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It finally happened on I-10 today in my ‘19 SL550. Construction trailer drops a 150 pound roofing tar block on the freeway at 70 mph. Bounces off the median concrete wall spinning and hits my drivers side behind the front wheel, slides down the lower rocker panel and takes a huge chunk out of the rear tire.
Pressure drops immediately but I am able to get over and make a illegal u turn down a up ramp closed for construction. 90 minute wait for AAA and a tow back home. Two new tires I will pick up on Monday since it was recommended to replace both at the same time. Fortunately only the lower rocker panel needs repainting and nothing above. I hate not having a spare tire!
Sounds like it could have been much worse. Main thing of course, is you came out of it unscathed.
People die every year from $h!t that falls off trucks. One of my pet peeves is seeing unsecured loads in the back of trucks/pickups.
Funny that you mentioned it. My SL finally has a flat beyond patching, and needs a new tire. I have tires waiting to be installed, luckily, but now I need to take the wheel off and swap the tire out since the tire can't be driven on.
You are preaching to the choir. My top complaint out of the 3 that I have about the SL.
Originally Posted by Utopia Texas
It finally happened on I-10 today in my ‘19 SL550. Construction trailer drops a 150 pound roofing tar block on the freeway at 70 mph. Bounces off the median concrete wall spinning and hits my drivers side behind the front wheel, slides down the lower rocker panel and takes a huge chunk out of the rear tire.
Pressure drops immediately but I am able to get over and make a illegal u turn down a up ramp closed for construction. 90 minute wait for AAA and a tow back home. Two new tires I will pick up on Monday since it was recommended to replace both at the same time. Fortunately only the lower rocker panel needs repainting and nothing above. I hate not having a spare tire!
You can always buy a donut. Issue is that the flat tire won't fit in the trunk or passenger seat. If you have a strap, you can drive with the trunk open but tied down... Either way, not a great solution for the rare situation. Glad you didn't get hurt and have no real damage on the car!
Yes, If I had been at that spot just one second sooner it would have hit the front end. Into the windshield or wedged under the car. I hate to think what might have happened…..
Yes, If I had been at that spot just one second sooner it would have hit the front end. Into the windshield or wedged under the car. I hate to think what might have happened…..
Thankfully you are all ok.
Yep and a second or two later and you’d have avoided it all.
Wrong time wrong place and hopefully will never happen again.
I can only recall once ever needing my spare and then I could not get the wheel off with the tyre change tool kit in the car. Roadside assistance battled, alloy wheel was stuck to the top-hat.
I’m comfortable not having a spare.
Glad you came out of this ok. I get around trucks hauling stuff just a quickly as I can. Your issue could have been much worse. Car haulers and trucks with tree trunks worry me the most.
Until this SL, I never had a vehicle without a spare and tools to change a tire. The sound quality of the speakers and lack of a spare are the only two things I don't like about the car....everything else I am very happy with.
A few years ago the front end of the C300 ate a bouncing, rolled up tarp on I-71. That thing was the size of a hay bale and I can't believe insurance didn't total out the car. I hate trucks.
Many years ago my step-brother was driving behind a lorry when a log fell off it. He was lucky that it hit his car across the “A” pillars. I always keep well clear of anything with a load.
Then there was the time when my wife was driving (Vegas to San Diego) and had decided that she had the 'right of way' and was not going to let a 18 wheeler merge,,,,,,,,,,,,,after some rude yelling from me, she gave way. I’ve still not worked out what was going on in her head that day.
Lower rocker panel painted and to be installed this afternoon. New rear tire and rocker panel strengthened, repaired and repainted $1600. Could have been much worse if it had been head on….
I have a 2015 SL400 with 19" wheels, 8.8/9.5 width. I cracked a rim, had it repaired, now it cracked again and this model does not come with a spare.
From reading, I read that I can use the CLS model spare, it suppossedlly fits my car. So I purchased a spare from eBay and hoped for the best. I can report that part number A2124018802 not only worked, it uses the stock lugs and fits great. It is 18" vs the stock 19" rims, but since the tire seems taller vs the 35 series OEM 19" tires, it drives fine. I plan to keep it in my garage, and if needed, I will get a ride home to pick it up along with tools if I am ever in a situation where I need it.
The run-flats work, but what they did not plan for was what to do when it is not your tire, but in fact the wheel, that needs replacement? The dealership said the lead time can be 30+ days as the OEM rims need to come from Germany...
Just sharing my info, I was not 100% sure this spare would fit, I can confirm it does.
David
Last edited by howarddavidp; May 2, 2022 at 11:49 AM.
Most SL owners that I have spoken with about having no spare and who have switched to non run flats like myself usually say something like they never had a flat or an issue, or they have AAA, or they can tow the car to a dealer. They also say that they don’t drive very far also. I have had numerous flat tires over the last few years and most were due to the terrible area I had to drive in. Thankfully I stopped having to go to that bad area late last year. I have had a screw in my SL tire just this year, so I like having options, if a flat does happen.
I just don’t get the logic behind some of those statements. There is no way to know the dealer has a matching tire in-stock, or can even fit your car in that day. What if the dealer is closed? AAA could tow you, but you ain’t riding with them while covid19 is still around they told me that right over the phone when I had to call them for my other vehicle in the past, although I didn’t want or need to ride with them anyway. AAA can’t change a tire your don’t have a spare for either. I purchased my car to drive and enjoy. Not to make very nice looking 7/11 runs.
