[mac110808]

Hi, can anyone tell me the sort of rear tyre mileage they are getting from their F25? I'm currently in a dispute with the local main dealer after a brand new set of rears were destroyed (through to the canvas!) on the inside edge after 12000 miles of relaxed driving. I say there has been a fault with the wheel alignment since the car was bought used a year earlier but the service manager tells me this is perfectly normal for an F25 X3 and wants me to pay £90 for an alignment check. Tyres are Pirelli Cinturato 225/60/R17 RFT's. Your replies may give me some ammunition for the next confrontation with the dealer. Thanks.

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by mac110808

Hi, can anyone tell me the sort of rear tyre mileage they are getting from their F25? I'm currently in a dispute with the local main dealer after a brand new set of rears were destroyed (through to the canvas!) on the inside edge after 12000 miles of relaxed driving. I say there has been a fault with the wheel alignment since the car was bought used a year earlier but the service manager tells me this is perfectly normal for an F25 X3 and wants me to pay £90 for an alignment check. Tyres are Pirelli Cinturato 225/60/R17 RFT's. Your replies may give me some ammunition for the next confrontation with the dealer. Thanks.

That is very low and indicates a tracking problem. I found mine was wearing on the outside and had the tracking done.

I am currently on 20k miles and it looks like they will last another 5,000 miles or so, but this is after tracking.

Unfortunately most BMW dealers will not pay up after you have gone past 6 months of purchase from them. I said it is obvious that that the tracking was out when I purchased it, but needed to be sure after after a further 5,000 miles. I stood my ground and they did it at trade rates in the end.

If the £90 is for full alignment and adjust, in my view that is a good deal. I found mine needed adjusting and necessary before fitting winter wheels and tyres.

[mac110808]

Thanks Peter R

I should have mentioned that after 3 months of purchasing the car the same thing had happened. At the time, I complained and asked them to rectify the problem. As a result they fitted new tyres and they told me that a 4 wheel alignment check had been done at their cost. 12000 miles and a year later and the tyres were destroyed again which, to me, says that the alignment check wasn't carried out in the first place.

[gIzzE]

This has been discussed ad infinitum on the BMW forums over the last few years since run flat were introduced.

BMWs have always had quite an aggressive set up, but the inner edge wear was only slightly ahead of the rest of the tyre. Problem with run flats is there is less flex in the side wall and thus it sits on that inner edge more so. You can dial it out a lot with different pressures, and even better change the geo set up.

Other option is just put proper tyres on.
It took my old man 2 sets of rears in under 6k miles each to make the swap to non run flats, the second set were down to the cords and actually had the sidewall come away from the main tyre on the passenger side.

When he swapped to proper tyres he still had 6mm evenly across the whole tyre when he sold it some 10k miles after fitting them.

Problem with letting BMW change your geo is they will change it to the standard set up, which in your case simply isn't working.
Maybe give someone like wheelsinmotion a call and discuss with them?

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by mac110808

Thanks Peter R

I should have mentioned that after 3 months of purchasing the car the same thing had happened. At the time, I complained and asked them to rectify the problem. As a result they fitted new tyres and they told me that a 4 wheel alignment check had been done at their cost. 12000 miles and a year later and the tyres were destroyed again which, to me, says that the alignment check wasn't carried out in the first place.

Is this a BMW dealer?

That suggests to me that something is seriously amiss. It would be questionable that they did a full alignment check in accordance with the BMW procedure.

Did they give you the print out or at least show the results of the alignment check showing the before and after figures?

Just saw gIzzE reply. I would suggest you stay with the original dealer. If you go to another one, then you will lose all claim with the first one.

Note. My front tyres were wearing on the OUTSIDE and when they did the check they gave me the print out showing the before and after figures and showed and explained how the correction would affect the wear. They were spot on and the result is that I will now get full mileage from these tyres on the 3 litre diesel.

[Barbera335]

My 2011 F25 28i has Bridgestone Dueler HL 400 run flat tires size 245/55/R17 and I was easily able to get 55,000 miles out of them. There is something amiss with your car.

[mac110808]

Yes, a BMW main dealer.

No, there was nothing recorded on the invoice or a printout of the alignment check. In hindsight I should have asked for it, but at the time I was delighted to get free tyres!

[gIzzE]

What year is the car?

Maybe they are using old geo set up figures?


have a look at this thread...

http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/for...showtopic=4707

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by gIzzE

What year is the car?

Maybe they are using old geo set up figures?


have a look at this thread...

http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/for...showtopic=4707

It is a main dealer!

Go back and push them hard. Speak to the Principal and advise the if you are not satisfied, you will take it up with BMW.

[mac110808]

Originally Posted by gIzzE

What year is the car?

Maybe they are using old geo set up figures?


have a look at this thread...

http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/for...showtopic=4707

Car is a April 2011, so an early F25.

Checked out the tyre forum and it made for interesting reading, however I did manage to clock up 30000 miles from the rears on my previous 3 series M sport plus which runs 35 section RFT's on 18in rims so it definitely seems like the geometry setup.

[mac110808]

Originally Posted by Peter_R

It is a main dealer!

Go back and push them hard. Speak to the Principal and advise the if you are not satisfied, you will take it up with BMW.

Peter R,

I've already complained to BMW uk customer service and they've basically just referred me back to the main dealer, so what a waste of time that was!
But hey, I'm determined to get some form of resolution from the dealer!

[pokerface]

Our other X3 has run over 50,000kms on the factory all season run flats and they still have decent tread on them. Pretty sure you have an alignment issue.

[gIzzE]

What pressures are you running?

[A1traveller]

25,000 on the same model with the same tyres as yours, and looking good for another 10,000miles

[gIzzE]

Do check your pressures, on mine it says 29psi F and 32psi rear.

If you are using those pressures you will get that inside edge wear, the side wall is so hard that you just end up putting all the weight on it.

I would try 34F and 36R for a more even wear.

[mac110808]

Cheers for your advice guys

[plymjack]

We have done 34k miles on winter / summer sets - both sets still have 6-7mm on them.. So sounds like a car issue.

[Pinewood]

Originally Posted by gIzzE

Do check your pressures, on mine it says 29psi F and 32psi rear.

If you are using those pressures you will get that inside edge wear, the side wall is so hard that you just end up putting all the weight on it.

I would try 34F and 36R for a more even wear.

This is what i'm using on my tyres. 34F and 36R. i used the same pressures on my E60 530d and it always wore the tyres down evenly

[gIzzE]

The pressures on the sticker are fine for normal tyres but too low for run flats.