 wheel drive cars so the tire store said. But they worked w Michelin to get some warranty coverage. Better than the answer I got at the mercedes dealer.

Mitch Alsup

With 14K miles on my S600, my <RF> tires look like they will last to about 25K miles.

When they do expire, I will replace them with non-Run-Craps; probably with highe performance summer tires (Texas car).

ho1105

Mine went out after 17k. Poor alignment from factory did it. The dealer told me it was way off. Swapped Continentals. No more run flats. Rides awesome.

Streamliner

No. Of course not. Unless, however, you hit a road hazard that SHREDS your "run flat" tire. But, no problem, just pull over, jack up the car and put the spare on. Problem solved. But wait!!! There is no spare. And as a matter of fact, there is no FUxKING JACK either.
Mercedes-Benz: The best or nothing.
Yeah, right.

larrypmyers

Ah, I'm getting it now...we're talking about two different types of failures.

You were describing catastrophic failure and I was talking about simple punctures.

Agree, if one runs over a steel ingot or something similar and the tire sustains the damage you describe your not going anywhere.

When I said there is no such thing as a flat run flat, I meant looking at a run flat tire installed on the car with zero pressure, it looks normal. I once viewed a demonstration wherein a technician drilled a two inch hole in the sidewall of a Goodyear F1. Was surprised when the tire profile was unaltered. The car was then driven.

In the 17 years I've been driving on extended mobility tires have experienced two punctures both of which was able to continue on to the tire shop for repair.

Over the years have been in discussions addressing the pros/cons of runflat vs. conventional tires. My observation is no matter how convincing the argument no one on either side is converted.

Wolfman

I can't follow your argument.

In general, 80% of the people dislike run flats and 20% are neutral or like them or think that they are safer (which they aren't).

Of the 80% that dislike them, about 20% actually change them to conventional tires and the discussion is done for them.
The remainder just put up with it, waiting for the tires to run down or the lease to end.

I have yet to find a single person who replaced run flats with a conventional tires on the same car and liked the former.

larrypmyers

To reduce my position to the simplest of terms...I'm a proponent of extended mobility tires.

Care to provide your source of information on the 80%/20%.

You confirm my point that folks have unmovable positions concerning conventional vs. run flat tires.

It seems the best we can do is agree to disagree.

Wolfman

I am glad you like the tires. Nothing wrong with that and I am happy for you. Since you are calling them extended mobility tires I just want to make sure to mention that this is the same as run flats.

But you seem to be stuck in the thought that people have unmovable positions on run flats. I simply don't see that. Have you found a lot of diehard run flat supporters on this forum?

Many people try them as their cars come with run flats already installed, not because they chose them. So opinions come from driving, not pre-conceived notions.

I have driven the same cars with and without run flats and have made up my mind about which are better for me.
It just happens to coincide with many others. Years of complaints on BMW forums and now on Mercedes forums will show that. JD Powers has also recorded low customer satisfaction rating.

I think you would find that run flats are a non-issue in the US if Mercedes would offer either choice. They don't. Interestingly enough, Mercedes does just that when ordering one in Germany.

Streamliner

Today, I replaced my 245/50 R18 100V Bridgestone
Turanza Serenity Plus" NON-Run Flat Tires, at just under 20K miles, on my 2015 S550. I know, I know, they didn't need to be replaced, I'm just **** and like riding in the FIRST half of a tire's life, not the last half.

The ride is SENSATIONAL, to say the least. Tire noise is ZERO. Smoothness and isolation are wonderful. I don't drive aggressively or overly fast, as I have outgrown those temptations. Run Flat Tires, even as delivered on my "old man" 18" wheels are, without a doubt, the KISS OF DEATH to ride quality and comfort. The difference between the OEM RFT and these Bridgestone's is frigging night and day, especially in the tire noise category. I carry an unused W221 compact spare in my trunk, along with a W222 jack & tool kit. The S550 is the best daily driver available to me, that suits my needs, nothing really comes close. So, I put up with the tire/spare issue.

If someone here, ANYONE here, just loves their run flat tires, all I can say is that I'm happy for you, but your idea of ride quality and mine don't jive. Just sayin.

swaynesworld

I love my RunFlats. I inflate them to 4 psi over recommended. If you look under the hood of your care you'll see a label that suggest more psi at higher speeds (100 mph). I also live in Baltimore and we have pot holes like most cities we have bad roads in our inner city. Inflating my tires to 4-5 more psi has made a huge difference IMHO. I have 15K miles on my Pirelli Summer Performance 20" tires. Wear is even fronts wearing like the rear.

Wolfman

I like to hear what you love about them. By inflating the tire pressure, the ride will likely be stiffer yet. Is that to prevent them blowing?

One my Pirelli 20" run flats lasted a 1000 miles and died over a small pothole.

swaynesworld

Correct I do like the stiffer ride in general. The run flats are noticeably stiffer and robust it's a tank tire. I should also note from a previous post that I've put 5K miles on after discovering a bubble. I also noticed that tire was 5psi. too low.
When I've used conventional tires I ride them at 4-5psi more than standard. It's common sense for people that live where there are potholes to protect the wheel by keeping them properly inflated. I'm not concerned so much with the tire as I am about the 20 inch wheel/rim. If you've ever ripped a 20 inch rim you'll know it's a lot easier replacing a tire!

Mitch Alsup

At nominal tire pressures non run flat tires provide about 1/3rd of the suspension movement in cornering and braking comes from the sidewall. Here, adding air pressure can be used to stiffen the ride for more aggressive driving. {In F1 more than 1/2 of the entire suspension movement comes from the tire sidewalls at higher speed tracks.}

A run-crap tire has less tire flex, so the manufacturer has put less spring into the suspension in compensation*, so while you can compensate, it does not compensate as much as with regular tires. (*) They will tell you it is to return the favorable ride characteristics--which if that really were the case, they would not have put run-craps on in the first place.}