Tire blow out?

**Rich Z** · 11-11-2012, 06:12 PM

Connie and I just got back from Manasota Key beach today and we were about 10 miles from home when the DIC started flashing a low tire pressure warning on the driver's side rear tire. When I checked the pressure reading, it was at 23 psi but quickly dropped down to 1 psi. Backing up a bit, not long before this we heard a sharp pop and the car jerked momentarily to the right. We thought we had run over something, but we are really pretty vigilant about watching for road hazards in front of us, and neither of us saw anything before we heard that noise.

Luckily these were run flats, and we were really close to home, so we just slowed down and took it easy the rest of the way.

So I yanked off the wheel to inspect it when the car was safely back in the garage, and here's what I saw...

And oddly enough, when I roll the wheel, I can hear something rolling around inside of the tire.

No idea what happened, but it looks like the tire just exploded at that spot, blowing the tread off with it. I'm thinking the inside of the tire blew off also, and there is a chunk of rubber bouncing around in there.

I guess I'll be running the car over to the local Goodyear tire dealer tomorrow to see what they say. It was on Connie's 2007 C6 and it's the tire that came on the car when we bought it with 4 miles on the odometer. It's now got 19K miles on the ticker. I'm pretty sure I will need a new tire, but wonder if Goodyear will prorate it as a factory defect? I want to stick around and watch them break the tire down so I can see what is rattling around inside of it.

You know, I'm REAL glad this was a run-flat tire, otherwise we would have been dead alongside the road waiting for a tow truck. No way any sort of "fix-a-flat" inflator would have sealed that big darn hole. I don't have run flats on the C5Z, and I am SERIOUSLY considering changing that fact ASAP. Yeah, I know they are noisier than the non run-flats, but I think I would prefer that peace of mind knowing I could at least drive somewhere where I could get some help with replacing a tire if something like this happens again. I can live with the increased noise, if I would even hear the difference over the exhaust on that car.

Benjamin · 11-11-2012, 08:54 PM

looks like something BIG went into the tire and the chunk of rubber that it displaced was ripped off while rolling down the road.

I have hit some big stuff before, once was a small piece of re-bar and another time was some metal slag from where a cutting torch was cutting a piece of pipe and it was crescent chaped that went into the tire and made a hole similar to that size. they were rattling around inside. I wouldn't think that is a defect in the tire, but stranger things have happened...

**Rich Z** · 11-11-2012, 09:38 PM

Yeah, probably so. I'm real curious to see what it is inside of that tire. Sure do hate the idea of having to buy a new tire, but this one is trashed now.

**Rich Z** · 11-12-2012, 08:53 AM

Been looking around (not too much effort, granted) for run flats for the C5Z and it really doesn't look like there are ANY options available. Even looks like Michelin doesn't make ANY tires any longer in the sizes for the C5Z.

Any one else embarked on this sort of investigation and come up with anything?

Oh, also saw that that tire on Connie's C6 is going to cost around $400 if it's not a tire defect that caused that blow out.

Well, this doesn't appear to be true. But you have to actually search for the tire sizes needed on Michelin's site as well as on TireRack to find the PS2s. Using the vehicle search function doesn't pull them up.

Still no luck finding run flats, though. No real rush, I guess. Not to mention that I would have to find a set of tire pressure sensors as well.

85vette · 11-12-2012, 10:18 AM

That's one reason I don't have run flats. They cost over twice as much and aren't as good as other tires you can buy. I'm fortunate to be able to carry a spare in my CTS V. New TPS monitors are around fifty bucks each and they usually last 5-7 years.

**Rich Z** · 11-12-2012, 04:13 PM

Well, rats.....

Here's the culprit:

Beats the heck out of me how that bolt got jabbed into the tire. But we did go through several areas of road construction, including the new bridge they are putting in on route 98 between Perry and Newport. So it's entirely my dime on getting this replaced. The tire can't be fixed, and McGee's Goodyear said that they can't find a tire for me as Goodyear has discontinued that model.

I've been looking online for hours now, and it appears that some online dealers do, in fact, have this tire. But many of them show disclaimers concerning the photo being the actual tire (tread design, etc.) that I would get if I ordered it. So I'm sending off emails to try to determine this.

I sure as heck don't want two different tread designs on the rear wheels.

Ebay has a bunch of used tires for sale, but I'm REAL leery of buying something like this off of Ebay. Way too much garbage being dumped from that site with no recourse at all if you get bit on the butt by what you actually get in the box.

