1309w

Anyone know if a donut spare can fit under the trunk floor cover in a 2013 r231? there's space there, but I don't know if its enough
thanks

threeMBs

Not a chance. It (CLS550/E550 donut p/n A2124013302) barely fits on top of the trunk floor cover. R231s certainly have less space than R230s did, regardless what MB says.

jbattan

I assume you want to do that because you want to replace the junky run-flats with air-filled tires. Good plan, but you're out of luck with having a spare. Just be near enough to order a flatbed tow truck if you get a flat. I've used my spare tire once in the past 30 years.

1309w

yup. best alternative I've found is slime with an air pressure pump in the trunk. and mbrace

threeMBs

This is the picture:

eddieo45

Reviving this old thread to see if anyone here nowadays has purchased an A2124013302 space-saver spare. If so, where? I'm not finding it at any of my usual MB parts providers, and TireRack doesn't have it either. I want to get one for what I fear will become an increasingly necessary reason: to drive my car home from the tire shop while they repair a cracked wheel! As Wolfman once pointed out in an old thread I found, you won't be able to fit a flat 255/35/19 or 285/30/19 in the trunk so it may not make sense to drive around with a spare 24/7, but when I get to the tire shop and they say "leave your tire and pick it up tomorrow" it will come in handy.

Streamliner

I have been quite outspoken about the truly idiotic decision by MB to remove spares from their passenger cars. That said, since I never drive my SL far from home, which means it will always be very close to numerous flatbed services and tire shops, I can live with it. When I swap out my run flats, I will carry a “TireFit” kit as well, just in case. For you folks who want to take your SL’s on long trips, through rural areas, I would strongly suggest that you stay with the latest versions of run flats. I have also been extremely critical of run flats since they were first used by MB. However, the RFT that came on my 2019 are significantly better than previous generations and I could easily live with them if I had to. Of course, I’m talking about a car with ABC as well, and I won’t start that discussion all over again.

eddieo45

Understood, but like I said, I need something to put on the car while I send a wheel out for repair. My "other car" that I normally would use in lieu of the SL is at my "other house".

threeMBs

eBay is the place:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-W218-M...ry!34229!US!-1

Utopia Texas

The problem with run flats in rural areas is that if you really damage one the local shops will not have replacements and you may have to wait days to get a replacement shipped in to a area that also does not have rental cars available. I would much rather take a chance finding a regular tire in a rural area to get back on the road rather than finding a run flat.

bob55

If you pick up a nail or a screw in the tread area, it's not usually a 'catastrophic leak', so typically air pressure is being lost slowly.

if you carry a 12-volt Air Compressor in the trunk, (as I do), you can usually just pump the tire right back up and it will normally hold sufficient air pressure long enough for you to get to a tire shop for the repair. (I've actually done this many times, even with cars I owned that did have a spare!)

Be sure not to remove the nail or screw upon discovery. Leave it in the tire until you can get to a tire shop. Removing the nail or screw would allow air to escape much faster.

Obviously this does apply for road hazard damage that creates a leak in the sidewall area of the tire rather than in the tread area. If you are running wheel and tire sizes larger than 18-inches you are at greater risk for that kind of tire damage.

Beware of 'POTHOLES', because often that's all it takes for 'catastrophic' sidewall damage to occur when running on 19-inch or larger low profile tires!
Fortunately, 'potholes' have never been much of a problem here in South Florida!

eddieo45

Thanks; somehow my search only found an older, cheaper, more beat up one. Will the regular lug bolts work with this spare?

threeMBs

Yes.

Streamliner

Ahh, you rich guys with multiple houses!

1309w

Just as an afterthought: I wrote this with a laugh in mind. I have a fairly good sense of humor, but recognize that writing like this might make sarcasm look like carping. it isn't, at least not here. And I very much appreciate the help I've gotten from this forum and others. Thanks guys.

I live in non-rural New Jersey. I've broken four or five rims and six or eight tires on this car driving the local streets, NYC streets, and the turnpike over the last couple of years. You can't avoid the potholes most of the time, they're deep, and just when you think you've learned where they are on your daily route, new ones pop up overnight. There has been a lot of repaving of the local roads since winter, but you can bet the potholes will be back again. And good luck with negotiating the streets as they are repaved.

The turnpike (that's US 95, the most traveled road in the country, to non locals) is no better. There are deep ruts running long distances in the pavement around exit 12 and elsewhere, and there are three tank traps on either side of exit 18 toll booth, lined with metal spikes. the turnpike authority has been informed but done nothing about it for at least a couple of months. It's crowded around these parts. Traffic here is often almost bumper to bumper at 40 miles an hour. Sometimes faster. You're not going to see it before you hit it.
(BTW I've had to be towed from the turnpike, and you have to have a specially contracted truck take you to their office, from which you can then get another tow from someone else to a dealer who can do the repair or replacement. Took about six hours. I think a spare is worth having for local travel in our neighborhood)

As the OP I've thought about this a lot. First, threeMBs is right on.....ebay is where you'll find the donuts. They come up from time to time. I've also thought about buying an inexpensive rim and tire to keep in the trunk. There are no 16 or 17 inch tires that will fit, so you'd have to go with an 18 or 19. Haven't looked to see if they'd fit in the trunk, but doubt they would.
If you do get some kind of spare, once you do change out the tire you CAN put the 19" in the trunk, but you have to carry a bungee to keep the trunk lid down while you drive to your destination and for repair service. Not so bad.