I have a tire plug kit, electric air pump, low profile jack, and a lug wrench in the rear hatch. Now that I think about it I better place a bright LED flash light in there too.
I have said before I hate not having a spare, but I feel better with what I do have.
Anyone know if AAA will plug a tire if they can’t change it?
Last edited by ThatsMyDawg; May 3, 2022 at 06:33 AM.
Plug can not fix a damaged sidewall, only a spare "can". IMHO, former is a must/nice have for most common damages while the later is a must for any kind of damage. When I had my SL, I always carried a donut spare (yes the one from CLS) in my trunc.
A plug also cannot fix a bent wheel, or a cracked wheel. A plug is there to fix what it can. As I have stated in this and other posts. I hate not having a spare. I also like having something more than having nothing.
Originally Posted by threeMBs
Plug can not fix a damaged sidewall, only a spare "can". IMHO, former is a must/nice have for most common damages while the later is a must for any kind of damage. When I had my SL, I always carried a donut spare (yes the one from CLS) in my trunc.
Most SL owners that I have spoken with about having no spare and who have switched to non run flats like myself usually say something like they never had a flat or an issue, or they have AAA, or they can tow the car to a dealer. They also say that they don’t drive very far also. I have had numerous flat tires over the last few years and most were due to the terrible area I had to drive in. Thankfully I stopped having to go to that bad area late last year. I have had a screw in my SL tire just this year, so I like having options, if a flat does happen.
I just don’t get the logic behind some of those statements. There is no way to know the dealer has a matching tire in-stock, or can even fit your car in that day. What if the dealer is closed? AAA could tow you, but you ain’t riding with them while covid19 is still around they told me that right over the phone when I had to call them for my other vehicle in the past, although I didn’t want or need to ride with them anyway. AAA can’t change a tire your don’t have a spare for either. I purchased my car to drive and enjoy. Not to make very nice looking 7/11 runs.
I have a tire plug kit, electric air pump, low profile jack, and a lug wrench in the rear hatch. Now that I think about it I better place a bright LED flash light in there too.
I have said before I hate not having a spare, but I feel better with what I do have.
Anyone know if AAA will plug a tire if they can’t change it?
I think for most people the SL is their 3rd (or higher) car which makes sending it off to the dealer easier. I live in metro NY whose roads roughly resembles a third world nation. That being said it's been over 10 years since I've had a flat (and that was my 2011 550ix which went through more bubbled tires and rims than you could imagine). I'll knock on some wood now. I also don't see any issue sitting in a tow truck with someone else. Covid will be here forever so sooner or later either comfortability will come back or something else will sink in. I just don't think about tires nor worry about what will happen if I get a flat, I can handle the minor inconvenience.
I get it.
My SL is our 3rd vehicle. I have a Range Rover and my wife has. GLK. My not riding in the tow truck thing was AAA rules not mine. Things will change eventually I agree. I drive from work after 7pm and I leave for work at 5am and there is no chance MB service would be open. By the time the tow truck arrives and then gets the car to the dealer might be some time, although if it’s in the morning the dealer would eventually open. Either way I am waiting on my wife to come and get me and depending on the situation and my location that could be some time. I can’t change any of this, but I just wish MB came up with a better plan than sacrificing ride comfort for run flats and any cost/weight savings from eliminating a spare.
Originally Posted by emilner
I think for most people the SL is their 3rd (or higher) car which makes sending it off to the dealer easier. I live in metro NY whose roads roughly resembles a third world nation. That being said it's been over 10 years since I've had a flat (and that was my 2011 550ix which went through more bubbled tires and rims than you could imagine). I'll knock on some wood now. I also don't see any issue sitting in a tow truck with someone else. Covid will be here forever so sooner or later either comfortability will come back or something else will sink in. I just don't think about tires nor worry about what will happen if I get a flat, I can handle the minor inconvenience.
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
Originally Posted by ThatsMyDawg
I get it.
My SL is our 3rd vehicle. I have a Range Rover and my wife has. GLK. My not riding in the tow truck thing was AAA rules not mine. Things will change eventually I agree. I drive from work after 7pm and I leave for work at 5am and there is no chance MB service would be open. By the time the tow truck arrives and then gets the car to the dealer might be some time, although if it’s in the morning the dealer would eventually open. Either way I am waiting on my wife to come and get me and depending on the situation and my location that could be some time. I can’t change any of this, but I just wish MB came up with a better plan than sacrificing ride comfort for run flats and any cost/weight savings from eliminating a spare.
Your job SUCKS! (And I did the same for 34 years living the the DC area until I retired last year.). That said, can you use one of those Mercedes Tirefit (i.e., Slime) inflator kits on the runflats?
Actually my job is truly awesome. My hours are what they are, because I have made them that way. These crazy hours that I work are not meant to be permanent hours and are just part of the ground work in building my brand and company. I expect 2023 to be the year I can start to reduce my hours and my hands on everything.
I do not have run flats, I have regular tires. Run flats can be driven flat long enough to get you home or to a repair station. (Usually 50 to 100 miles), if at reduced speeds. I have everything I need in my hatch to get out of a normal flat, not a blow out, or broken/cracked wheel flat.
Originally Posted by JettaRed
Your job SUCKS! (And I did the same for 34 years living the the DC area until I retired last year.). That said, can you use one of those Mercedes Tirefit (i.e., Slime) inflator kits on the runflats?
Last edited by ThatsMyDawg; May 3, 2022 at 10:26 AM.
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