So 1 screw cost me two tires?

[Xeno]

I have always had Bridgestone's RFs on my X5s and previously Discount Tires would repair the tires when a screw was lodged in the tire. There was never a charge and it was often done quickly.

Today I am told by a Discount Tire store that Pirelli tires cannot be repaired and that in order to avoid damage to the transfer case I should replace both rear tires. Ugh!

These are 20" (staggered) Pirelli Zero 315/35-20 RFs. Pirelli will credit me a few dollars on the one tire with the screw so if I only replace one tire the cost is $360 (with balance). Current tires have 12K miles.

I admit being too distracted by health issues to put such an otherwise minor expense in perspective. However, a few days ago I was in ICU and am still seeing specialists and drawing blood. Yesterday I saw a urologist who says we must do a biopsy for prostate cancer.

So help me get back to reality on this. What is the recommended course? If I must buy 2 (rear) tires they are certainly not going to be Pirelli's.

[Alan l.]

First off sorry about the health issues. It certainly doesn't help having to deal with expenses like this for one screw.

Is the screw near the edge of the tire? If not I would just patch it and move on. At 12K miles those tires don't have much longer to go anyways based on what others have experienced with the 20" Pirellis.

At the same token you can look at it that new tires were going to be needed really soon anyways so don't let it bother too much that you need them now.

For me I would swap all 4 tires for non rfts like the new conti dws 06. Two Pirelli rfts can almost cost as much.

Stay strong

Alan

[Xeno]

Thanks Alan.

I never could find the screw and it is not a good idea for me to bend over with so much blood loss (14 transfusions). Discount Tires told me the screw is in a place that they would repair if it was a Bridgestone. I suppose that means it is near the edge.

If you mean that I should repair it myself then I much search for someone around me who is not inept when it comes to things mechanical.

I have gotten more than 20K miles on my previous RFs. Clearly, however, had I known that one screw would cost 2 tires then I would have bought the tire warranty.

[r33_RGSport]

@Xeno , hope you get well soon.
The nail, if it us fix-able on Bridgestone, it should also fix-able on Pirelli.
Since you can't confirm where the screw is, I would suggest you to get second opinion. But the same will apply as your doctor but much cruel, they will no matter what recommend a new set of tires.

[realsgy]

Take it to Les Scwab, they will fix it if fixable. I have Pirellis and I had one fixed after I got a nice nail in it.

And hope that you get better soon!

[Xeno]

Thanks for these responses.

I will hit the trail today to see if I can find someone to repair the tire as I can't drive the X5 on the turnpike which I do deliberately since it brings me so much joy.

Edited to say that I went to Hibdon Tires and the repaired the tire for me so not sure what is going on with Discount Tires other than forcing me to buy 1-2 tires I didn't need.

[kip1]

Sorry about the health issues, get well soon. The position of the screw matters, but not the marque. Most of the time they can repair, but not in every place, so go to another dealer for a second opinion.

[Xeno]

I just learned today (from a post on Bimmerfest) that my Pirellis actually had a one year warranty that meant Discount Tires should have replaced the tire with a screw at no cost to me.

None of my previous RFTs had such a policy and neither my BMW deal or Discount Tires told me about the one year Pirelli warranty. Discount Tire said replace at least two tires and really four and my BMW dealer wanted me to replace all four tires.

I like the Pirellis more than previous RFTs given me by BMW so I plan to buy another set of Pirellis but I want this warranty in print so I will not be denied should another wayward screw find my car in the future.

[artem123]

One shakes head... Why in the world to go to dealer with a nail in the tire.... Just plug it and move on. Cannot do it yourself, go to indie mechanic and pay $10-20 and be over with in a blink.

[Xeno]

I mentioned in passing in the OP that this particular episode followed several days in ICU. I was admitted with a hemoglobin of 4 and it took 14 transfusions to bring me back. Once out of the hospital, I was being tested for prostate cancer but the biopsy (long after the tire event) was negative.

