W213 All-Terrain Run-flats/Spare/Winter options

Thriftwood

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Has anyone experience of running this car on run-flats. The current tires are 245x40x20 front and 275x35x20 at the back. I would prefer the additional safety offered by run-flat tires (The hard shoulder at night is a truly scary place even for a couple of minutes) but I don’t want to compromise the ride too much.

Anyone know if there is an expanding spare wheel option for E350 All-Terrain? A normal skinny spare won’t fit the limited space under the boot floor. If no expanding one is available then has anyone experience of https://www.carnoisseur.com/products/details/road-hero-spare-wheel-kit-to-fit-mercedes-e-class-r601d I know it won’t fit in the boot tray (neither will the wheel it replaces) but it may be of use when touring in parts foreign.

Also, has anyone experience of or suggestions on running the All-Terrain on 19” wheels for winter use either with 245x45x19 all round or with 245x45x19 at the front and 275x40x19 at the rear.

Sorry so many questions :confused:
 

keefysher

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Does the table inside the fuel filler door not give you the relevant winter wheel/tyre sizes?

Are you going to be using it where winter tyres are compulsory?

When did you last get a puncture?

The 4Matic system is the same as my GLE. In last years snow with the beast from the east and country lanes with drifted snow, it was perfectly happy. Use the hill descent facility, raise the suspension and you'll be fine. If the snow is that bad, carry chains as I do. On 21", wide summer tyres too :alien::alien:
 
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Thriftwood

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Unfortunately the fuel filler shows only one set of pressures with no tire sizes and no indication of winter tires at all. Neither does the manual as far as I can see. There is a load of generic information about winter driving and mention of winter tires and the overall speed limiter but nothing that says what you may or may not fit. The manual does say the the fuel filler will show all tires approved for this vehicle but since no sizes are given it's hard to know.

Last tire problem was last year on the M1 in the dark. It was a failure of the tire valve for which the only solution was to swap the wheel (or potentially run flats) Being on the hard shoulder waiting for recovery is not an experience I would like to repeat or one I would like to subject my wife to.

Chains whilst an option would require stopping and fitting etc. which again is not something my wife will thank me for when she's driving :eek: I live up a hilly farm track so anything that improves traction on the way up and (possibly more importantly) braking on the way down is a definite plus.

I'm just trying to find out if anyone has tried any of the options I am looking at:)
 

John Laidlaw

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Sorry, not sure there are many on here with E350 AT, fairly rare
 
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Thriftwood

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Yes, that's the beast :) I haven't been able to find out much about them or if there's one that would fit the All-Terrain or if it's an affordable option. Anyone here actually got one?
 

LostKiwi

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Yes, that's the beast :) I haven't been able to find out much about them or if there's one that would fit the All-Terrain or if it's an affordable option. Anyone here actually got one?
Our r230 has one. Never been used (and it's 16 years old).
 
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Thriftwood

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Thanks - so not a new thing then. It seems such a good idea especially given the reduction in boot well space but i guess a can of sealant is cheaper to produce :rolleyes:
 

LostKiwi

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The biggest problem with any space saver tyre is what to do with the tyre you take off? Suddenly theres a huge wheel with a 285/35/19 tyre to fit into a boot that's already full of luggage.
 
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Thriftwood

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Very true - It doesn't fix my 'sat on the hard shoulder' problem either so I'm tending towards the run-flat option.
I just don't want to trash the ride. :(

What this needs is some enterprising soul to set up a business where you can go and try different tire options to see how they work on your car. There can't be more than a few hundred thousand combinations :D
 

keefysher

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Very true - It doesn't fix my 'sat on the hard shoulder' problem either so I'm tending towards the run-flat option.
I just don't want to trash the ride. :(

What this needs is some enterprising soul to set up a business where you can go and try different tire options to see how they work on your car. There can't be more than a few hundred thousand combinations :D

Based on your 'fear' of being stuck on the hard shoulder you'll need a complete set of parts with you in case something breaks :alien: Fortunately your car comes with a tow bar as standard, so you could get a 2nd All Terrain, put it on a trailer and tow it with you in case of a part breaking down and stranding you on the hard shoulder!! :D:D You'd have to learn how to demount the towed car, move the trailer to get the stranded car on the trailer etc, but thats easy for an enterprising chap :geek:

When you drive, or your wife does, in countries where the carrying of snow chains and fitment is compulsory in certain conditions decided by the unfriendly copper stood out in a snowstorm, who will impound your car if you can't be bovvered to fit them, what will you do?

