[b74heavy]

My tires are near their limits on my 540i. It has 19 in wheels. I have the original factory Continental 245/40R19 98H M+S Pro contact GX. Run flats. I am satisfied with the ride, lack of noise and handling of this tire. The wear is not so good (25,000 miLes). Was kinda thinking of getting non run flat tires. Cannot decide between getting a 12 volt air compressor kit or a spare tire kit with a jack. Anyone else gone non run flat?

[jsf721]

I have run flats but I also opted for the factory spare tire kit. And I added the pump that plugs into the cig lighter. I’ve wrecked some run flats previously. It’s a well done kit but I raises the floor of the trunk quite a Bit.

[b74heavy]

Originally Posted by jsf721

I have run flats but I also opted for the factory spare tire kit. And I added the pump that plugs into the cig lighter. I’ve wrecked some run flats previously. It’s a well done kit but I raises the floor of the trunk quite a Bit.

Where do you get the run-flat kit? How much does it cost? Is it in a bag or something? I have not had any problems with potholes where I live. No flats either. I may just go with the air pump. Car is so quiet I really don't want to mess that up with a spare tire and jack banging around in the trunk.

[b74heavy]

For anyone thinking about getting a portable tire pump to put in their trunk. Here is a video of a guy testing out a lot of different ones. I think I will get the Harbor freight one.

[claykin]

Originally Posted by b74heavy

Where do you get the run-flat kit? How much does it cost? Is it in a bag or something? I have not had any problems with potholes where I live. No flats either. I may just go with the air pump. Car is so quiet I really don't want to mess that up with a spare tire and jack banging around in the trunk.

Here's the mobility kit you asked about. It makes a bit of a mess inside the tire. After using this product, inside of wheel and tire need to be washed out well. And it's recommended the valve stem insert be removed and cleaned or replaced.

https://www.shopbmwusa.com/Product/342/BMW-MOBILITY-KIT

Regarding run flat vs. Go flat. In most cases a go flat tire will have a better ride and offer better handling/performance. Looks like the Conti tire on your car is a grand touring tire, not a performance tire. It also has a treadwear rating of 500. I doubt you're going to find much better longevity than the Conti and still offer good handling/performance. Yes, I'm aware treadwear ratings are subjective to each manufacturer who uses their own methodology to come up with the wear rating. Nevertheless I'm not seeing another tire other than the Conti DWS6 that might be a good go flat option with long treadwear. But looking at the tread design of the DWS6, my guess is that tire may be noisy as it ages.

If you want a tire upgrade where performance and handling were top priority, look no further than the Michelin Pilot Sport 4s.

Go flat tires are a good choice for people who don't mind getting their hands dirty and getting stuck on the side of the road. If you drive in rural areas where help isn't readily accessible, I'd say stick with run flat. I know 2 drivers who switched to go flat then got flats in the rain and said never again. To each his own!

[claykin]

Originally Posted by b74heavy

For anyone thinking about getting a portable tire pump to put in their trunk. Here is a video of a guy testing out a lot of different ones. I think I will get the Harbor freight one.

In this video the reviewer is testing all junk. Sure maybe harbor freight is the best of the junk. If you want a good pump that will run off a cigarette lighter check out the Viair 85P. ~$50 Amazon sells it.

[hlothery]

Claykin's advice is very sage. I had go flats on my Porsche, my M4, and all of my motorcycles, and rode/drove all over the country with only a pump and a Dynaplug kit to patch holes, which I never had to use. However, I was lucky enough to never have a catastrophic failure, or a puncture which leaked air very fast. I have chosen, on my M550, to continue with runflats, since I did blow out two sidewalls on the 20 inch wheels in my less than two years of ownership (Goodyear F1 Asymmetric tires, which are crap). I have switched to Michelin PS3ZP runflats, which I like very much. Expensive, and hard to find, though. It's definitely a delimma we all face. Lots of threads about it if you search the tire forum.

[SoCal540]

Originally Posted by claykin

In this video the reviewer is testing all junk. Sure maybe harbor freight is the best of the junk. If you want a good pump that will run off a cigarette lighter check out the Viair 85P. ~$50 Amazon sells it.

+1 on Viair 85P. I've had more than a few portable air compressors that were cheaply made and died. This is by far the best... make sure the engine is running when you use it or it will drain the car battery.

