Anyone know if the tires go flat how do you get them repaired?
Can they be fixed like any other tire?

 

Yes. I had a set of Goodyear Eagle GS-D EMT (runflats) on my 3 series two years ago (I think they were originally designed as the front tire for the Plymouth Prowler). One went flat, and you really need the tire pressure monitoring system to know. The tire "cracked" just above the bead. IMO, I will never go with runflats again because these particular ones were awful in rain (has nothing to do with runflat) and you lose some "feel" in the tire. Also, they have a harsher ride due to the increased thickness in the sidewall. Good intentions, but not worth it. Again, I may just have had a bad experience.

 

What does "run flat" really mean though? If my tire is all the way flat, I can still drive on it? Why would someone still want to do that? Maybe I just don't really understand.

My car has not been delivered yet though, so maybe it's in the manual or an addendum.

 

Hi 555

To answer your question, if you have a car full of kids and the weather is like it is today in the UK (sub-zero with loads of snow), you really do not want to stop at the side of the road to change a flat tyre. Better to drive on to the nearest tyre dealer and get them to do the hard work!

Having aforementioned children in the car frequently, it seemed like a great feature to me so I picked a car with cool wheels (123) and run-flats. They may turn out to be a handling compromise but, as a package, the car handles so much better than my previous Audi Allroad that I simply did not care that much!

 

Gotcha. Thanks!

 

I had a runflat tyre with 3 nails on it. When the iDrive reported that i had a flat tyre i had to stop the car on flat surface and i could barely told which one was flat. I went to the repair shop and i found out that the tire was deflated completely! 0 bar! However, they took out the nails and repaired the tyre without taking it off the rim!
So, if you get a runflat warning you should be very carefull.

 

I was told runflats can't be repaired by the dealer ?!?

Had mine changed which cost a bomb !!! (18 inchers)

 

They dont recomend repairing runflat tires.
Mine deflated over night so i went strait to the shop (3 km or so) it couldnt have damaged in just that distance.

 

The entire principle of runflat is an increased thickness in the sidewall that can essentially support the weight of the vehicle, inflated or not. Think of the wheels in the same way your old Big Wheel used to work (am I dating myself?). Even if you wore a hole through a wheel, since it was plastic it would still support the weight. When you think about it, ride quality is definitely compromised because it is less pliable and able to absorb the road bumps. However, on a lower profile tire like an 18", you are less likely to notice the difference.