I was pressed for time as I left Vegas yesterday morning, but I couldn't live with the reality of not taking a back-roads detour in our 2007 Mini Cooper S. So when I reached Baker, California, I turned down lonely Kelbaker Road, which runs between I-15 and I-40 through an area called Devils Playground.
Evidently, the devil doesn't like to drive, because although there were lots of ominous rock formations, the road itself was a disappointment -- nowhere near enough tight turns for a Cooper S. There were lots of potholes, though, and although I drove with care, I eventually hit one. I pulled over, and sure enough, there was a bulge in the left front tire's sidewall just like that time with our BMW 330i . In other words, terminal damage to the Mini's run-flat tire.
I mentioned I was way out in the desert, right? The nearest city that I was certain would have a new 205/45R17 tire (of any variety) was Barstow -- almost 100 miles away. So off I went.
The owner's manual says that with 1-2 passengers aboard (or in my case, 1 passenger and some luggage), you can drive 155 miles at 50 mph following a tire puncture. But the speed limit on I-40 is 70, so I had to go about 73-75 to keep with the flow. The low pressure warning light didn't come on until 30 miles after the injury occurred. When I checked the pressure, though, it was holding at about 4 psi over the cold spec.
All was still well when I exited onto Barstow's main drag. I turned into a 76 station with a sign promising auto repairs and tire replacement. The mechanic on-duty was polite and responsive, but the only tire he had in the Mini's size was of course not run-flat and it was more money than I wanted to spend on what amounts to a disposable tire -- $149.99 for a Dunlop Direzza DZ101 summer tire. Now, obviously, I could have driven around Barstow in search of a better price, but I was hurried so I OK'd the swap.
When they pulled the tire off, I saw that the inside of the wheel was slightly bent. I hadn't noticed a vibration in the steering that would indicate this, and I still haven't, so it's not certain that we'll have to replace this.
The shop had me ready to go in 30 minutes and the cashier relieved me of $190.36, including labor and tax.
She let me have a banana on the house. Afterward, I went over to the Starbucks, strategically located next door, and bought a coffee to steel my resolve for a rainy slog across LA.
This morning I ordered a new Dunlop SP Sport 01 DSST tire for the Mini from Tire Rack for $269 plus $15.44 shipping. We're having it shipped directly to Stokes Tire Pros, which means we'll probably have it installed early next week. And I figured out to reset the low pressure warning light by reading page 57 of the owner's manual.
Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 10,844 miles
The owner's manual says that with 1-2 passengers aboard (or in my case, 1 passenger and some luggage), you can drive 155 miles at 50 mph following a tire puncture. But the speed limit on I-40 is 70, so I had to go about 73-75 to keep with the flow. The low pressure warning light didn't come on until 30 miles after the injury occurred. When I checked the pressure, though, it was holding at about 4 psi over the cold spec.
All was still well when I exited onto Barstow's main drag. I turned into a 76 station with a sign promising auto repairs and tire replacement. The mechanic on-duty was polite and responsive, but the only tire he had in the Mini's size was of course not run-flat and it was more money than I wanted to spend on what amounts to a disposable tire -- $149.99 for a Dunlop Direzza DZ101 summer tire. Now, obviously, I could have driven around Barstow in search of a better price, but I was hurried so I OK'd the swap.
When they pulled the tire off, I saw that the inside of the wheel was slightly bent. I hadn't noticed a vibration in the steering that would indicate this, and I still haven't, so it's not certain that we'll have to replace this.
The shop had me ready to go in 30 minutes and the cashier relieved me of $190.36, including labor and tax.
She let me have a banana on the house. Afterward, I went over to the Starbucks, strategically located next door, and bought a coffee to steel my resolve for a rainy slog across LA.
This morning I ordered a new Dunlop SP Sport 01 DSST tire for the Mini from Tire Rack for $269 plus $15.44 shipping. We're having it shipped directly to Stokes Tire Pros, which means we'll probably have it installed early next week. And I figured out to reset the low pressure warning light by reading page 57 of the owner's manual.
Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 10,844 miles
dougtheeng says:
01:55 PM, 01/24/08
Thats an unfortunately expensive pot hole. Man, the Mini has ugly rims....
billt9 says:
01:58 PM, 01/24/08
run flats are a marketing gimmick.
benson2175 says:
02:04 PM, 01/24/08
yikes! Is there a version of the Mini that comes with a small spare? This accident illustrates how unequipped modern fancy shmancy cars are for desert road trips.
SubyTrojan says:
02:35 PM, 01/24/08
Glad you're alright, Erin! :o) Ron and Jack at Stokes are great. Jack told me they both used to work at Santa Monica Subaru. Alberto's pretty cool, too. He got a 2008 WRX Sedan in November or so.
Perhaps the editorial department should try to sell the Direzza DZ101 tire on craigslist or something like that. You never know who may want a full-size spare tire.
texases says:
02:41 PM, 01/24/08
This is also a low-profile tire problem, run-flat or not. Potholes eat them for breakfast!
eriches says:
03:05 PM, 01/24/08
Base Coopers have a temporary spare, because the different exhaust routing allows space for it. I was thinking we should maybe mount the Direzza on a steel wheel, so that anyone taking a future road trip into a remote area can take it along... assuming they have the room.
