[jhl385]

This past Wed I bought a '09 328i X wagon, and assume it came with runflats as there is no spare. Is there room under the floor for a full size spare?
Also I see water pumps are an issue. Mine has 88K miles and I guess that should be a priority.
But not having a spare bothers me.
Thanks,
John

[porsche959]

Originally Posted by jhl385

This past Wed I bought a '09 328i X wagon, and assume it came with runflats as there is no spare. Is there room under the floor for a full size spare?
Also I see water pumps are an issue. Mine has 88K miles and I guess that should be a priority.
But not having a spare bothers me.
Thanks,
John

there is no room for a spare or even a donut. i keep a 5th rim and wheel and jack in the back.

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by jhl385

This past Wed I bought a '09 328i X wagon, and assume it came with runflats as there is no spare. Is there room under the floor for a full size spare? Also I see water pumps are an issue.

Hi John, Welcome to the Forum!

No room for a spare tire, coolant pump, fuel pump, alternator, etc., NOR the tools to install them. There is room under the E91 cargo area floor for: 12V air pump & tire plug kit & basic tools. I still have the original equipment Continental RunFlats (RSC on the sidewall). Unless a tire blows out or someone slashes the sidewall, I can get home if < 50 miles, even if I can't patch & reinflate it, and have a matching wheel & tire (full size spare) ready to swap, and rotate with other tires so same approximate circumference (important on your X-drive to prevent wear to Transfer Case & Diffs).

I have been driving for 55+ years & NEVER had to change a tire on the side of the road (on my own car -- I have helped others). I HAVE had slow leak punctures from nails, screws, etc. with which I was able to get to an air pump. I DID change a valve spring on a 427 (pushrod) Corvette at 10PM on a Sunday night at a gas station off the interstate, in 45 minutes (had already changed another previously & aware of issues with "Double-spring). But that's another story 'cuz I was carrying a spare spring or two and tools (just needed station's compressed air to hold the valve up). Don't try that on a DOHC engine.

Point is, there are a LOT of things that COULD leave you stranded on a trip, OTHER than a flat tire, & how many of those are you really prepared for? Primary SAFETY considerations are to:
(1) Be advised of a tire losing pressure BEFORE it gets low enough to cause handling issues at speed;
(2) Get off the road to a safe area to plug & reinflate the tire, or call for help if you can't "continue your journey;"
(3) Get home if you are in the local area of home/work, usually within 50 mile radius.

The TPMS & RunFlat tires are designed to do ALL three of those things, particularly if you carry a 12V air pump and a tire plug kit & tools, all of which fit in ~ half a cubic foot of space.

I'm running the original-spec 55 profile tires on 16" wheels. If I were running something less than 50 profile, I would be more concerned about rim & bead damage from potholes than a flat tire. So what is right for me may NOT make sense for someone else.

George

[K9Leader]

I bought my '10 E91 a little over a year ago. It came with the 16 inch wheels and tires that were almost done. I upgraded to 18 inch wheels and Michelin run-flats. In the back I keep a 12v pump, tire repair kit, scissors jack, and other basic tools, and in my wallet I keep a AAA membership card. I think I'm pretty well covered - no room for a spare in the cargo area because . . . where would my dogs ride?

This is a daily driver so I stuck with the run-flats but I am aware of how much better a car handles and how much better the ride is with regular tires (I ditched the run-flats on my '99 Corvette years ago as it is more of a weekend warrior, although I do take it on long road trips).

K9Leader

[floydarogers]

Originally Posted by jhl385

This past Wed I bought a '09 328i X wagon, and assume it came with runflats as there is no spare. Is there room under the floor for a full size spare?
Also I see water pumps are an issue. Mine has 88K miles and I guess that should be a priority.
...

Water pumps on modern BMWs are much less an issue than in the past (E46, etc.) because the ECU is in complete control. While you *can* toast the engine if you are so foolish as to ignore the dash warnings when the pump dies (and cooling fan goes to full speed, etc.), just pull off and get a tow.

The water pump is like $450 and is not generally (except by anal types) a preventative replacement item (based upon miles.)

[ryan stewart]

I ditched the run flats because they are only good for like 50 miles at a low speed. What good is that on a long road trip?

For around town it's not needed. Blowouts are exceedingly rare, usually you take a nail and get a slow leak. It's got a tire pressure monitor. Just get a pump. I've got the BMW kit with the gel stuff but never used the gel. Both times I got a puncture it was slow enough I could just top it off occasionally until I got it patched/replaced.

I considered a full spare for trips but then remembered it's been 18 years since I had anything but the slow leak and that was on tires that were overdue to be replaced.

[jhl385]

I appreciate the tips and comments. I pay close attention to the tires on my cars and motorcycle, frequent visual inspections and psi checks every few days for the cars and every time I take out my bike. Even if it's ridden daily.
Quality tires are a must. I'm looking forward to studying up on what's best for me on the E91 when the time comes. Been running Nokian ZLine A/S's on my Mazda6 wagon for about 30k and love 'em. But I'm probably going with the Pilot Sports A/S's - we'll see....
So, the need to carry a plug kit (already tossed one in) and a 12v compressor able to handle inflating a full sized tire is a necessity and becomes the "spare".
Just plugged one on the E46 I sold a week ago.
The insight of those who have been there and done that - thanks again.
John

[nsjames]

I carry my old viair in the back with a plug kit.
don't even carry a jack. If I can't plug it on the car, I'm calling triple a.
if you want a space saver spare tire you can get one from an e60, but it will take up cargo space.


I wouldn't worry about the pump. I bought mine at 101K miles, drove it cross country, a number of times. Now at 144k the pump finally started causing issues. Never quit, but I was getting pump communication errors and the occasional fan running full speed.

It was factory. 07 date code on it's housing. The water pump issue is overblown, at least on n52s.

hello from ashland.