Michelin PSS and snow...

Even sensible driving can't beat basic physics sometimes!

Once you've used winters then it's a must have.
 
Just for some information to the guys with brand new cars looking to put aftermarket wheels on as winters,you will probably come across
some problems regarding the new tyre pressure monitor systems.

I have just bought my wife a new cooper's mini and was looking at getting winter wheels and tyres for it.Had a look on MYTYRES and they do complete
sets with correct offset etc but on further investigation you need to buy new tyre valves with the new style sensor.I think cars produced in 2014 have these valves fitted,they are metal valves now not rubber and have a silver end cap.
To cut a long story short it was only going to cost me about £250 extra to get oem wheels verses aftermarket,just something to think about incase you go and buy aftermarket wheels then find out you need to buy new valves and tpms sensors.
 
I live at the lowest part of the estate - in the bad weather I've seen an identical Disco 3 to mine stuck at the bottom of the hill out. The only differance between the cars, mine has winters on. So driving to the conditions is just not an option.
I also feel a whole lot safer on the way home on the way back down the same hill!
 
D6GMB said:
Just for some information to the guys with brand new cars looking to put aftermarket wheels on as winters,you will probably come across
some problems regarding the new tyre pressure monitor systems.

I have just bought my wife a new cooper's mini and was looking at getting winter wheels and tyres for it.Had a look on MYTYRES and they do complete
sets with correct offset etc but on further investigation you need to buy new tyre valves with the new style sensor.I think cars produced in 2014 have these valves fitted,they are metal valves now not rubber and have a silver end cap.
To cut a long story short it was only going to cost me about £250 extra to get oem wheels verses aftermarket,just something to think about incase you go and buy aftermarket wheels then find out you need to buy new valves and tpms sensors.

Its a good point. Perhaps I'll just get the tyres and switch them around each season rather than get the wheels too. I'm sticking with 18" wheels on the Merc to keep the costs down and improve ride anyhow.
 
Have you done the sums re swapping the rubber on the rims at the start and end of the winter?

If it's £40 at the start and the same at the end of the season for five years that's £400 spent.
That goes a long way towards a set of rims.
 
Maniac said:
Not if it costs £259+ for a set of tpms sensors in top of the alloys tho.

The tpms will retain some value but the changing costs are lost forever!

I'm not really a fan of swapping tyres year on year, I don't think tyres are designed to be subjected to that physical ordeal time after time and it also increases the chance of a ham fisted tyre fitter damaging a rim.
 
TitanTim said:
Think I will be taking the plunge next winter as not really likeing a car sitting in the garage that I'm paying a monthly PCP on :( I suppose the bright side is you're wearing the summers out less :)


Have you taken the plunge?

I'm about to - for a set of wheels and winter for my wife's 335 xd. The car currently has 19" rims but BMW say 18's will fit.
There are after market wheels available which are Tüv approved and reasonably priced. The only bitter pill to swallow is the pressure sensor cost?
 
ronk said:
TitanTim said:
Think I will be taking the plunge next winter as not really likeing a car sitting in the garage that I'm paying a monthly PCP on :( I suppose the bright side is you're wearing the summers out less :)


Have you taken the plunge?

I'm about to - for a set of wheels and winter for my wife's 335 xd. The car currently has 19" rims but BMW say 18's will fit.
There are after market wheels available which are Tüv approved and reasonably priced. The only bitter pill to swallow is the pressure sensor cost?

Hi Ronk.

Have I hell :oops: The M135i is tucked up the garage for the winter with a dust sheet over it :cry: I've been speccing allsorts of 4x4 cars over the past month or so to replace the M135i next year, well its something to do during the winter evenings :) Kept coming back to the X1 but I know if I bought this type of car I would get bored of it very quickly and if on a PCP not something I would want. Chances are I'm sticking with another M135i and will change next summer with a view to keeping it indefinitely as a minter and garage it during the winter. Will probably then trade the Z3 in at some stage :( and get a little daily runaround such as a Suzuki Swift 4x4 or a Panda 4x4. I honestly think the M135i will become a bit if a cult car/classic in years to come as it will be the last hatchback type car which is rear wheel drive, having a straight six engine.

Re pressure sensors, have you tried someone like BM Miniparts as I know they were cheaper than BMW, you could get the wheels and sensors seperately and get a tyre fitter to fit them along with the tyres. BMW will rape you if you go for a full winter set up which is why I've never gone down the winter wheels route with my M135i I'd be looking at 1800 quid from BMW :(

Tim.
 
The fella I'm supposed / possibly getting the wheels from, got them from the dealer -cost, £2000 last year.

Don't go away with the idea that a 4wd Is any good in the slippy stuff! Yes it will possibly get you moving - but stopping / cornering it is exactly the same - if it's a full size 4wd it's worse due to the increased mass! My Discovery is nearly 3 tonnes - try stopping that down a snow covered hill?
Basically, that's why I want proper tyres for her 335 xd - it's got runflats on and although they seem to work in normal conditions I think they'll be trouble in the winter - I live at the lowest end of the estate and at the bottom of a long hill where many have come to grief in the past !

