[NJ530]

Well after years of complaining about run flats, I was always able to drive the car up to 50 miles if had a problem with a tire.

Now I am thinking about ordering an i5. I have some concerns that I may have to have the car towed if I get a flat. What’s the odds that the mobility kit does not work on a tire?

[nacs]

4 out of my last 5 flat tires across 3 different vehicles have all been in the non-repairable area once I arrived at the tire shop. Of those same 5 only 2 of them were able to hold air long enough to get me to the tire shop. Suburbia driving in all cases as a point of reference.

[Scrapula]

Originally Posted by NJ530

Well after years of complaining about run flats, I was always able to drive the car up to 50 miles if had a problem with a tire.

Now I am thinking about ordering an i5. I have some concerns that I may have to have the car towed if I get a flat. What’s the odds that the mobility kit does not work on a tire?

I have had a slow leak in a non-repairable section of my tire for two weeks. I was informed today that the tire will be in by Monday. I have an air compressor at home, so I pump it up and can drive short distances as the tire warms up enough to hold the air. If it was a worse leak, then I would need to be towed. It’s definitely a pain. The local tire store wanted $50 more than the BMW dealer.

[Scrapula]

And I just heard back. It will be another week or longer before the tire arrives.

[scas12]

Isn't there a patch kit that works temporarily?

[TLK]

I never buy tires locally, I just order online, usually from tire rack.com and deliver to a local shop for changing. Maybe that’s an option that might be quicker and/or cheaper.

[NJ530]

Has anyone bought an aftermarket spare? I found this one online but I don’t know if it is any good.

https://evsportline.com/products/cop...k-lug-tool-kit

[nacs]

Not for a BMW but I had the local tireshop get me a full size spare for a prior vehicle (truck). My friend there kept an eye out for a high quality used tire and then mounted it to a basic steel rim. Worked great and was definitely cheaper than that price but didn't come in a fancy carrying bag or a jack.

[RichardInCA]

Originally Posted by NJ530

Well after years of complaining about run flats, I was always able to drive the car up to 50 miles if had a problem with a tire.

Now I am thinking about ordering an i5. I have some concerns that I may have to have the car towed if I get a flat. What’s the odds that the mobility kit does not work on a tire?

It’s a brave person who can definitively answer this question. I had run flats on my last BMW. Ultimately I hated them as they had such poor ride quality and I ran Conti’s and Michelin’s with a “comfort kit” in my car in case of emergency. The only flat I had in years was a slow flat that I picked up in my driveway and got a tow to a garage in like 8 or 9 years? That made my transition to the i5 feel more familiar comfortable. I absolutely could be left at the side of the road with a flat, but I’m OK with the risk as I’ve been driving that way for over a decade.

[Scrapula]

Originally Posted by TLK

I never buy tires locally, I just order online, usually from tire rack.com and deliver to a local shop for changing. Maybe that’s an option that might be quicker and/or cheaper.

Yeah, it seems weird that BMW says they are on back order. I assume they use a large supplier. Tire Rack also says delivery by 9/11 , so it’s next week regardless.

[TLK]

I’ve wondered about if the EV specific tire sound insulation will interfere with getting the sealant goo to the right spot, but EV manufactures seem to supply the emergency kits so I guess it works.

I got over cars not having a spare tire after I got a Corvette. Obviously no place for spare tire. It didn’t come with a kit either. GM can be really cheap about some things. I did buy a bottle of the “Slime” sealant product, but also had a pump in one of the trunk cubbies. I got a leak/flat way out in the Sierras at a trailhead, but I just pumped it up and monitored the pressure on the TPMS display, stopped to pump it up when needed, and just drove home to the Bay Area that way. I always have a pump in every car.

All my previous BMWs before F10 had spare tires, but F10’s didn’t. Ditched the runflats because they were awful, and put a pump into the trunk underfloor cubby. It’s never been a problem.

[AiredaleDad]

I was able to add the spare tire to my order for $150. Code 300. Of course I will get the mob kit as well, but I feel safer having the ability to get going again if that doesn't work.

[TLK]

Where is the 12v battery located? On the F10 it was right where the spare tire would go instead of the usual spot in the right fender well.

[RichardInCA]

Originally Posted by AiredaleDad

I was able to add the spare tire to my order for $150. Code 300. Of course I will get the mob kit as well, but I feel safer having the ability to get going again if that doesn't work.

I’m not sure if there’s the space for the spare tire in the i5 due to a bit less depth in the trunk due to the high voltage battery.

[TLK]

He’s getting an ICE G60.

[RichardInCA]

Originally Posted by TLK

He’s getting an ICE G60.

I’m referencing the OP who said he was thinking of an i5

[NJ530]

Yes, an i5

[SkykingUSA]

The twelve volt battery is under the hood, on the passenger side near the windshield. It's covered by a plastic protective cover with holes in it, and the positive terminal is reachable without having to remove the cover. See the pictures below.

[agorski]

Originally Posted by NJ530

Well after years of complaining about run flats, I was always able to drive the car up to 50 miles if had a problem with a tire.

Now I am thinking about ordering an i5. I have some concerns that I may have to have the car towed if I get a flat. What’s the odds that the mobility kit does not work on a tire?

I think your odds are better than those damn run flats.

Consider a 1050 mile drive I took once. Got a low tire pressure warning after driving 180 miles. Run flats are not repairable. So I'm supposed to drive to some rural tire shop at 50 mph and wait several days for a replacement tire to be shipped in. Nope. Luckily I had an air compressor in the trunk. So I drove the entire trip home, stopping every 180 miles to air up the slow leak.

Bonus: run flats are noisier and get worse fuel economy in most cases.

Now I have the air compressor with sealant that BMW provides with the i5, plus my old compressor and cans of fix-a-flat as a backup. Non-run flat tires and I'm much happier.

[btlalum]

I had one of these https://modernspare.com/product/2024...e-kit-options/ when I had a Tesla S. It's a very well-made product, but it is a bit on the pricey side. I had to use it only once, but was very glad to have had it, having to drive almost 270 miles to get back home. Tesla's "vaunted" roadside assistance (great if you're in metro CA or other metro area--not so great if you're not) was useless, suggesting a 3-hour wait for a truck that would then take it to a service center 180 miles in the wrong direction. The spare takes up a bit of room and the i5's trunk really can't "spare" it (sorry!).

[AiredaleDad]

Maybe I'm just too "Old School" to rely on a Mob kit instead of having a spare tire. To me even a "Space Saver" spare is a necessity. I do wish there was more room for it as I hate that I will lose the cargo space. But I will live with it. There are just too many ways a tire can be damaged just the wrong way, to where the Mobility Kit can't get you going again for me to risk it. I know people say 90% of flats are from running over something and causing a puncture. But I will inevitably run into the 10% of non-fixables.

[PsychDoc]

I had a huge fight with my SA about this. When it became clear I wasn't going to get anywhere at this level, I went to the sales manager and the general manager of the dealership. The issue was that my SA checked the "mobility kit" box which effectively deleted the space saver spare that I wanted. He then doubled down and insisted that the space saver spare simply wasn't available for this car (540xi). It was (I verified this with the genius line) and I was livid. Thankfully the sales manager couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating and he ordered a space saver spare for me with all the accessories at no cost. So now I have that and the goo kit. It was a bit of an ordeal but everything worked out well in the end. But I agree with others that I would never feel secure driving on regular tires without some form of a spare.