I had a regular appointment with the dealer and so while there inquired about their assessment. In the past they actually gave me the best price in town for replace tires on my 2008 X5.

My skills are anything but mechanical and since my driving speeds exceed PSL I prefer to know that my tires are fully able to perform as expected. Hibon Tires did the plug at no cost to me and no problems are evident 8K miles later even when I am driving triple digits.

[artem123]

Originally Posted by Xeno

I mentioned in passing in the OP that this particular episode followed several days in ICU. I was admitted with a hemoglobin of 4 and it took 14 transfusions to bring me back. Once out of the hospital, I was being tested for prostate cancer but the biopsy (long after the tire event) was negative.

I had a regular appointment with the dealer and so while there inquired about their assessment. In the past they actually gave me the best price in town for replace tires on my 2008 X5.

My skills are anything but mechanical and since my driving speeds exceed PSL I prefer to know that my tires are fully able to perform as expected. Hibon Tires did the plug at no cost to me and no problems are evident 8K miles later even when I am driving triple digits.

Ouch! Keep the speed up ( carefully) and PSA low. )))

[coolidge]

Originally Posted by Xeno

I just learned today (from a post on Bimmerfest) that my Pirellis actually had a one year warranty that meant Discount Tires should have replaced the tire with a screw at no cost to me.

None of my previous RFTs had such a policy and neither my BMW deal or Discount Tires told me about the one year Pirelli warranty. Discount Tire said replace at least two tires and really four and my BMW dealer wanted me to replace all four tires.

I like the Pirellis more than previous RFTs given me by BMW so I plan to buy another set of Pirellis but I want this warranty in print so I will not be denied should another wayward screw find my car in the future.

If you purchase new tires they should come with a WAY better road hazard warranty that last longer than 1 year.

My new 2016 X5 came with these Pirellis and I had half a mind to immediately replace them with a quality set of tires from Les Schwab gaining a top notch no questions asked road hazzard warranty in the process. I consider factory tires throw aways anymore, that's how pathetic the last 3 sets of factory tires were on my 2010 Ram 1500, 2013 Ford F150, and 2014 Ram 1500. Just junk tires and shocker zero warranty not even a road hazard warranty.

But these X5 Pirellis seemed to be a decent tire so I decided to run them a while. If one goes bad out of warranty and I'm looking at having to spend $500 on two replacement tires I'll just replace all 4 and get the long term road hazard warranty in the process and that will be that.

[iconoclast]

Originally Posted by Xeno

Today I am told by a Discount Tire store that Pirelli tires cannot be repaired and that in order to avoid damage to the transfer case I should replace both rear tires. Ugh!

a few options and a few misconceptions... if the tires on the same axle are within 4-5% of each other's size then there should be no issue however if you a bit of mileage on the current set you can purchase one tire and have it shaved to match tread depth but if it's past a certain point then both tires should be replaced either way. lastly, if you take your old tires home you can save the disposal fee and there are plenty of weirdos on CL who want worn/crap tires. why? i don't know but they pay decent money for something i would normally throw out without consideration until a friend told me this little nugget of info.

[stewy604]

I've patched my Pirelli RFTs (Snow & Ice winters & PZero) four times now, and have never had an issue. I get why tire shops and the manufacturers advise against it, but remember, they're in the business to sell tires and protect themselves from possible liability issues.

[Terp335]

Originally Posted by iconoclast

a few options and a few misconceptions... if the tires on the same axle are within 4-5% of each other's size then there should be no issue however if you a bit of mileage on the current set you can purchase one tire and have it shaved to match tread depth but if it's past a certain point then both tires should be replaced either way. lastly, if you take your old tires home you can save the disposal fee and there are plenty of weirdos on CL who want worn/crap tires. why? i don't know but they pay decent money for something i would normally throw out without consideration until a friend told me this little nugget of info.

Never heard of having a tire shaved.... Seems like it could cause some serious balancing issues for that corner of your car if it's not shaved evenly around the tire.