Rather than a 4wd on summer rubber, you are better off with a 2wd on winter rubber - there are loads of videos on YouTube that seem to support this.
 
ronk said:
The fella I'm supposed / possibly getting the wheels from, got them from the dealer £2000 last year.

Don't go away with the idea that a 4wd Is any good in the slippy stuff! Yes it will get moving - but stopping / cornering it is exactly the same - if it's a full size 4wd it's worse due to the increased mass! My Discovery is nearly 3 tonnes - try stopping that down a snow covered hill?
Rather than a 4wd on sumner rubber, you are better off with a 2wd on winter rubber - there are loads of videos on YouTube that seem to support this.

Thanks Ronk, if I went for a little 4x4 in the future I would stick some all season tyres on, I think FIAT do anyways with the Panda from new and Suzuki do which would be good enough for most winters I imagine. I have all seasons on the Z3 and they have been spot on in 5 inches of snow, I was pleasantly surprised and a good compromise for most conditions.

Tim.
 
Don't faff about in a half way house!

Go full winter on a non performance car - my old disco has had them on all year round - Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme - tyre life is double that of the standard Pirelli rubber it came from the factory with. It's been used in all conditions including 90mph Autobahn runs in some hot weather .

My advice is from personal experience and although you seem to like your all weathers, the proper winters do a proper job. There are videos on YouTube which indicate the shortcomings of all weathers.
 
ronk said:
Don't faff about in a half way house!

Go full winter on a non performance car - my old disco has had them on all year round - Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme - tyre life is double that of the standard Pirelli rubber it came from the factory with. It's been used in all conditions including 90mph Autobahn runs in some hot weather .

My advice is from personal experience and although you seem to like your all weathers, the proper winters do a proper job. There are videos on YouTube which indicate the shortcomings of all weathers.

Cheers Ronk, don't full winters wear much quicker in warmer conditions? i.e. summer? Something I will consider when the time comes. I went for all seasons on the Z3 as didn't think using winters all your round would be a good idea on a rear wheel drive car and would make the handling squidgy which wont be such an issue on a large 4x4 as a Disco where handling isn't a top consideration. I'm only going by my experience with all seasons which I found to be fine in snow and ice and a decent compromise in the West Midlands where we don't get serious snow falls during most average winters. It might be different in colder climes.

Tim.
 
The tyres on the D3 have now done 25k and still have a good 5mm plus left on them.
The standard rubber was at the limit at 19k - handling road holding ? I can't notice any difference. I would say that the wear rate was half of the standard rubber or better. So much for the melting tyres on a warm day !

As I say, I've used the car in all conditions and have had a few hurried runs through the Borders - ok it's never going to feel like a sports car but the rubber has a lot of work to do with all that mass!
The acid test - Will I will fit the same tyres again? Absolutely 100% without a shadow of doubt. They have done more than they claim to do.

On a little 4x4 panda they will make it feel like a mountain goat.

Ps I'm not employed by Vredestein nor receive any commision!
 
Don't bother with the tpms sensors ! I've been running mine for the last 2 months on my winter set up without the tpms sensors. No problems,small light stands hard. Doesn't effect the cars handling or anything. I spoke with bmw techs & told me it would only the light would stand & to save myself £300. Put the money to a set of pss instead for the summer.
 
Cheers Ronk, will definitely consider this if wear isn't such an issue :thumbsup:

KERMIT, re sensors, I know on the 1 Series built after April 14 (I think) that have the sensors in the wheel rather working of the ABS that if the sensors aren't replaced you will get a dash warning light accompanied by the bong which can't be turned off, unsure if the E89 will be the same, I would have thought it would be? so worth checking unless your're happy with the warning bong sounding all the time :D

Tim.
 
Tim, i have the new tpms sensors in the wheels. bought my winter wheels cheap but after fitting my dunlop 3D winter sports tyres the wheels needed painted ;-( so the cheap wheels starting costing me a small fortune. So thuse the reason i didnt fit the tpms sensors. All i have on the dash is the small runflat light,no sound. So not a problem.
 
KERMIT1970 said:
Tim, i have the new tpms sensors in the wheels. bought my winter wheels cheap but after fitting my dunlop 3D winter sports tyres the wheels needed painted ;-( so the cheap wheels starting costing me a small fortune. So thuse the reason i didnt fit the tpms sensors. All i have on the dash is the small runflat light,no sound. So not a problem.

Ah OK thanks for the info, I know some of the guys on babybmw (F20/21) have tried fitting alternative alloys without the sensors and get the warning chime which apparently can't be turned off so sounds like the E89 is different to the F Series maybe.

Tim.
 
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