Help Please! First MOT coming up and I need to be prepared! Tyres etc!

[sallyjc]

Hi

My first MOT is coming up at a BMW Dealership for my X5 3.0L Diesel which I have owned for nearly 1 year and I really need some advice please!

If after the MOT they say my tyres are badly worn out and need replacing should I buy them from BMW or is this generally a bad idea? Could I get them elsewhere? Am I allowed to drive off or can they stop me and say the tyres are too worn and it is against the law for me to drive on them? I would like to save some money at the moment if possible.

The car is still under BMW AUC Warranty, if I went to a different garage for new  tyres would the warranty people get upset? Or can any garage fit new tyres for me (as long as they are approved tyres of course!).

And should I maybe have the MOT carried out a week before it really expires so if there are problems with the tyres I can drive off get them fitted somewhere cheaper and then comeback for another MOT or am I wasting money having 2 MOTs and may as well pay the more expensive tyres?

I haven't booked the MOT yet or discussed the price but will it be much or is that a "how long is a piece of string" question?

And one final question please, since the car is still under BMW AUC Warranty, if the MOT picks up any simple faults do you think BMW will fix them for free? The car is still under 60,000 miles.

Sorry for all the silly questions. I am very new to this and am just thinking of what might happen!

Thanks

Sally

[Horizon]

If the tyres are under 1.6 mm tread depth across at least 3/4 of the tyre it will fail the MOT test anywhere you take it. Also they will be illegal , and you will get 3 points per tyre.
I'm sure someone on here will know what tyres are BMW approved, they then can be sourced elsewhere before your MOT test, take it to any tyre shop and they will give you a free tyre depth check.
If they are close to being illegal. GET THEM CHANGED !

[pvr]

As I don't want my wheels damaged, I buy the tyres elsewhere and get the dealer to fit. They damage the wheels, they replace them ... (as they have done in the past).

[X5Sport]

Not buying from a Dealer could save you a lot of money.  A recent quote I got for my X6 was beaten by over £80 per tyre by not using my Dealer.  I raised it with Parts and they said because they were forced to use a particular supplier they were stuck price wise.  They were happy to fit if I provided though.

Richard

[pvr]

Dealer dependent perhaps? Mine was happy for me to supply and they just charge for fitting.

[Raj]

Get the tyres checked before hand and replaced if required if you are a little worried about them. Warranty will be fine and not be affected by the tyres you run as long as they are correct weight/speed rated.

If the mot fires up something covered by the warranty then they will replace at warranty expense so no problems there.

As for if it fails what to do, you can drive it away and have 10 days to return for a partial retest (but they may charge you a partial fee also).

[sallyjc]

Thanks for all the fantastic replies. I have just bought a tyre tread depth indicator online so I can check the tyres soon. If I did buy the tyres myself and asked my local BMW Dealer to fit them, does anyone know what the charge might be? I will ask them myself but I was just wondering what the ball park figure might be.

Also, do I really have to change all 4 tyres together? I remember reading that somewhere. I only use the X5 for short runs, e.g. school/supermarket runs, just in case that makes a difference.

Thanks again!

[pvr]

Mine charges £12.50 per corner to fit.

No need to change 4 tyres at the same time, but generally they "go" by axle if the tracking was all ok. I replaced the rears at 48k, the fronts at 60k on my previous E53.

[Raj]

Always change in a pair across axle. Other than that all good.

[sallyjc]

Hello again

I have just checked the depth with my new ebay purchase and the results are as follows:

Front left and right: 2mm in the middle and 3 mm at the outside
Back left and right: 3mm in the middle and 4 mm at the outside

My MOT will be in maybe 2 weeks. And I will do very few miles between now and then.

If the depth results are the same at the MOT (BMW Dealership) can they say that I must change the tyres or just that I should?

Thanks!!

[Denis O]

Those depths are fine to pass an MOT but I wouldn't be comfortable driving around with only 2mm tread, especially with autumn and winter approaching.

With them wearing more in the middle I would suggest that the pressures are a little more than they should be. Drop a couple of PSi to see how that works.

[X5Sport]

You may get an 'Advisory' at 2mm but you still pass.  Your MOT Centre can only insist you change the tyres if you get a fail, and it's entirely up to you where the fitting is done...

A thought for the day though......when I worked for Surrey Police all our cars were changed at 3mm due to the loss of grip once the tread gets much below it, especially on wet roads.  I still follow that general rule with all my cars.

Richard

[Lummox]

If you take your car for an mot before the due date and it fails then your car does not have a valid mot as the new failure cancels your old mot. What you can do is take it to an mot test station and ask the to do a PRE mot check and that will highlight any issues without invalidating your old mot but to be honest it is probably better to just go and get the mot done and bite the bullet. As for the tyres, what price do you put on your own life or your families? Surely it is cheaper and easier to buy four new tyres than have someone organise funerals on your behalf. Maybe a little harsh but just trying to make a point

[petert]

My experience is that at 2 to 3 mm left on tyres they are not providing the grip you may need faced with an emeregncy situation.  Your driving routine may not stress the tyres that much but you could still be faced with an emergency not of your making.  So in your position I'd change them - and I'd do all four.  Of  course you should source them at the cheapest price you can find  (which for me has never been BMW).  I've never had wheels damaged during the fitting process but if the dealer will fit for the prices PVR mentions that sounds like a good price to me.  Good luck with the MOT!
Peter T

[Raj]

Although getting towards the border they are still legal. BMW advise at 3mm to change but 1.6 is the legal limit.

Personally I'd consider getting a new set all round with those numbers just for my own peace of mind as they aren't going to be good in rain which we get quite regularly.