By the way, the damage to the tire wasn't obvious to me or the Barstow mechanic once they pulled it off the wheel -- there was no big gash or anything. So I transported the tire home (in a garbage bag) in the hope that the staff at Stokes can do an autopsy. And I'll report back here on the results.
joberg says:
03:09 PM, 01/24/08
Benson,
The base MC comes with a spare. With the S, the way the exhaust is routed prevents the car from carrying a spare.
I am ditching the run-flats on my MCS this spring. I'll take my chances with less-expensive, better performing non-runflats and a can of quick-sealer.
johnnyturbo says:
03:18 PM, 01/24/08
SubyTrojan beat me to it -- I was going to suggest the same thing (selling the virtually new Direzza on Craigslist).
Or we could make a tire swing out of it and have it located in a tree overhanging the duck pond here at the office complex...
joefrompa says:
03:23 PM, 01/24/08
How did hitting that pothole feel? On my 06 Civic SI (in PA, if you can't tell) I've driven 36000 miles on 215/45/17 tires of either original michelin all-season or now general exclaim uhp variety (the general's are a VERY light tire at 18 pounds per piece in this size...meaning not sturdy sidewalls).
I've hit potholes hard enough to make me check later on. No bubbles, and the wheels look brand new. That includes hitting a pothole at 70mph that made me check my teeth for cracks.
Exactly what does THAT to a tire.
Joe
zach101 says:
04:17 PM, 01/24/08
I used to think run-flats were the way to go but man, there are a ton of downsides to these things!
sabastian says:
05:20 PM, 01/24/08
Does anyone know what Mini gives you on an S if you don't get the run-flats? A phone number? Maybe I'm just used to getting cheap tires, but man, $190 bucks seems like a whole lot of money for one (non run-flat!) tire.
eriches says:
05:32 PM, 01/24/08
joefrompa: I've hit potholes before, but I had a feeling that this particular hit might have done some damage. I would guess that the edge of the pothole caught the inside edge of the wheel and tire.
sabastian: The size of the tire was probably also in play here. If the car had a size like 195/60R15, I bet I could have picked something up on the cheap. Still, the fact that we're having to buy tires twice is not lost on me.
vvk says:
07:40 PM, 01/24/08
That wheel should definitely be replaced.
bimmerjay says:
08:38 PM, 01/24/08
One run flat on my BMW is about $350. I am not a fan of RFTs.
blueguydotcom says:
10:15 PM, 01/24/08
RFTs suck. Hated them on my e90 BMW and hate them on my Cooper S.
joefrompa says:
08:14 AM, 01/25/08
Bimmerjay -
When I pick up my first BMW, I may leasing, and I may replace the RFT tires with non-RFTs...wear them for most of the life of the lease..and then swap back on the OEM rfts and drive them till lease end.
Enjoy the car more and save money by not having to buy a new set of rfts for the car!
:)
Joe
actualsize says:
09:41 AM, 01/25/08
Kelbaker road is the sort of place that the BMW engineering and marketing departments in densely-packed Germany can't fathom. Few places in Europe are as far from a major population center as this. But in America there are miles and miles of roads that are outside the run-flat range of a tire store likely to have a replacement run-flat in stock.
And if you are driving from LA to Las Vegas, as millions of Angelinos do (just one example of dozens I can think of,) this scenario is very bloody likely. I'm sure a few of the BMW engineers who regularly visit Death Valley for summer testing "get it", but apparently they are not high enough up the food chain to influence corporate policy.
Let's see. One flat tire, but we have to buy two to get home and get the Mini back in shape. And now we've got an extra tire that we don't need. If we're lucky, we'll get 50 cents on the dollar for it.
And while I'm at it, let's not forget that the ride and noise caused by hyper-stiff sidewalls sucks, too.
Run-flat tires should never be cumpulsory - especially for those of use who live and drive in the wide-open west. At most, they should be optional for those who obsess about the "bad neighborhood" flat. And I don't need center-mounted exhausts THAT much. They look too biological, anyway.
C'mon BMW/Mini. Wake up already.
vvk says:
09:59 AM, 01/25/08
Run-flat tires are a threat to your life, plain and simple. They are fine for people who lease their cars and use them for commuting. For the rest of us who actually like to drive, they are dangerous gimmics. I need at least one full size spare when I drive my car to remote places. In bad weather it could be fatal to break down hundreds of miles from civilization in a place with no cell coverage.
cruiserhead1 says:
01:03 PM, 01/25/08
Erin,
mounting the Direzza on a steel wheel is a great idea. Full size spare!!
looks like the pothole ripped the piles inside the tire, certainly not a safe situation. Glad you didn't ignore it.
alum. wheels can be repaired but no guarantee- they are basically disposable once damaged.
sounds like over $500 by the time you're done. Expensive repair! At least you may have a full-size spare out of the deal.
bimmerjay says:
02:08 PM, 01/25/08
joefrompa-
A lot of people leasing BMWs are doing that now (at least on bimmerfest) - replacing the RFTs until lease end and then swapping them back. It certainly makes sense to do when the expected tire life is going to be less than 25,000 miles anyway for a sport-package equipped Bimmer.
I've considered swapping the tires out, but haven't decided yet.