flat tire!

Punctures (road hazard) aren't covered under the tire warranty. Check the pressure in the other 3 tires. The flat tire definitely tripped the sensor but since the light has been lit for 2 weeks the others are low by 25%. Any tire shop can patch a tire.

 

um, johnfried, what do you think the tire low-pressure warning light was trying to tell you for two weeks?

 

Exactly what I was thinking.

 

I would take it to a reputable tire shop. They are the tire experts. And if turns out to be unrepairable, they probably won't charge as much as the dealer for a new one. (As the other Jim says, road hazards are not covered under warranty.) To verify, you could call around ahead of time to price the tire.

As for how long you can drive on the spare, the owner's manual describes it as having a 3000 mile tread life. But you still want to get it off ASAP. It has a top speed of 50 MPH and you can't expect the same handling characteristics as a regular tire.

 

By driving on it for two weeks while it was going flat you've probably ruined the sidewalls and turned what might have been a repairable puncture into a replacement, and maybe damaged the rim.

 

Tires is just one of the most important part of your vehicle. You do not want to overlook them. For your safety and for the safety of other motorist around you, regularly check your tire pressure. I was told that a underinflated tire has a bigger chance of getting a flat tire (p/u a nail or so...).

Hope you can get your tire situation straightened out soon. Drive safe.

 

I have to agree with most of the responses here about your ignoring of the Low Pressure warning for two weeks.

Now, another warning/suggestion: If you take your tire to a Tire Shop, be sure to tell them you have a valve stem mounted sensor. Otherwise, you'll be looking at an additional $250 to replace THAT sensor.