| If anyone is thinking about buying a late used BMW | | | | was deployed that worked from the lighter plug, the |
| car then pay attention to the following information as | | | | only way home was to use the back roads with |
| it may save you a serious amount of money. | | | | regular stops to re-inflate the tyre each time the low |
| A close friend purchased an 18 month old BMW 325i | | | | pressure warning came on, the warning had to be |
| M Sport recently from a private seller and did not | | | | re-set each time the tyre was re-inflated. |
| pay close attention to the tyres which were quite | | | | Some 11 hours later with many stops and diversions |
| worn. After a couple of months further wear he | | | | the car was on the drive back at his house and the |
| realised they were looking a little low although still | | | | next morning a call to the local BMW dealership was |
| quite legal so he took the car into a leading tyre | | | | made to arrange the replacement. It still took a day |
| companies garage over Christmas to get a new set | | | | to get the tyres in and the stop and pump procedure |
| put on. | | | | was used to get the car to the dealership. Another |
| After half an hour he was told that the company | | | | 350 pounds later and the car was back on the road |
| could not get the tyre's, this was because only one | | | | again. |
| manufacturer made the approved tyres which were | | | | I guess there are a number of lessons to learn here, |
| a certain type of run flat sports tyre. Though run flat | | | | one of course is the issue and sensibility of run flat |
| tyres are common in many other BMW models these | | | | tyres which are being rolled out across many types |
| tyre's were extremely hard to source without going | | | | of car now, secondly of course is whether it is wise |
| to the nearest BMW dealership. | | | | for the everyday person to purchase cars privately |
| Now the second problem was the cost, a complete | | | | anymore. |
| set of tyres fitted was going to cost 1,300 pounds | | | | Of course the puncture could not be foreseen but |
| inclusive and so what seemed like a bargain at the | | | | then being stranded at a motorway service station |
| time of purchase very quickly turned out to be no | | | | and then stopping to re-inflate a tyre for 11 hours is |
| bargain at all. With the new tyre's fitted the car was | | | | not a very sensible and fulfilling experience either. |
| merrily on its way back from Bristol when the low air | | | | But what if the car had been purchased from an |
| pressure warning light flashed. | | | | approved BMW dealer, first of all the tyres would |
| After pulling off the motorway, a quick check | | | | have been in top condition, the downside is that the |
| revealed that the new rear nearside tyre indeed had | | | | price would be more to start with but then this can |
| a puncture, the fact that the car had run flat tyre's | | | | be offset by the potential for reduced depreciation |
| means of course that there is no spare. After ringing | | | | due to the cars approved dealer status. |
| a number of emergency callout tyre companies and | | | | Furthermore, at the service station the owner could |
| using the very limited run flat ability to reach a tyre | | | | invoke the BMW emergency recovery service and |
| fitting company after leaving the next junction a | | | | driven home in a replacement car, safer and far more |
| certain reality dawned. | | | | convenient. Looking further, what about the |
| Not only could the companies not get a replacement | | | | complexity of electronics and components, most |
| tyre (soonest was 5 days) it became apparent that | | | | people would not have a clue as to whether these |
| a run flat tyre cannot be repaired, in fact one national | | | | are in good order or about to malfunction |
| distributer said it was against the law to repair a run | | | | (frighteningly expensive). |
| flat tyre. | | | | Therefore as cars become ever more complex can |
| At this point what are the options, the car is still 4 | | | | everyday motorists put themselves at risk like this, is |
| hours from home, it has a puncture that cannot be | | | | it not a false economy and a flawed outlook on |
| fixed and a tyre that cannot be replaced. A trip to a | | | | personal safety to purchase privately rather than |
| nearby Halfords and 25 pounds later an electric pump | | | | through a dealership. |