First flat tire and dealer experience

[DinosM]

Finished the day at the office and going to the parking lot to get in the car and the rear passenger tire is flat.

I inspect the tire and see a small nail in the tread that cause the tire to go flat, and I am thinking its an easy patch job, which most shops in my area will actually do for free.

Now the questions is how to get there, call a tow (I have AAA and BMW assist) or use the BMW sealant.

I call the service advisor at my local BMW and give him the facts, he states no problem we can patch the tire as long as it is not in the side wall, just use the sealant it and bring the car over.

Well i use the kit, its a bit messy, but it seals the tire and I get at the BMW dealership.

Now I am given a different spill, they state since i use the sealant I have to replace the tire because the sealant is corrosive and it will eventually destroy the tire and its a safety hazard. I tell them that he told me a different story on the phone and he apologizes and states he did not know about the I3 sealant until he checked with one of the techs that just came back from i3 school.

I know, I should have gone to a tire shop and skipped going to the dealer, I should have stayed with my first instinct.

Now its sounds I have no other option, I have to replace the tire and off course they do not stock I3 tires so have to wait for it. Two days later and $233 later to fix a simple flat.

I told the BMW stealer I want my old tire back, it had a bit of the sealant liquid in the tire which I easily cleaned and I may get a spare rim and have a spare tire for future flats.

 

[RoadJager]

If this is a run flat tire, the tire manufacturer's say no plugging/patching. Legal liability is part of this policy I believe. But the tire structure would be compromised just by the proper repair process of patch-plugging. Also the side wall integrity MAY be stressed/damaged under certain driving conditions while it is deflated.

 

[I33t]

i3 tyres are NOT RunFlats.

 

[jadnashuanh]

If the stuff is corrosive (really?), that doesn't bode well for the TPMS in the wheel, either! Add another $100 or so to the repair. Hopefully, though, if it does fail, they cover that under warranty.

FWIW, you CAN patch a RFT IF you've not driven it since flat...otherwise, it's no go and needs to be replaced. Problem is, it's hard to often tell when it went flat or how long it might have been driven. Worst case, there's lots of debris inside the tire, and it's obvious. So, some manufacturers will allow a patch (if everything looks good once dismounted and it's in the tread area), and some won't.

 

[bwilson4web]

When I discovered the tire repair kit and pump were missing, I bought a tire plug kit and Harbor Freight air pump. So far, I've used the pump to keep the tires inflated as the weather cools. Hope I don't have to use it but am ready when/if it happens.

Bob Wilson