[manishk123]

Nice thread! I've been thinking of starting a thread on runflats since a long time. Being a X5 and 5 series owner this is on my mind on every road trip. I've infact been stranded 3 times in the last 5 years on highways due to run flats. Have sworn of bmws since, till they find a better solution for Indian conditions.

[rajeshchand]

Originally Posted by manishk123

Nice thread! I've been thinking of starting a thread on runflats since a long time. Being a X5 and 5 series owner this is on my mind on every road trip. I've infact been stranded 3 times in the last 5 years on highways due to run flats. Have sworn of bmws since, till they find a better solution for Indian conditions.

Manish can u elaborate on how managed after that especially if u were on a night drive.

[manishk123]

Originally Posted by rajeshchand

Manish can u elaborate on how managed after that especially if u were on a night drive.

I generally avoid night driving on highways so all 3 times it was fortunately in the day. First time was on expressway just out of pune. I drove to the first petrol pump which was about 20 mins away and left the car there with my driver since I didnt want to risk ruining the tyre by driving all the way to Mumbai. I called for another car from my cousin's house in Pune to take me to bombay. Also called the dealer and they sent a rescue vehicle from Pune dealer - Bavaria Motors who came after about an 1.45 hrs and fixed the tyre.
The second was also a similar experience on the expressway.
The third time was the worst on my X5. I had driven straight from Mumbai to Mahableshwar. I reached my house and parked the car at around 3 pm. At 6 pm when I was about to get into the car again I noticed the front left tyre had gone completely flat. There was no low tyre pressure warning all the way from mumbai to mhabi and yet here I was stranded in Mahableshwar without a usable car. I called my office in Mumbai to send a spare that I had in my garage by parcel service since I was going to be in Mahableshwar for 3 days. The spare tyre reached me in 2 days thankfully and I changed and left for Mumbai.
The point to note here is that after spending close to 75 lacs on a vehicle, I was stranded in mahableshwar for 2 days because it didnt have a spare!!

[rajeshchand]

Originally Posted by manishk123

The point to note here is that after spending close to 75 lacs on a vehicle, I was stranded in mahableshwar for 2 days because it didnt have a spare!!

Enough reasons to make my decision easier to shift to tubeless tyres on next tyre change albeit at loss of boot space after placing the spare wheel.

[AirbusA340]

Highway trips aren't an everyday thing. You can always go to the dealer in your free time, buy a spare, some tools & a portable air compressor as a one time investment which you could carry every time you hit the highway.

If the damage is not 'zero air', then keep stopping, keep checking the air, continue until you feel like changing to the spare. If the damage is serious, then you can change immediately to the spare.

All these may eat up considerable space in the boot, but a little bit of luggage can be accommodated in the rear seats also sometimes. You need a balance/trade-off at some point. If you're a highway freak, then these options to not get stranded are always there. If you're hitting the highway regularly with lots of luggage that you can't spare any kind of space from the boot, then you are taking the wrong vehicle to start with!

Personally, I wouldn't hit the highway without these tools especially if family is on board.

Above all, BMW has enough experience doing business and understanding the sub-continent. They should have provided a run flat spare long time ago!

pEaCe

[nitrous]

Originally Posted by airbusa340

They should have provided a run flat spare long time ago!

A space saver spare tyre would be the best option.

[noopster]

Runflats are a dealbreaker for me and manish's experience only serve to reinforce the point. It's bad enough big Germans suffering from reliability issues but if the manufacturer insists on leaving you stranded every time you get a puncture with no spare and no chance to getting the puncture repaired, sorry- I am not aboard.

[rajeshchand]

Originally Posted by AirbusA340

All these may eat up considerable space in the boot, but a little bit of luggage can be accommodated in the rear seats also sometimes. You need a balance/trade-off at some point. If you're a highway freak, then these options to not get stranded are always there. If you're hitting the highway regularly with lots of luggage that you can't spare any kind of space from the boot, then you are taking the wrong vehicle to start with!

Point is not whether one can spare space in the boot on a highway trip, definitely we can do that, but don't you think BMW should have thought about this while selling cars costing 30L plus

Originally Posted by AirbusA340

Above all, BMW has enough experience doing business and understanding the sub-continent. They should have provided a run flat spare long time ago!

pEaCe

May be the only way to sort this out is take the vehicle and in case of a flat tyre call their roadside assistance, let them learn the hard way though it is gonna be quite an inconvenience, do we have any choice.

[BeamerBoy]

Originally Posted by noopster

Runflats are a dealbreaker for me and manish's experience only serve to reinforce the point. It's bad enough big Germans suffering from reliability issues but if the manufacturer insists on leaving you stranded every time you get a puncture with no spare and no chance to getting the puncture repaired, sorry- I am not aboard.

I am sorry but the picture is not that gloomy. Ok, we can debate for the sake of having a debate and then put forth individual opinions. As a user, I must share that what you key in here is far from being true. "... manufacturer insists on leaving you stranded every time you get a puncture with no spare and no chance to getting the puncture repaired"

I have used RFTs for 6 years. Had punctures, but didn't break a sweat. Drive on, use simple wick repairs. Cost me Rs. 10 to Rs. 50 per puncture repair. And the probability is very rare to get a second or a 3rd puncture on the same tyre. Before that, the tyre is usually worn out and calls for replacement due to normal wear and tear.