There must be a winter tyre for your car as it is compulsory in some european countries to have them fitted for winter time. I note the Michellin tool doesn't show one.

FYI my GLE fuel filler door label shows a 235/65R17 as a winter tyre/wheel combination. Might be worth you asking MB Technical at MK if that would fit your car.

Or you could give it a go on your standard set up in 'slippery' mode at speed, braking, steering ie driving to the conditions you may encounter over the 4 months of snow the Daily Express says we are due this winter. You might be pleasantly surprised how well your standard set up copes :cool::cool:
 

al bondigaz

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I was looking at buying an AT and pondered the winter tyre question myself.

These guys www.kunzmann-shop.de/en can advise on the tyre / wheel combo. In Germany 19" wheels on an AT is the standard set-up. There quite for me was about £2500 for a set of winter wheels and tyres shipped to the UK.
 

John Laidlaw

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I hope that's each :p
Just the deposit!
It’s like I just was invited to put a deposit down on a Polestar for delivery c2020 sometime- only 2,500 Euros (non Binding and refundable), only 152,500 Euros to pay on delivery. Bargain! Worlds full of them
It is an interesting prospect mind, 3 Electric motors 600 BHP/1000nmm torque and 150 km range.....
Maybe I can get a cassette tape an record the V8 so we can hear something whilst driving? :p
 

JBell

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Just the deposit!
It’s like I just was invited to put a deposit down on a Polestar for delivery c2020 sometime- only 2,500 Euros (non Binding and refundable), only 152,500 Euros to pay on delivery. Bargain! Worlds full of them
It is an interesting prospect mind, 3 Electric motors 600 BHP/1000nmm torque and 150 km range.....

Short Range on that !!!!!!!
 
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Thriftwood

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I spoke with Mercedes Support in MK and thye sent me a guide for all the Wheel and tyre combinations that are approved for all the 213 cars. The winter approved wheels are 8Jx19 Offset 38 with 245/45 102XL tyres. The only MOE rated tyres in this size that I could see (there may be others that I missed) were Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3. Total cost for new wheels and tyres was indeed in that region (remember to add the TPMS sensors too) AlloyWheelsdirect.net were very good. The ride is also quite acceptable IMO and doesn't seem noticeably harder or noisier than the standard setup. MB MK recommendation for pressures is the same as the standard 20"summer tyres. FYI I drove a 213 estate (AMG not AT) with standard? 20" wheels and Michelin MOE tyres and the ride in that seemed quite acceptable too. Given that, I will probably move to MOE summer tyres when the current ones reach the end of their life.
Ps The Pirelli winter tyres are also available in MOE to fit the standard 20" wheels which would save the cost of a new set of wheels.
 
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John Laidlaw

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I spoke with Mercedes Support in MK and thye sent me a guide for all the Wheel and tyre combinations that are approved for all the 213 cars. The winter approved wheels are 8Jx19 Offset 38 with 245/45 102XL tyres. The only MOE rated tyres in this size that I could see (there may be others that I missed) were Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3. Total cost for new wheels and tyres was indeed in that region (remember to add the TPMS sensors too) AlloyWheelsdirect.net were very good. The ride is also quite acceptable IMO and doesn't seem noticeably harder or noisier than the standard setup. MB MK recommendation for pressures is the same as the standard 20"summer tyres. FYI I drove a 213 estate (AMG not AT) with standard? 20" wheels and Michelin MOE tyres and the ride in that seemed quite acceptable too. Given that, I will probably move to MOE summer tyres when the current ones reach the end of their life.
I think you are right on the MOE tyres, but do you really need them?
There’s a whole world of decent tyres , including the Vredestein Wintrac Extremes which are excellent, on here...
https://www.oponeo.co.uk/tyre-finder/s=1/winter/t=1/car/r=1/245-45-r19
 

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