[iconoclast]

i typically replace all four as a set but not too many people are as ocd and pedantic about vehicle symmetry and maintenance as i am however tire shaving is not a new practice... if there are any imperfections in the shave a roadforce balance would easily negate them once the tire is mounted.

http://tires.tirerack.com/tires/Shaving

[Xeno]

Originally Posted by Xeno

I just learned today (from a post on Bimmerfest) that my Pirellis actually had a one year warranty that meant Discount Tires should have replaced the tire with a screw at no cost to me.

None of my previous RFTs had such a policy and neither my BMW deal or Discount Tires told me about the one year Pirelli warranty. Discount Tire said replace at least two tires and really four and my BMW dealer wanted me to replace all four tires.

I like the Pirellis more than previous RFTs given me by BMW so I plan to buy another set of Pirellis but I want this warranty in print so I will not be denied should another wayward screw find my car in the future.

Well yet another nail got into the same tire that I patched and with 20K miles I ordered a new set from Discount Tires.

I thought the rep said their extended warranty was "lifetime" and would cover road hazards. I put down a deposit and am waiting for the rear tires to be delivered to my shop in a few days. I guess I will need to check the date of the front tires that are stored locally.

The back of the DT form says their warranty is for 3 years and pro-rated down to 3/32" of remaining tread. If I understand the lawyer language, it looks like if I get a "free" replacement tire that I must turn around and purchase another warranty for that tire + pay for permanent balancing. The form further says that using the DT warranty voids the manufacturer's warranty.

Anyone have insight on how this plays out in the real world? Since DT cannot plug a Pirelli RF does that not mean that any screw or nail would require a replacement tire?

Also, does anyone know a link that describes in detail the Pirelli warranty? Is this BF accurate? http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...73&postcount=6

Edited to say that the Pirelli link I wanted is apparently https://www.pirelli.com/tires/en-us/.../tire-warranty

[Xeno]

Here is some clarification from DT in case anyone else needs some information.

DT yesterday used the term "lifetime" but all that means is life of the tire as determined by thread.

DT confirms that a screw or nail puncture would not be plugged but the RFT would be replaced with their extended warranty. With this DT certificate my expense would be a new certificate for that one tire should I decide to purchase the extended warranty which would be $60-$80.

DT still left me confused about how their extended warranty compares to Pirelli's warranty. I understand Pirelli to say they will replace a road-hazard RFT within the first year or "first 2/32" of the thread. After that the tire is pro-rated according to the amount of thread + customer pays for mounting and balance.

So the DT extended warranty provides a replacement tire for up to 3 years or down to 3/32" remaining thread but when getting a replacement "the customer relinquishes the right to any manufacturer's warranty that may apply".

I am simply wanting good road hazard protection because living in OKC we have frequent hail damage and some of our neighbors hire irresponsible folk to replace their roofs as they frequently leave nails on our subdivision streets. DT previously plugged my Bridgestone RFTs but I prefer the Perilli RFTs over the Bridgestones (which I still have on my 2008 X5).

[Xeno]

I have at least one question that either reveals how little I know about tires or how my memory only works well when it concerns my job (or both).

DT is putting on a new set of tires in the morning. I asked about dates and was told that the fronts (which they had local) were from the 12th week of 2016. The rears (which they got from Atlanta) were dated the 26th week of 2016.

I am also confused why the air pressure of the tire with a nail has remained consistent for almost one week. They put in 40-41 lbs on the right rear and it went down to 37 or so but has not gone lower like when I was putting air in. I will ask them in the morning if they removed the nail last week, but if so would that explain this since they are not allowed to plug a Pirelli RF?

[buckeyewalt]

I had a piece of metal plate go into my Pirelli. Took it to a local tire shop, they took off the tire and put a patch on the inside. Ran that way through the heat and cold (done last year). This year I got wise and took the advise of a few guys on there and got new Continental DWS tires and never looked back.

Take it to an independent tire shop and have them patch it from the inside.