I have not come across a road in India where there is no puncture wala in the next 50 km or so. Safety? Puncture repaired RFTs are still a safer bet than puncture repaired normal tubeless radials.

Being stranded comes only when you have a big gash or a side wall cut. Yes, I accept. I got stranded. Once. Thanks to Rapid Metro barriers here in Gurgaon. But that was once and for sure not every time.

[AirbusA340]

Originally Posted by rajeshchand

Point is not whether one can spare space in the boot on a highway trip, definitely we can do that, but don't you think BMW should have thought about this while selling cars costing 30L plus



May be the only way to sort this out is take the vehicle and in case of a flat tyre call their roadside assistance, let them learn the hard way though it is gonna be quite an inconvenience, do we have any choice.

that's exactly everyone's crib. They may have a point but it is pointless to stand on the highway and wonder..lol!

pEaCe

[noopster]

Originally Posted by BeamerBoy

I am sorry but the picture is not that gloomy. Ok, we can debate for the sake of having a debate and then put forth individual opinions. As a user, I must share that what you key in here is far from being true. "... manufacturer insists on leaving you stranded every time you get a puncture with no spare and no chance to getting the puncture repaired"

I have used RFTs for 6 years...

I am not debating your personal experience, but the fact remains that if I have a tyre-shredding incident halfway between Mumbai and Goa (every RFT-baiter's pet scenario ) I do not have the option to leave my driver with the car, or call my office/home for a replacement car as another owner has mentioned. If BMW provided an option of a spare tyre, that would be ideal. But they don't- in fact they have extended this warped logic to the Minis as well- and that's what I mean when I said what I did.

[BeamerBoy]

Originally Posted by noopster

I am not debating your personal experience, but the fact remains that if I have a tyre-shredding incident halfway between Mumbai and Goa (every RFT-baiter's pet scenario ) I do not have the option to leave my driver with the car, or call my office/home for a replacement car as another owner has mentioned. If BMW provided an option of a spare tyre, that would be ideal. But they don't- in fact they have extended this warped logic to the Minis as well- and that's what I mean when I said what I did.

Thanks. I totally understand. 6 years experience Vs. 'If' laden hypothesis.

And I totally agree, even if they do not provide a spare wheel at least provide a cavity big enough in the boot to store a space saver just like my E60. An optional wheel in the trunk will add miles to mental peace even though it may not be required to be put into use for months or years.

[manishk123]

Add another one to the list - This time its my brother-in-law's Rolls Royce Phantom! The car is just over a year old with less than 2000 kms on it. My brother-in-law's parents had taken it to Nasik yesterday for a daytrip. On thier way back in the evening, a little outside nasik, one of the tyres got completely shredded and the car could not be driven any further. A call was placed to the Rolls Royce helpline and they said they would dispatch a towing vehicle from Mumbai to get back the car since they did'nt know if there would be any specialised towing vehicle available in Nasik which could take the car without causing any further damage.

Meanwhile, my brother-in-law's parents had to hitch a ride back to Mumbai with some people who stopped on the highway to help them.

From passengers in a Rolls Royce Phantom to hitch-hikers thanks to runflat tyres!

What I don't understand is in a massive vehicle like a Phantom what is the need to have runflats and why not give a spare when there is acres of space in the boot! Surely it cant be about cutting costs in a vehicle that costs 4.5 crs! What is the logic here? Someone please tell me.

[Sn1p3r]

Originally Posted by manishk123

What I don't understand is in a massive vehicle like a Phantom what is the need to have runflats and why not give a spare when there is acres of space in the boot! Surely it cant be about cutting costs in a vehicle that costs 4.5 crs! What is the logic here? Someone please tell me.

My point is not for an argument but trying to decipher the code.
Did TPMS fail on Phantom? Did the driver notice the warning/caution and kept on going at the low/high speed recommended?
Shredding does not happen in an instant so how long was the car running from first warning to the stranded stage?

Why is it on the Phantom, the technology does not dictate the lightness of the load, it just saves a lot of blow ups at high speed, Phantom is a very sprightly car if driven near its potential. I have driven at high speeds on German autobahns and I think the technology works. Yes, it's all together another thing that BMW is stuck with their ideals. I too think they need to do a Indian road reality check, again.

[manishk123]

Originally Posted by Sn1p3r

My point is not for an argument but trying to decipher the code.
Did TPMS fail on Phantom? Did the driver notice the warning/caution and kept on going at the low/high speed recommended?
Shredding does not happen in an instant so how long was the car running from first warning to the stranded stage?

I'm not sure if the warning light came and the driver did'nt see it. He took the training module with RR at the time of delivery so he's generally aware of such things. He came back with the vehicle this morning and left for home directly from the RR workshop as he must have been completely exhausted. Will talk to him when he resumes duty.
The driver is generally overtly cautious and does not speed over 100 kmh even in regular driving. Will talk to RR workshop too and find out what caused the problem.