RFT fix.

jlstyle · 06-18-2008, 07:58 PM

Hi guys,
My two weeks old Z4 got a big ass nail (2" long) in the tire today.

And I went to gas station to get it fixed with a plug (BMW dealers were already closed).
I was wondering if plug is ok to be used for RFT flat fix.

When I called BMW, they were saying they will have to take out the tire and do the thing and quote me over $100 for that.

Is it safe to leave it as is or do I have to do special fixing at BMW for RFT?
And now I got a TPMS light on the car and is it really going to go off once I drive certain miles as manual indicates?

What was you guys' experience with fixing RFT?

Thanks in advance.

BlackSapphireZ · 06-18-2008, 08:22 PM

just plug it like any other tire

it works just fine

headyardrat · 06-18-2008, 08:38 PM

Had my flat repaired at large tire retailer.They vulcanized the tire and rebalanced.I would question the use of a plug on a rft.You should be able to reset your tpm,check your manual.If your alarm goes off check tire pressures.If all else fails go to your dealer,$100.00,is a small price to pay to stay out of the ditch.My BMW dealer would not fix a flat,replacement only. Try Tire Rack.

Hawkeye · 06-19-2008, 10:09 AM

Yeah, resetting the TPMS is easy. Just make sure the tire pressures are correct in all tires and then press the 'flat tire' button to the right of your DTC (or DSP or whatever it is called) button and hold it for 4-5 seconds. This should reset it to the current tire pressures.

caseysc · 06-22-2008, 12:29 PM

Got Goodyear to repair mine (same problem). They would not do a plug and instead put a patch on the inside. I never drove it w/lessthan 17 psi in the tire. Bridgeston/Firestone would not fix and said I must replace it. 3K miles later, no problems.

DocRiSK · 06-22-2008, 04:38 PM

Had the same problem back in February of this year. Got it repaired at a reputable tire store/repair center here in town. They did it the RIGHT WAY which is to plug the hole as well as placing a patch on the inside. IF this is done correctly then the tire is as good as new, except some manufacturers will claim loss of the speed rating (which shouldn't be a concern unless you track it and drive REALLY fast). In fact I put it to the extremes during my drive on the Tail of the Dragon, and no problems!

Also $100 is insane since most places only charge around $10-25. I paid $21 to have mine repaired.

FYI - The following link is to the thread when this happened to me. There are some pics of the nail in the tire as well.

http://www.zpost.com/forums/showthre...&highlight=RFT

doug piston · 06-22-2008, 05:26 PM

BMW recommends replacement not fixing a RFT....

Richardo · 06-22-2008, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocRiSK

Had the same problem back in February of this year. Got it repaired at a reputable tire store/repair center here in town. They did it the RIGHT WAY which is to plug the hole as well as placing a patch on the inside. IF this is done correctly then the tire is as good as new, except some manufacturers will claim loss of the speed rating (which shouldn't be a concern unless you track it and drive REALLY fast). In fact I put it to the extremes during my drive on the Tail of the Dragon, and no problems!

Also $100 is insane since most places only charge around $10-25. I paid $21 to have mine repaired.

FYI - The following link is to the thread when this happened to me. There are some pics of the nail in the tire as well.

http://www.zpost.com/forums/showthre...&highlight=RFT

That's correct; the reputable tire shop that I had my Corvette run flat tire repaired at did the same thing. Also, he told me that it depends on where the nail punctured -- plugs won't work on the weaker sidewall punctures.

DocRiSK · 06-23-2008, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doug piston

BMW recommends replacement not fixing a RFT....

Off course they do... it's more money for them. Heck, they probably recommend replacing all 4 tires to make sure you have even wear of treads while your at it...

There are plenty of forums where you can find this same info and you can even do searches on some of the major tire companies websites and find info about how a tire can be repaired.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richardo

Also, he told me that it depends on where the nail punctured -- plugs won't work on the weaker sidewall punctures.

Exactly... a reputable place will not attempt to fix a tire that shouldn't be repaired.

Flycaster · 06-24-2008, 12:56 PM

Bottom line, as i see it. A RFT nail puncture anywhere but on the side wall is the same as a similarly placed nail puncture on a conventional tire. Both these tires are the same except for the reinforced sidewall of the RFTs. Thus a hole in the tread is a hole in the tread. A good plugging, a good plugging and patch, all will hold equally well. Big ripoff about not fixing a RFT and having to get a new one...up theirs!!!

gnx · 06-24-2008, 01:04 PM

You can plug allright as long as it is not on the sidewall and most importantly, the tire is in good condition after having been driven without air.

