Poll on "Tire Repair Kit"

It almost looked like the battle of goo that Toyota supplies along with their air pump MUST be attached prior to inflation.

Hopefully I got that wrong. There are of scenarios where air only would be the best approach.

Can anyone clear up my confusion?

 

Haven't changed a roadside flat in 30 years.

Hope I haven't jinxed myself.

 

I have had a number of flats over that time span, but they have all been found when my car was parked at work or (mostly) in my driveway. I can recall changing just one, and using Fix-a-Flat for 2 or three others as a matter of convenience.

My last flat was a month ago on an old Saab which I noticed in my icy driveway after being away for a few days. For this one, I used a $50 pump (no goo) and it worked well enough that the air I put in lasted the 24+ hours early it took me to get an appointment at my preferred tire shop.

That pump was a great resource.

Unfortunately, the Prius-supplied pump looks to have the air hose coming out of e bottle of goo, so you don't have th choice of putting in air only if the situation warrants it.

 

The compressor should be usable without the goo. Should be easy to test.

How people are actually going to use that sticker?

 

the compressor does not work without the goo, this was shown years ago in the pip forum. if you want to be able to pump up your tyre, buy and carry a compressor.

worse, the procedure is long and complicated. there's a video somewhere, and it's so discouraging, i immediately went out and bought a spare.

i would put the sticker on my forehead, so people would remind me to drive slowly.

 

If it was a little bigger you could use it as a bumper sticker, maybe assuage a few tailgaters. There's always a silver lining.

 

Oops, left the "many" out of my question.

The sticker also be applied to friends' and coworkers' cars that have been on a spare for more than a couple days.

 

My daughter used the temp spare on her (4WD) Pilot for months, on the front right corner. Drove to another country ('States) at least once, maybe more? Where did we go wrong?

 

Can't speak for the Pilot, but anyone that drives longer than absolutely needed to fix or replace their Prius flat...on the temp spare...is touched in the head.

 

I am interested in the Eco so I will have to deal without a spare tire. But in the future I am sure a spare tire will not come standard in a lot more cars. According to AAA in 2015 36% of cars sold in the USA did not come with a spare.

The downside with the sealant it could damage the TPMS.

 

I applaud Toyota for continuing to be the only Hybrid or Electric car maker who continues to even offer a spare tire as standard. The inclusion of a spare would certainly steer me towards a non-eco 2 or a 3. (I didn't see the poll in time before it closed!)

EDIT: Thanks for opening the poll, dorunron!

 

why do they close the polls, is there a win date?

 

The problem is not nails so much as hitting shredded truck tires on the highway. If you hit one of those, it will rip your tire to shreds and it is more of a deal than even an ordinary blow out. You are likely to lose the tire AND wheel. So if you don't have a spare, you are waiting for a tow truck. The idea of a $20 inflator in the trunk is insane ... it is just a waste of space.

I agree with your "lack of skills" argument. I also agree with your assessment of the trend ... it is all about saving $0.02 per car.

Where I disagree is that a pump and kit is a good option. It is dangerous, and many problems can't be fixed. With no spare, the ONLY option is to wait for a tow ... and just yesterday, I waited 2.5 HOURS for a tow and I'm in the MD/D.C suburbs. You'd think I'd get better service ... I can only imagine if I were in bad weather where tow trucks were very busy. In the long run, I may have no choice, but for now, I will opt for a car that has a spare.

 

Supposedly the goo won't damage the sensor, but the tire shop will have to clean out the goo if they take the tire off for the repair. If the repair is done from the outside of the tire, then the goo can eventually come loose inside the tire, throwing off the balance.

That's why I'd recommend putting together a tire plug kit if you have the just the goo. A basic kit is fine, but you'll also need a boxcutter/razor blade and a pair of pliers for pulling out the 'nail'. In addition to avoiding the above issue, it is probably cheaper than buyer a replacement cartridge of goo from a dealer.

A spare won't help you if whatever you hit blows out two tries. It also won't help if the alignment was severely knocked out, or other suspension damage.

As I said, it all comes down to risk assessment and comfort levels of the individual. My parents once had a flat when they got out to the parking lot. My cousin and I offered to put the spare on before going, but they were fine waiting for the AAA guy to show up and do it. To each their own, but I think not buying a car that is perfect otherwise, because it doesn't have spare is silly. The cost of whatever additional steps taken to get a spare if required for said car are likely lower than the compromises made in choosing another model.

 

Well, yeah, it won't help if you hit with both tires ... it also won't help if a meteor hits your city and wipes everything out One can always concoct insane scenarios. What the spare CAN do is allow you to drive safely for a reasonable number of miles until you can get the main tire fixed. Nothing more, but it is enough.

And yes, it comes down to risk assessment. I guess I don't care as much for my wife's car. I would not want her changing a tire on the highway, given the stupidity of today's drivers. I'd have her call a tow truck and if it was going to be a long time, I'd have her bag the whole thing and get a hotel for the night and meet the tow truck in the morning.

 

I am a sample of one, but in my limited experience over the past 39 years I have had to deal with a flat in the driveway/parking lot multiple times, but have never experienced a blow out.

Is the scenario you paint common?

FWIW, I think its nice to have yet another thing in common with the driving experience of Tesla and new Corvette owners. We sports car owners have some special things to deal with.



BTW, I just bought on of these kits from a local (Massachussets) company. Not sure if I will keep it in the back, or in the garage with everything else I have to survive the apocalypse. Looks higher quality than most of the alternatives.

http://safetyseal.com/CombiPRSS.pdf

 

I have hit big hunks of truck tires only once ... but that was enough for me, thank you very much. When I'm on a road trip, I see long stretches of truck shrapnel. From what I understand, trucks are trying to save money by passing costs on to the tax payers. It goes like this:

It costs money to take a truck out of service, pull a worn out tire, and mount a new one ... PLUS, there are some unknown number of road miles left in the bald tire. So what they do is run until the tire EXPLODES then replace it at the next maintenance depot. The trucking company saves money and the tax payers clean up the roads. AND the drivers risk their lives swerving around big hunks of stuff and occasionally hitting some.

There is scant chance that a police cruiser will be there at just the instant the tire explodes, so the truckers are never fined. What needs to be done is to increase trucking road taxes to pay for the clean up ... and make them pay into a fund to reimburse drivers with damaged vehicles. Of course, they will then pass that on to the public in the cost of transportation added to goods transported. Ah well. Somebody though Capitalism sounded like a good idea.


Merged

OBTW, if you'd like to learn more about the general philosophy of this in its widest application, it is called "The Tradgedy of the Commons" and you can read about it here: Tragedy of the commons - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

A pot hole at a somewhat major intersection was taking out two tires on enough cars that it was regularly in the news bit on the radio one day. It didn't pop the tires, but a pot hole knocked the alignment out on one side of my Ranger. Any road debris that can puncture a tire, and not get stuck in said tire, has a shot of damaging the following rear one.

I agree the chances of it happening are low, but the aren't in the realm of meteor strike or lotto winning.

And while it will wreck the flat tire, and maybe damage to wheel, it is possible to creep along on a flat if one has too.

 

there is enough carnage on I95 on our trip to florida, that i wouldn't consider it without a spare. if we get two flats, run out of gas, break down, catch on fire or even a meteor, i'll just have to live with it. or not.
that's why i won't drive at night. i've seen too much junk fall off of trucks that you have to dodge, including almost a whole tyre coming right at our windshield.

 

I've experienced my share of flats. Never had two flats at the same time. Yes, it might happen, but the odds are long.

About the same as the odds that the US air force will some day return to some isolated South Pacific islands.