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[JOHNBMWM5]

Originally Posted by Teutonic M3

People ... fix your own tires. You want them to wipe your a** too? What responsibility does BMW have if you get a nail in your tire. You want more entitlement?

you do make me laugh, we pay 60/70K for a car and get some gunk shite to put in it that ruins the tyre as soon as you put it in, and many times it does NOT work anyway, instead of a SPARE. pathetic.

[mkoesel]

Are you saying that AAA can actually repair a punctured tire on the side of the road? As in patch it? If that's the case, I guess I am way behind the times. I never knew this was possible.

If you just mean that AAA will take the car to a tire shop and have it fixed, then yeah, BMW assist will do that too. You don't have to take the car to a dealership.

Originally Posted by drvai

So let's say I get a nail in a tire... I call BMW assist.. will they come and repair the tire like AAA does?

[424D57]

Originally Posted by leandroe1016

After warranty is up in four years we still get roadside assistance free from BMW right bc we have no spare?

Yes if memory serves roadside for tires is lifetime. Don't recall if its technically tied to the M, the lack of runflats/spare, or the mobility system itself.

-424D57

[jeffnnj]

I had it happen to me and the car was flat bedded to my dealership where my wheel/tire policy replaced two of my tires for free.

[TheRealOrosie]

Originally Posted by MJC///M3

2 times i had to use it...(both nails in my 19"s)....they towed my car to my service center...and I had to get the tire replaced.

Tire Warranty FTMFW!!!!

Yup! 4k miles...had a screw in my back tire. Took it to the dealership, put on a brand new $400 tire, did not cost a cent.

[mdosu]

BMW assist is a racket! It's a way for BMW to tell you they "care" about your tires, but all they want you to do is get your car there so you can buy their $300 tire for replacement.

My suggestion is not to use BMW assist b/c their only requirement is to take you to the nearest dealership, no more, no less, no bargaining, and your car will be stuck there until you PAY someone to do something to it. (Say, you don't want to pay $300 for their tire, then you have to get your car towed to somwhere else to get it plugged, or keep the car there and you go home, order a new tire, wait 2 days, and then have them install it at their hourly rate, $50 + no promises they won't scratch up your wheels)

See how this is a bad deal disguised as a good deal?


Most ppl don't know, but chance are, your comprehensive car insurance covers towing. You probably don't know, bc it's a very small premuim, mine is like 80 cents per month. You can just call any towing company, they'll come out, help you patch or tow ANYWHERE you want to go, you pay them at that time, then you give the receipt back to your insurance company for reinbursement.
That's my plan, so I'm just going to ask the tow guy to come out and help me do my compressor and kit. He can charge me any $ up to like $200 or something and I'll get it all back.

When I get it home, then I'll shop online for the best deal for tire replacement or plug, and out of pocket costs for me will be significantly cheaper.

I feel like this is the quickest and cheapest way to resolve the problem, and I'm a very busy man.

[mdosu]

Originally Posted by 424D57

Yes if memory serves roadside for tires is lifetime. Don't recall if its technically tied to the M, the lack of runflats/spare, or the mobility system itself.

-424D57

yeah my SA told me that BMW Assist is for the lifetime of the car. Again based on my above post ^, it's disguised as an fantastic perk, but really just a way to cuff your hands so you buy their parts and service.

[JCtx]

Originally Posted by mdosu

yeah my SA told me that BMW Assist is for the lifetime of the car.

Nope, just during warranty; I asked BMW directly. Just checked with Geico and it costs $5.20 per 6-month premium. Will add it at renewal, and only use BMW Assist for mechanical breakdowns.

[mdosu]

Originally Posted by elp_jc

Nope, just during warranty; I asked BMW directly. Just checked with Geico and it costs $5.20 per 6-month premium. Will add it at renewal, and only use BMW Assist for mechanical breakdowns.

there you go 86 cents for you, dirt cheap for telling the tow guy to do what you want him to do, not what BMW wants him to do.

[llis]

BMW will not patch a tire. Period.

I had a bolt in my tire. BMW Service insisted on selling me a new tire. My sales rep took me aside, told me that BMW Service is required by BMW not to ever repair tires, so a dealer is taking on liability if it repairs your tire.

I went to a nearby tire place, they patched the tire for a few bucks.

These are not special tires. Not even run-flats.

I'm considering a AAA account if all BMW Assist does is tow me to a dealership. I thought they'd at least just tow me to a garage as appropriate.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by llis

I'm considering a AAA account if all BMW Assist does is tow me to a dealership. I thought they'd at least just tow me to a garage as appropriate.

I positive that they will tow you wherever you want. I've had Assist tow cars to a tire shop and a private mechanic in the past. All they are really doing is arranging a tow truck or flat bed for you, and paying the bill. The rest is up to you. Also, they will even tow you if you are in another car, or at least they have done it for me in the past. It's a great service - has saved me cash on more than one occasion.

[kenwelch]

Originally Posted by Alex1911

Can anyone recommend a good quality plug kit and the best place to get one?

I have used Safety Seal products for years in my Automotive Technology classes. I have even driven 20 - 30K miles on my personal vehicles with their plug still in the tire and more than once until the tire was worn-out.

http://www.safetyseal.com/products.htm

I have also used the liquid patch, but we have the tire mounting equipment to remove, install, and balance the tire. As an emergency kit the auto kit would work great most of the time. There are some types of tire damage that you just cannot repair with a plug system.

This from Michelin regarding repairs:
(some M3 owners have a different tire mfg.)

"REPAIRS - WHEREVER POSSIBLE, SEE YOUR
MICHELIN® TIRE RETAILER AT ONCE
If any Michelin® tire sustains a puncture, have the tire demounted and thoroughly
inspected by any Michelin® tire retailer for possible damage that may
have occurred. A tread area puncture in any Michelin® passenger or light truck
tire can be repaired provided that the puncture hole is not more than 1/4” in
diameter, not more than one radial cable per casing ply is damaged, and the
tire has not been damaged further by the puncturing object or by running
underinflated. Tire punctures consistent with these guidelines can be repaired
by following the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) recommended
repair procedures.
TIRE REPAIRS
Repairs of all tires must be of the combined plug and inside patch type. Your
PAX System tires must be removed from the wheel for inspection prior
to repair. Plug only repairs are improper. A tire should be removed from the
rim and inspected prior to repair. Any tire repair done without removing the tire
from the rim is improper. An improperly repaired tire will cause further damage
to the tire by either leaking air or allowing air, moisture and contaminants to
enter the structure of the tire. An improperly repaired tire can fail suddenly at
a later date.
Never repair a tire with less than 2/32nds of an inch tread remaining. At this
tread depth, the tire is worn out and must be replaced."

[curveball99]

I had a slow leak on my brand new car that had less than 1,000 miles on it and my dealership plugged the tire. No problems since...

[AZ-BMW]

Originally Posted by llis

BMW will not patch a tire. Period.

I had a bolt in my tire. BMW Service insisted on selling me a new tire. My sales rep took me aside, told me that BMW Service is required by BMW not to ever repair tires, so a dealer is taking on liability if it repairs your tire.

I went to a nearby tire place, they patched the tire for a few bucks.

These are not special tires. Not even run-flats.

I'm considering a AAA account if all BMW Assist does is tow me to a dealership. I thought they'd at least just tow me to a garage as appropriate.

Not true at all BMW Service centers.
Had a slow leak and my dealership plugged, then patched the hole, but I'm sure they used the process listed in kenwelch's post below. No problems since the repair