I'm halfway tempted to just put that $500 it's going to cost me for this one tire into a new set of chrome wheels that Connie wants for her car and get a completely new set of tires too. I do like the idea of the runflats, but they seem to be a real pain in the ass (and wallet) when it comes time to buy new ones. But if we hadn't had runflats on the car, this could have been a LOT uglier on the road.

I would like to buy a complete wheel/tire set, but then the wrinkle raises it's ugly head concerning the TPS units that either have to be bought new from whoever is selling the package, or else have the wheels we have here torn down to extract those sensors from the old wheels. Probably the cost would be the same, either way.

And yeah, COST of a complete package really is an issue. Paying $500 for a new tire will be the cheaper way out of this, but I've been telling Connie we will get chrome wheels for her car as soon as the tires wear out.

Heck, is it even a real good idea to just replace one tire when the other side has 19K miles on it?

A pox on whoever it was responsible for that bolt laying in the road.

I just didn't need this particular headache right now.

85vette · 11-12-2012, 05:35 PM

Had a similar incident with the wife's Trailblazer. Ran over a square shaped, sharp edged rock in a construction zone that went right through the center of the tire!

Only had 36K miles on them and could have gotten another 30K or so.
The question is, do you want some sporty looking tires that will last 50 or 60K miles, or do you want some tires that will really grip the road for maybe 20K or so miles? I have found that you can't have both. I don't like the Goodyear runflats. They don't stick very well, and as you can attest, are overpriced. I've had Maxxis MA Z1 tires on my V and they stick like glue. Pulled .98 g's with them.

Best handleing tire I've ever had. Those round-a-bouts in Tallahassee are fun! Only good for 15-20K miles. Less if you drive hard all the time. But you can get them for less than $200.00 a tire. I think I got them for $118.00 plus installation, but that was two years ago.
Currently I have Nexxen 3000's that I got last year. I paid about the same for them. I have pulled .76 g's with these but I think you can probably get 20-30K miles if you don't run them hard. I did drive harder with the Maxxis MA Z1's, but I was just getting used to driving the V at the time. I'm a bit calmer now....I could probably get the g's into the .80's with the Nexxen's if I pushed it.

Anyway, something to think about. And you may as well replace the monitors while your replacing the tires. the battery life is probably getting close after 5 years.

**Rich Z** · 11-12-2012, 06:11 PM

I found a replacement tire at SimpleTire.com. Just got too many other expenditures now to want to spring for a complete set of new wheels and tires. So when the three original tires get kind of skimpy on the tread then I'll readdress this possibility of replacing everything, including the TPS units.

In the meantime I'll just keep my eyes open for any killer deal that might crop up on some wheels that Connie might like on her car, as I can always store them until the tires need replacing. That might be easier on the budget anyway to do it that way. I can't see a good set of wheels and tires costing me any less that $2,000 to $3,000 at a pop.

Connie really doesn't want any really expensive wheels on her car anyway, as it's pretty much a given that they won't retain their pristine appearance through the first time that tires get replaced on them anyway. I've seen some REALLY nice wheels out there in the $4,000 to $6,000 range, but I'd be having a heart attack getting the tires replaced on them by someone only making minimum wage and really not giving a crap about what happens to them.

Unfortunately changing tires on wheels isn't something that most people can do at home.

mickeystoysz16 · 11-12-2012, 08:57 PM

If it was in a contrsturction zone, contact the county or state roadway dept. Typically, roadway contractors are required to keep the roadway clean and free of debris where the road is open to traffic within their work zone. Depending on who my contract is with at the time either county or state, I get asked to review such claims from the public all the time for projects that I am working on.

I had a project in Jacksonville several years ago where the contractor decided to paint the final brige coating in peak hr traffic and high winds. That contractor paid for seveal new paint jobs.

I know it is a long shot, but it happens more than you think.

**Rich Z** · 11-12-2012, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickeystoysz16

If it was in a contrsturction zone, contact the county or state roadway dept. Typically, roadway contractors are required to keep the roadway clean and free of debris where the road is open to traffic within their work zone. Depending on who my contract is with at the time either county or state, I get asked to review such claims from the public all the time for projects that I am working on.

I had a project in Jacksonville several years ago where the contractor decided to paint the final brige coating in peak hr traffic and high winds. That contractor paid for seveal new paint jobs.

I know it is a long shot, but it happens more than you think.

Probably a good idea, but I left the tire at the Goodyear tire place. I certainly wasn't going to need it. And there really isn't any way I could prove exactly where it happened. It could have happened on route 75 as I thought I heard a change in the sound of the tires at that point. But it also could have been on a temporary bridge on route 98 between Perry and Newport where they are working on a new bridge there.

But heck, it might be worth a shot if they aren't all that diffcult to get a hold of.