[b74heavy]

Originally Posted by claykin

Here's the mobility kit you asked about. It makes a bit of a mess inside the tire. After using this product, inside of wheel and tire need to be washed out well. And it's recommended the valve stem insert be removed and cleaned or replaced.

https://www.shopbmwusa.com/Product/342/BMW-MOBILITY-KIT

Regarding run flat vs. Go flat. In most cases a go flat tire will have a better ride and offer better handling/performance. Looks like the Conti tire on your car is a grand touring tire, not a performance tire. It also has a treadwear rating of 500. I doubt you're going to find much better longevity than the Conti and still offer good handling/performance. Yes, I'm aware treadwear ratings are subjective to each manufacturer who uses their own methodology to come up with the wear rating. Nevertheless I'm not seeing another tire other than the Conti DWS6 that might be a good go flat option with long treadwear. But looking at the tread design of the DWS6, my guess is that tire may be noisy as it ages.

If you want a tire upgrade where performance and handling were top priority, look no further than the Michelin Pilot Sport 4s.

Go flat tires are a good choice for people who don't mind getting their hands dirty and getting stuck on the side of the road. If you drive in rural areas where help isn't readily accessible, I'd say stick with run flat. I know 2 drivers who switched to go flat then got flats in the rain and said never again. To each his own!

Thanks that is certainly an option. I have decided to just go with run-flats. I haven't had a tire blow out in my entire driving life (I'm 65). As I said before I like the performance of the continental tires. I have had only 3 nails in different tires. The tire all the tires slowly lost air which showed up on the information screen. So I was able to get to a dealership to have the tire plugged one time the other time it was in the sidewall so I had to replace the tire. I bought and sold many cars over the years where the spare never touched the ground. Thanks for the info though. The other time it was completely flat at my house so I decided to air it up with the compressor at home and was able to drive to the tire shop to have it plugged. I have a place where I usually buy tires but I checked the dealership prices and it is about $285. Cheaper at the BMW Dealer. I know it is weird....

[b74heavy]

Originally Posted by claykin

In this video the reviewer is testing all junk. Sure maybe harbor freight is the best of the junk. If you want a good pump that will run off a cigarette lighter check out the Viair 85P. ~$50 Amazon sells it.

Are the fuzes on a 2019 BMW 540i G30 over 15 amps. Where would you find that information? It looks like a good one though.

[claykin]

Originally Posted by b74heavy

Are the fuzes on a 2019 BMW 540i G30 over 15 amps. Where would you find that information? It looks like a good one though.

I believe fuse is either 15 or 20A. I have a Viair 85P and a 2019 G30. Used it several times to top off air and never had an issue. Center console lighter plug has worked well to top up all 4 tires.

There's another lighter socket in the trunk but it's a stretch to reach the front tires from the trunk socket.

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by b74heavy

Are the fuzes on a 2019 BMW 540i G30 over 15 amps. Where would you find that information? It looks like a good one though.

If the G30 is like the previous F chassis 5/6/7 series...the fuse index is usually located on a laminated sheet found near the trunk fuses. And the sheet contains the fuse #s, their amperage, and their location:

[SoCal540]

Originally Posted by claykin

I believe fuse is either 15 or 20A. I have a Viair 85P and a 2019 G30. Used it several times to top off air and never had an issue. Center console lighter plug has worked well to top up all 4 tires.

There's another lighter socket in the trunk but it's a stretch to reach the front tires from the trunk socket.

It's 15A

[b74heavy]

My car also has a lighter socket in the center armrest and two lighter sockets in the back seat under the air conditioning vents. A total of 5 sockets. Wonder if they are all on the same circuit or different circuits.

[b74heavy]

Wondering what would happen if you had to drive on a run-flat tire? Of course, there is a youtube video on that.

[b74heavy]

Originally Posted by SoCal540

It's 15A

I just read in the owner's manual page 257 that came with my 2019 540i G-30 under heading General Information; "The total Load of all sockets must not exceed 140 watts at 12 volts." So here are some workarounds for the Viair 85P which is 180 watts at 12 volts and 15 amps. Yea I know I am really nit-picking but you heat up a wire in a wire bundle and get a short it could get messy and expensive.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074WT6LP2...v_ov_lig_dp_it


https://www.amazon.com/VIAIR-85P-Por...9015949&sr=8-2

[LuvMyE92]

Since the OP has already made up his mind, I'll just add that "Slime" makes a kit with the fix-a-flat stuff and a compressor, neither of which I've had to use yet but reviews are good on the brand. I also have a dynaplug kit, which I have used once with not great results, but it's better than nothing (it was a big hole and required three plugs).

I really only get worried on long trips, where I may be severely inconvenienced if I have to have a tire replaced, since you're unlikely to find our size(s) instock at any local store. But every nail/screw/piece of trash that I've had in a tire has resulted in slow leaks, so a decent compressor should get you through your trip.

I hate runflats. I love the technology, I think it's great for some people, but I always remove them from my cars.