The standard run flats wear out quickly. And last I looked they were only summer tires. I use the car in winter too. besides, the all weather Michelins give a better ride, last longer, and are quieter. ymmv. And even if you drive only in summer, the turnpike will still get you, and the run flats won't save you from a broken rim.

You could also go the whole hog and get rid of the 19" wheels and replace them with 18" rims and new tires with more rubber between the rim and the road. Of course you could also just buy another car for the cost of the new rims and tires. Kind of defeats the purpose though, doesn't it?

I like this car. I like driving in it. But the roads in Germany must be better maintained than here to let them run without trouble. until we catch up with them, maybe the people at Mercedes could take that into account and design wheels that can be used safely on the cars they sell in this country.

Streamliner

You should write MB a letter. You will receive a letter, thanking you for your concerns, but pretty much telling you that there is nothing wrong with their cars and if you don’t like it, too bad. Honestly, they say they care, but they don’t. They are Mercedes-Benz. They are German. They know everything. They know best.

TennesseeZ4

After two broken rims, I went to the aftermarket for wheels that can withstand the roads we live in. That and a tire kit from Tire Rack that has a compressor and slime. But since moving to aftermarket wheels, I have had zero issues. There was a class action suit against MB AMG wheels a few years ago that was ruled in MB favor, so as StreamLiner noted, they really don't pay attention to this issue. I bought a whole car's worth of wheels for what MB wanted for two rims. It is an issue with low profile tires, but seems prone to be challenged on our roads.

1309w

Thanks Streamliner and TennesseeZ4 for your condolences, and everyone for their suggestions. Yes Mercedes does what it wants to do and it is after all our option to buy or not. I did think about doing what TennesseeZ4 did and actually think that may be the best solution since I want to hold onto my car. Actually might break even on the deal if I can sell the rims and tires I have for a good price.

What wheels did you get, and does the car drive or handle significantly differently from before?

rorywquin

Nobody forced us to buy a MB!

bkdaman

yes it fits I put a donut from a 2017 e400 and it fit fine but it did not fit the car

eddieo45

I've been reviving old threads since I arrived here 15 years ago and was told "STFF!" It's especially gratifying to not only hear from the OP (on a 4+ year old thread!) but to also provoke a lively, informative discussion.



Is that tire sitting on the "false floor", or did you have to remove that? And what's the mesh netting? While I'm at it, what's that red line to the left of the tire?

If I were in that situation (sounds like a horror movie setup, lol) I'd buy whatever tire they had that would fit, and get it sorted out better once I got home to Utopia!
In my experience they cause more damage to wheels than sidewalls. I had to drive on an 18" wheel with zero air in the tire on my CLK550 (valve stem had broken and fallen into the tire); down an onramp, off the exit and around the cloverleaf: tire was fine.
I'm sure I'm far from alone on THIS forum, lol....
The bungee cord tip is a good one; I keep them in my other cars but hadn't thought about it in the SL.I don't want to jinx myself but I think there are 50,000+ miles of the RFTs on my wife's C300. Purposely selected 17", BTW....for some reason I didn't expect there'd be much of a difference between 18s and 19s, while I assume 20s are just ridiculous....
Yeah, I'm curious about that too TZ4....

eddieo45

I sent inquiries to many of the MB Parts sellers I've dealt with over the years....some responses:

Autohaus of Peoria: "I'm sorry Mercedes Benz does not supply a spare for this vehicle in the USA Market. Your only option would be a full size wheel and tire."

Mercedes Parts Hub: "Part number 2124013302 is not a valid number." (I sent them a pic)



When I followed up with my VIN they said "The correct spare for your chassis will be 212-400-42-00, however, it is grayed out as not applicable to your vehicle. With that said, we will not be able to guarantee fitment."

TennesseeZ4

The wheels that I ended up with Avant Garde M610 Advance Rim Technology, which is a hybrid forged wheel. I used the standard offsets, diameter and widths, although the rears were 1/2 inch wider. The debate that I had was to go back with a look similar to the AMG wheels that came on the car, or go with a different style. During my discovery process, I queried a number of folks at the MB Club, as well as other brands at our local Cars & Coffee, and a couple of tuner shops. Bottom line, you can spend a gazillion dollars on some 'high tech' wheels, or you can go low. I slotted somewhere in the middle, and went with a look that is quite similar to the new AMG wheels that I see on SL63's at the dealership. I do get some compliments on the wheels and have had zero issues with them; the folks at AG were great to deal with. I did keep the AMG wheels in the event I wanted to sell the car, then having the original set may have some value. Here is a recent photo:

Avant Garde M610 ART wheels

threeMBs

[QUOTE=eddieo45;7789260

Is that tire sitting on the "false floor", or did you have to remove that? And what's the mesh netting? While I'm at it, what's that red line to the left of the tire?


[/QUOTE]

To me picture is 100% self explanatory, but...a. tire is in the trunk on the "false floor" where one would keep "luggage"(like golf clubs or a soft duffel bag), b. mesh is actually supplied with the car as there are hooks for it on both sides of the trunk, c. red wire is for CTEK charger connected to the battery under the floor.

threeMBs

This is 19" spare for SL63/65/E63/CLS63 and is over kill for non-AMG SLs (also will cost more than twice as much). All you need is an 18" spare from C218 2012-18 CLS550 or W212 2012-2014 E550, like I have posted above (I do not know if spare from 2015-16 E400 and 2015-18 CLS400 would fit as I think they have downsized brakes from 550s, hence may have used different spare).