In you are not sure, take the tire apart from the wheel and have it checked by a professional.

jvilla107 · 06-24-2008, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gxanthop

You can plug allright as long as it is not on the sidewall and most importantly, the tire is in good condition after having been driven without air.

In you are not sure, take the tire apart from the wheel and have it checked by a professional.

i agree, i have repaired many a RFT with a plug/patch combo repair. The issue with the repair is the integrity of the tire which is entirely dependent on how long you drove that tire without air in it. Go ahead and have it fixed. Screw THE MAN, he is just afraid of being sued and wants to sell more tires.

KevinC · 06-24-2008, 10:53 PM

The only way to fix a runflat is to remove it and toss it (the whole set) into the nearest dumpster, and buy some real tires. There's a reason the M cars don't use them.. and they shouldn't be on any BMW. Sometime in the future, they'll probably be on everything, but right now, they're overpriced, difficult & expensive to replace or get repaired, and turn an awesome handling car into a rough riding turd.

DocRiSK · 06-25-2008, 04:40 PM

Oh yeah, as others mentioned above... the sidewalls of an RFT become damaged when you drive it without adequate air pressure. It sounds like in your case the nail is acting as a temporary plug. This was the case with me and so I just kept the tire pressure up until I could take it in to get repaired.

mazzawi · 07-03-2008, 05:07 PM

the solution is to get rim and tire insurance, then they will replace the tire when it is punctured

06-18-2008, 07:58 PM	#1
jlstyle Lieutenant Colonel 355 Rep 1,762 Posts Drives: Porsche Panamera Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: USA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2014 Audi S7 [0.00] 2015 BMW X5 [0.00]	RFT fix. Hi guys, My two weeks old Z4 got a big ass nail (2" long) in the tire today. And I went to gas station to get it fixed with a plug (BMW dealers were already closed). I was wondering if plug is ok to be used for RFT flat fix. When I called BMW, they were saying they will have to take out the tire and do the thing and quote me over $100 for that. Is it safe to leave it as is or do I have to do special fixing at BMW for RFT? And now I got a TPMS light on the car and is it really going to go off once I drive certain miles as manual indicates? What was you guys' experience with fixing RFT? Thanks in advance.
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

