Hit a small pothole and now my RFT Dunlops have a bulge on them, would i have to get them replaced or can it be repaired ? :(

Since it's a sunday i cannot take it over to the BMW service centre, for now i have put a jack on the car so that the damaged tyre stays above ground with no pressure on it. What other precautions should can i take, should i inflate or deflate the tyres by a few psi?

I want to get my facts correct about the repairing possiblities because i am sure the dealership is going to pressuade me for a tyre change even if it can be repaired. can someone shed some light on how to determine if the tyre is still repairable?

Also how much does a single new RFT Dunlop 225/50R17 cost? Should i switch over to non RFT instead?

Unfortunately, I doubt it can be repaired. To me that indicates a seperation between the outer rubber and the stiff inner plies. Being runflat, you are probably safe to run on it for a while but it needs replaced. A single runflat isn't cheap but would be less than replacing 4 tires. It depends on the mileage on them. If you'd likely replace the rest of the tires in 5-10k miles, I'd replace them all if you are wanting to switch to non runflat.

EDIT: If there was a chance of it getting repaired, keeping it at normal inflation is a MUST. Hopefully you have TPM ('06 or newer) since it can tell a few psi drop. I would not drive on it very far if the buldge is signficant. I KNOW you are better off getting it replaced ASAP.

I think a weakness in the RFT design is the chance of the sidway seperating or tearing away from the stiff RFT sidewall core. With Bridgestone RFTs on a 650i, I hit a pothole at 80mph and tore the sidewall. I didn't know about it for 20 miles until I got a low pressure warning. It was 4:45 on a Friday. Being out of town with a full weekend planned, I was VERY fortunate to find a replacement tire and got it replaced for $500 at a local BMW dealership!!!!

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The question remains whether the pot hole would have hurt a regular tire, or the rim, and whether I could have had a blowout and accident. I'll never know but am glad to be on non-runflats in the 550i for their better ride quality.

Thanks for the prompt reply Richard
I have an Lci 525d just 3 months old done about 6000kms
there is no tear in the sidewall unlike u r s but there is just a prominent bulge. No low tyre pressure warning so is there a chance of repair since no air loss has taken place?
I do plan to shift to non rft once these wear out but I guess replacing all low is too early due to low milage

As mentioned, I doubt it is repairable. Most places won't touch sidewalls and its likely a seperation between the soft outer rubber and the inner RFT core. Being new, I'd replace the tire and wait it out to replace all of them. Any road hazzard warranty will help a lot in the price of the replacement.

A bulge or bubble cannot be repaired but it is a sign that the tire is not roadworthy and needs replacing.

The exact same thing happened to me on my 2004 car with runflats. I had to get a new tire for sure but I'm convinced that the stiffer sidewall of the runflat helped to protect my wheel from any damage...

https://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i...icons7/104.gif Whoa!!! Replace man. You might have to pay a bit more, but peace of mind is priceless. The last thing you need is a failure at high speed. Even with RFT's, a failure at higher speeds could lead to instabilities. Repair = https://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i...ticons7/42.gif.

this happenned to me twice last December and I had to change 2 tires. I do not think repair should be an option for you.

Happened to me 3 times on my right front tire. Lucky I bought tire/wheel insurance. It needs to be replaced :(

If memory serves... you had a bubble on one of your new 2008 19" non-RFTs too Rudy!