Going through tires?

[Dr. C]

New here and I have a handful of questions about my '04 X3. I'll split them up, one per post. Bought my X3 CPO from a dealer approx 18 months ago with 24,000 mi. When test driving I heard a lot of tire noise and the dealer determined that the tires were cupped. I asked if this was up to CPO standards and the dealer put 4 new tires on before I bought. 20,000 miles later the noise is back and dealer service dept says tires are cupped again. But they offered no remedy besides selling me 4 new tires. I'm guessing this is an alignment problem, though the car tracks in a straight line. I'm pretty religious about tire pressure--keep a chart of my vehicles' recommended tire pressure on the garage wall and have an accurate gauge. Should I expect my X3 to go through tires like this? Anybody else have a similar experience? Other than escalating to service manager or higher at the dealer, do I have any recourse under CPO program? Thanks for any thoughts.

[haigha]

What kind of tires?

Are they the same dimensions front and back? If so, did you rotate them regularly?

Did you look at the user reviews on http://tirerack.com for these tires and see what others have said about them?

[Dr. C]

Matched set all around. Asked the dealer about rotation and they told me that it's not recommended for this car. Maybe I need a new dealer.

[rhodgins]

I had a Mercedes (sorry) with a similar problem. The tires cupped, but everything was in alignment and within specs. After THREE sets of tires, I talked with the technician, and he agreed that while within specs, there was a problem. He made the adjustments closer to the minimum in the spec range, and the issue disappeared! Problem is that you have to wait until your tires are ruined AGAIN before you know whether or not the process worked. Good luck!

[vinuneuro]

You haven't even had an alignment. That's stop number one. Then check the wheel bearings and shock absorbers.

[AzNMpower32]

I bet you have the Bridgestone Turanzas, which wear quickly and make lots of road noise.

[Dr. C]

Give the man a cigar--the dealer installed Turanzas, which I understand were OEM? Anway, not happy about putting on a new set just 20,000 miles later when the set on the ground still has lots of tread, but this road noise is almost unbearable. Thanks all for your advice (and rhodgins, no need to apologize for having a Benz, I've got an E myself).

[Ishniknork]

Originally Posted by Dr. C

Give the man a cigar--

I'm quite sure he doesn't smoke so how about a fee for his service instead? Shall we say 1 hour labor at the usual rate?




...and a hardy :xoutpost: Dr. C!

[AzNMpower32]

If the tire noise is unbearable, you may try rotating them. However, the fact of the matter is that the Turanzas are the worst of the 3 possible OEM choices. Whenever you choose to get a new set, go with the Pirelli Scorpion STRs, another OEM tire that's widely regarded as the better choice (which I had, and liked).