Do you need to put air in run-flat tires?

How long can you drive on a run-flat tire?

Run-flat tires have been around for a while, and Mercedes-Benz likes to use them as standard equipment on many of their cars, but how long can you drive on a run-flat tire? Do you even need to put air in a run-flat tire? At Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale, we can answer all that and more as we take a good look at run-flat technology. You can also learn all about our new inventory here in Scottsdale, AZ by clicking into our inventory through the link below.

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What is a run-flat tire?

Run-flat tires basically have firm sidewalls. The firm sidewalls allow the tire to keep operating even once all the air is out of your tire. However, much like a spare tire, they are not meant to be a permanent solution. Without air, the tire will lose integrity and eventually fail. It’s designed to get your car to a spot where you can get it repaired, and not designed to last forever that way.

How will you know if you have a flat tire with run-flat tires?

Run-flat tires may have actually caused an issue a few decades ago before the advent of tire pressure management systems (TPMS). With these new TPMS sensors, your car will immediately know when a tire loses pressure. As such, you will know when you get a flat.

If you start to feel a wobble or if your car starts to kilter in one direction, then your tire may have lost integrity as well which is still possible with a run-flat tire. If that happens, you should pull over. If you just lost pressure, and everything else feels fine, then you just need to get to a trusted Mercedes-Benz service center as soon as possible.

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What is the range on a run-flat tire?

Much like a spare tire, a run-flat tire has a limited range and a limited speed. Once you know you’ve lost tire pressure, you should carefully reduce speed to a maximum of 50 mph as soon as possible. Additionally, you shouldn’t drive for more than 50 miles on a run-flat once it loses pressure.

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