My First Flat! And Other Concerns

The solution to the government imposed TPMS stupidity is to remove them from your tires when they are replaced. Dealing with the light on the dash is not an issue for me since I do not have the TPMS on my snow rims. I am used to it. I have the uncommon ability to periodically check my tire air pressure myself without out govenment holding my hand.

 

FWIW go to WalMart and get the plug kit. Plugging the hole from a nail is a piece of cake. If its a front tire you can do it while it is still on the car. The rears you need to remove the wheel.

 

The idea of any car without a useable spare tire and the tools to change it, flat out disgusts and scares me.
I live in a mostly rural northern state where any town large enough to have a tire service truck / man who will drive out and repair a tire is atleast 100 miles from my home. winter temps can be -30F, and cell phone service is spotty at best.
That can of fix a flat and plastic tire pump is worthless on anything but a small round puncture IF the tire is still on the bead.
The car makers excuse that if the fix a flat and plastic air pump cant reinflate my tire, I should just call road service, is a dumb arse excuse that could get me and mine killed on a stormy winter night, and they will not be selling me any car so poorly /dangerously equipped.

 

Jon, in your situation a spare & self reliance makes sense. At 100 miles I'm 2/3 of the way to DC to the south, 10 miles north of New York City to the north, about 15 miles east of Harrisburg, PA to the west, and 50 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Finding a tire store (or any store) generally isn't going to be a problem for a large percentage of the population.

The full size spare was downsized and is being eliminated because it is seldom used, heavy, takes up space, and costs money. I'm sure the car manufacturers polled focus groups and found that they either didn't want a spare or didn't care if the car had one. Instant win-win. Some day the spare tire will become an option or accessory and those that want one will buy one.

 

I wonder how much air loss you had with the nail still attached. By the way this looks perfect candidate for a full repair.

I had similar nail mishaps 3 times. Always a very slow gradual air loss. Like parked over night (I am sure the nail did not get into on my drive way but even if it did 8-9 hours) and the flat was not visible only TPMS caught it. Then I inflated the tire and "carefully" drove to the tire shop and had them repair it. Of course would not risk highway .. but local street 10-12 blocks was safe for me. Just my 2c ...

 

Just as an FYI...the TPMS transmitters are part of the valve stem inside each tire. The TPMS receiver is behind the driver just under the roof. Here are some pics (BTW, it looks like each stem needs replacing if the senders go bad):