06-18-2008, 08:22 PM	#2
BlackSapphireZ Major 97 Rep 1,191 Posts Drives: 22 GLE 53 Coupe Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Ladson, SC iTrader: (0)	just plug it like any other tire it works just fine __________________ 2022 GLE 53 Coupe
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-18-2008, 08:38 PM	#3
headyardrat New Member 3 Rep 14 Posts Drives: 2005 z4 beige over met. black Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Halifax,N.S. iTrader: (0)	Had same problem Had my flat repaired at large tire retailer.They vulcanized the tire and rebalanced.I would question the use of a plug on a rft.You should be able to reset your tpm,check your manual.If your alarm goes off check tire pressures.If all else fails go to your dealer,$100.00,is a small price to pay to stay out of the ditch.My BMW dealer would not fix a flat,replacement only. Try Tire Rack. Last edited by headyardrat; 06-18-2008 at 08:41 PM.. Reason: spelling
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-19-2008, 10:09 AM	#4
Hawkeye Brigadier General 2070 Rep 4,365 Posts Drives: '07 Z4 Coupe, '21 X3, '16 GMC Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Iowa iTrader: (0) Garage List 2016 GMC Sierra SLT [10.00] 2008 Yamaha R6 [9.00]	Yeah, resetting the TPMS is easy. Just make sure the tire pressures are correct in all tires and then press the 'flat tire' button to the right of your DTC (or DSP or whatever it is called) button and hold it for 4-5 seconds. This should reset it to the current tire pressures. __________________ 2007 Z4 3.0si Coupe • 6 MT • Black Saphire Metallic • PP • SP 2016 GMC Sierra SLT Z71 Premium Plus 4x4 2017 Harley StreetGlide • Denim Black • V&H Tune 2021 BMW x30i • Phytonic Blue Metallic • Fully loaded
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-22-2008, 12:29 PM	#5
caseysc Second Lieutenant 9 Rep 274 Posts Drives: 2010 128i Conv. Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Aiken, SC iTrader: (0) Garage List 2005 Z4 2.5i [8.00]	Got Goodyear to repair mine (same problem). They would not do a plug and instead put a patch on the inside. I never drove it w/lessthan 17 psi in the tire. Bridgeston/Firestone would not fix and said I must replace it. 3K miles later, no problems.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-22-2008, 04:38 PM	#6
DocRiSK Private First Class 17 Rep 195 Posts Drives: Z4MC Join Date: May 2007 Location: IL iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 Z4 Coupe 3.0si [0.00]	Had the same problem back in February of this year. Got it repaired at a reputable tire store/repair center here in town. They did it the RIGHT WAY which is to plug the hole as well as placing a patch on the inside. IF this is done correctly then the tire is as good as new, except some manufacturers will claim loss of the speed rating (which shouldn't be a concern unless you track it and drive REALLY fast). In fact I put it to the extremes during my drive on the Tail of the Dragon, and no problems! Also $100 is insane since most places only charge around $10-25. I paid $21 to have mine repaired. FYI - The following link is to the thread when this happened to me. There are some pics of the nail in the tire as well. http://www.zpost.com/forums/showthre...&highlight=RFT
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-22-2008, 05:26 PM	#7
doug piston Private First Class 2 Rep 156 Posts Drives: F30 320 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: /dev/null iTrader: (0)	BMW recommends replacement not fixing a RFT....
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-24-2008, 12:56 PM	#10
Flycaster Flycaster 9 Rep 103 Posts Drives: '17 MB C300 coupe, '13 ATS 2.0 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Boynton Beach, FL iTrader: (0)	Bottom line, as i see it. A RFT nail puncture anywhere but on the side wall is the same as a similarly placed nail puncture on a conventional tire. Both these tires are the same except for the reinforced sidewall of the RFTs. Thus a hole in the tread is a hole in the tread. A good plugging, a good plugging and patch, all will hold equally well. Big ripoff about not fixing a RFT and having to get a new one...up theirs!!!
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-24-2008, 01:04 PM	#11
gnx Όλα ρόδες 760 Rep 560 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: May 2008 Location: Athens, Greece iTrader: (0) Garage List 2004 e46 M3 Convert ... [7.50] 2023 M4 CSL [8.17] 2007 E86 M Coupe [0.00] 2008 e93 M3 [0.00] 2019 M2 Competition [9.67] 2017 f48 X1 xdrive 25d [6.00]	You can plug allright as long as it is not on the sidewall and most importantly, the tire is in good condition after having been driven without air. In you are not sure, take the tire apart from the wheel and have it checked by a professional. Last edited by gnx; 06-24-2008 at 01:05 PM.. Reason: .
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-24-2008, 10:53 PM	#13
KevinC your average JAMF 3101 Rep 4,094 Posts Drives: '21 M2 Comp, '19 Golf R Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Cochise County, AZ iTrader: (0) Garage List 2019 VW Golf R [0.00] 2021 BMW M2 Competi ... [0.00]	The only way to fix a runflat is to remove it and toss it (the whole set) into the nearest dumpster, and buy some real tires. There's a reason the M cars don't use them.. and they shouldn't be on any BMW. Sometime in the future, they'll probably be on everything, but right now, they're overpriced, difficult & expensive to replace or get repaired, and turn an awesome handling car into a rough riding turd. __________________ '21 M2 Comp '19 Golf R
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-25-2008, 04:40 PM	#14
DocRiSK Private First Class 17 Rep 195 Posts Drives: Z4MC Join Date: May 2007 Location: IL iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 Z4 Coupe 3.0si [0.00]	Oh yeah, as others mentioned above... the sidewalls of an RFT become damaged when you drive it without adequate air pressure. It sounds like in your case the nail is acting as a temporary plug. This was the case with me and so I just kept the tire pressure up until I could take it in to get repaired.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-03-2008, 05:07 PM	#15
mazzawi Private First Class 4 Rep 140 Posts Drives: before 05 Z4 2.5 now 08 MRdstr Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Toronto iTrader: (0) Garage List 2005 Z4 [5.00]	the solution is to get rim and tire insurance, then they will replace the tire when it is punctured
	Appreciate 0 Quote