On models with no spare tire, what are folks doing?

You were supposed to say you are older and wiser.

 

If I was going somewhere out of the way, and by that I mean one of the more "idyllic" Eastern European countries, I would consider sticking one of my spare winter/summer tyres in the back.

Other than that from where I live now in Southern Germany to the farthest likely point of travel in my original home country there is either mobile phone coverage or other people the entire likely route of 1200 Km and back.

Given the lack of incidents in the prior multiple thousands of Km and years, I'll be quite happy going with just the can of instant repair and a mobile phone.

 

I use to live in a city, but I now live in quite remote area of the US where cellular coverage is sparse. Even for my routine 18 miles commute from my home to work 2/3 of the road is not covered by any cell tower. For that reason, in addition to a full size spare I occasionally carry, I also picked up flat tire repair kit (not the goo kind) but kind with a rubber sticks and reamer. I read so many threads here that "goo" destroys TPMS sensor inside of the tire and make a huge mess.

Oh, but I have never used the kit in my life yet. I may never need to use it at this rate, but since I am due for new set of summer tires on my summer wheels that is off the car now. This maybe the best chance to practice the tire puncture repair safe at home. lol

 

I've used those kits before, and they have always worked ok, good enough to get to a shop and get a proper repair done.

The issue with that kit is there is not a snowballs chance in hell that my Mrs would even attempt to use it.

That's about the same odds of her attempting to change a wheel at the roadside. It's just not gonna happen. Makes carrying a spare pointless.

She would stretch to using the can of goo if she had to.

 

Agreed. Same here. That's why we have a road side assistant plan. If she is alone and can't call for help, I am sure she will wait for a good Samaritan to stop and help her.

 

In the brochures Toyota has the nerve to list the "tire repair kit" as an upgrade.

I've done a couple of plug repairs, and both went years with no further intervention. The first was on one of the original all-seasons; that set was replace finally, last spring. The second was on a snow tire, 7~8 years back, it's on the car right now.

 

Patch or Plug? This one of these debates that has no immediate right or wrong answer (unless local laws state otherwise). There are definitely two distinct camps, and it is more a matter of personal preference.

I am in between. I've used plugs to get me going again, but always had a patch applied after.

Here is my thinking - nobody has to agree, it is neither right or wrong, it's just my logic:

First and foremost, I want to make sure that neither the object that caused the damage is gone. I wouldn't want it, or road grit or grime inside my tyre. Especially these days with sensors being standard.

At the roadside there is no guarantee the hole was clean, that the edges have been tidied up, and the plug is fully coated and "stuck". I wouldn't like the plug to fail, to have grit work it's way back into the repair, or the tyre to start to delaminate.

On the autobahn I can max out at 220 km/h in a car diesel car that weighs around 1500 kilo, plus 5 passengers. I want to feel good about that tyre repair.

I've also used it on a motorcycle - same thing applies. I'm not looking to add "what if" to my day.

Peace of mind is worth a few Euros on a repair to me.

 

I did an experiment with slime on a 20 year old plumbing Thermal Expansion Tank.
The thermal expansion tank has a rubber membrane between two chambers, one chamber is filled with water and the other chamber is filled with 20 to 30 lbs of air, just like a tire. The membrane had failed and the air chamber was full of water.
Long story short, I thought the slime would harden in a day or two, but it didn't harden at all in 3 days, it still spilled out of both chambers. So I let the water chamber side drain completely and filled the air side with a few lbs of air. Screwed it back in place, opened the water valve a bit and pumped in more air. It's been several months now and it still seems to be holding fine.

Hopefully, I'll never have to use that sfuff on a car tire, but if I do have to one / some day, I'll be sure to unmount the tire and clean that stuff up as soon as possible,

Biggest question I still have is if the TPMS sensor can be saved after using the OEM tire repair kit or regular slime in an emergency.

 

I'm assuming that my 2021 Prius does not have a spare as it's not listed on the sticker. It does list the flat fix kit, though. It's raining here and I don't feel like getting soaked to see for sure. My thoughts are that I want a spare tire of some sort. Donut tire is ok. I'm more worried about something tearing a gash in it in the middle of nowhere than a nail or screw. If there isn't a spare then it would have to be towed in that case. I have the wheel and tire protection plan but it would have to get back to a Toyota dealer somehow. I am going to invest in a portable 12v air compressor as well. I don't see why I can't order a spare tire donut at Toyota that would work.

 

Correct. The AWD-e has no spare. The fix a flat kit is going to be a cruel joke if you have a big hole. Plus, once you use it, it costs about as much as a new tire to replace it. My kit is in a drawer in the garage, replaced with a tire plug kit and a 12V compressor. Many use a bicycle pump instead of a compressor. The tire service is also a cruel joke when you have a blowout at 2AM on a Sunday morning on your way to some place in the boondocks. I also have a spare tire strapped in the cargo area that I bough off Ebay. That's way cheaper than going through Toyota.

 

The spare would work and fit under the cargo floor if you modify the foam. I think the floor may sit a little higher though. My 2017 Trim Two cane with a donut spare.

 

It would except that the car in question is an AWD-e which has an inverter in the way.

 

What a “mail it in” engineering decision eh: where to put the AWD motor? Toss the spare; problem solved.

 

Just like the Prime. There are photos here showing the larger battery blocking the tire well

 

caa and dont worry about it.

 

You sound like somebody who has never been out of the city. I have driven and vacationed in places in North America without cell phone coverage. Some of us do not have the funds to spend on a service like AAA.

 

Ditto. IIRC, when we drove across Arizona on I-40, there were only a few spots with AT&T coverage. Miles & miles with no cell towers in sight. Even if there was service, I'm not spending a ton of money to sit there cooling my heels while I wait for someone to get around to come do for me what I should be able to do for myself.

Edit to add:
# of years driving = 49
# of times needing a tow = 0
Money saved not paying for AAA if it's $166/yr = $8,134

I think that's enough to cover buying a spare and a lithium jump pack.

 

Use to pay for the AAA Premier membership for something like $160/yr (includes one associate membership), but haven't used the service and/or benefits for years. We switched to roadside service offered through my auto insurance company for something like $12/yr. Very similar limitation as AAA service in terms of miles of towing and what they can perform at break down, such as minor mechanical repair to jumping a dead 12v battery. The only thing is that I have not used the service yet, so I don't know how good their service contractor's network is. Still, it should be much better than the free Toyota Care roadside assistance.

 

On top of that I would have had to pay EXTRA to get my Prius without a spare tire. For what benefit? I looked at the Trim 3, which also has a spare, The only real minor advantage would be the 3-door fob sensing instead of my 1 door system. That was not worth an extra $3K to me.

 

Yeah I recall going through that exercise: want a spare, 3 door touch to unlock/lock, and no sunroof? Good luck with that…