New Prius... Flat Tire...

Small screw-hole in the center of the tread? A plug, assuming proper installation, should do you just fine.

 

Plugs are fine in the tread. if its a sidewall get it replaced. Its safe, ive got 2 or 3 in mine now lol

 

I was in the tire business 25 years ago. At the time, tire manufacturers recommended patching a repairable puncture from the inside, not just plugging it. Tire technology certainly could have changed a lot since then, but I think you'll find most reputable tire shops still patch them.

"Repairable" punctures, BTW, are those like yours: in the center of the tread, not at the edge or in the sidewall. So there is no reason not to expect the repair, if done properly, to last the life of the tire.

 

Best to apply a tube patch to the inside of the tire.

Plugs can hold air but still allow moisture to migrate to the belts. If the tire has steel belts, they can rust, later separating at high speed, causing a surprise blowout.

 

One thing to remember if you decide to get an internal patch applied:

Be sure that the tire repair shop realizes that you have TPMS on your tires. (They should already be familiar with this, but better safe than sorry.)

 

We habve had the plug vs patch discussion before, if not here, then in a nearby group. The plug if done well and it no belt was cut, will probably last the life of the tire. For added piece of mind, get the inside patch.

Most likely this will just turn you into somebody that watches tire pressures quite closely and that all by itself would be a good thing.

How bout if everybody checks all five of their tire pressures this week? Whaddaya say?

 

I've had my Pius 08 for 2 weeks. I picked up a nail after the 1st week(I had the tire plugged). Just yesterday, I had a sidewall blow out doing 70 on the Veterans Memorial Bridge in New Haven, CT. I thought I was dead! I rode it off the bridge(2 Miles)put the spare on, and purchased a new GoodYear. Thank God the rim wasn't shot! Has anyone had problems with their stock Goodyear Tires?

 

Glad that you did not suffer an accident or property damage.

Hmmm, since you have the Touring Prius, I thought that the original equipment tires are a Bridgestone model.

 

if its my $15 to pay for the repair, then i want them to actually take the tire off the wheel and patch it from the inside, then do it the lazy way and just using a plug

that way i get my money's worth

 

$15 Tire Repair

Around here you're not going to get any tire repaired for $15 unless it's off your bicycle.
A proper tubless repair with an integral patch/plug and a rebalance will cost you $40 ~ $50.

 

This is also a good time to remind everyone to check their spare's pressure.

 

Judas Prius,

Hahaha, love your avatar and name.

 

Tried to do that on my new 2008 Touring yesterday. Darn valve is facing downwards, so I'd have to remove the tire first. Are they all like that ?

 

Yes, unfortunately. Do it anyway; I found mine underinflated a few months after I bought it, so it was probably that way from the dealer. I think they're supposed to check all the tires including the spare before delivery, but I'll bet most skip the spare.

 

62 PSI. And that's after I lost a few PSI trying to get the gauge on the valve...

So far turns out my dealer is as good as I was led to believe...

Now why I have a Goodyear/Dunlop warranty booklet for a car with Bridgestone tires, I'm not sure... Dealer salesguy mumbled something about them putting tires on in port. Perhaps they messed up the booklets or ran out of Bridgestone ones.

 

On my 2005 Prius, the roadside service benefit that came with it included reimbursement for road hazard tire replacement. It's kind of buried in the brochure, but look for it. If they still have that, and your road hazard damage is not properly repairable, they will reimburse you (up to some limit) the amount of replacement. We took advantage of that when we had a non-repairable slash in our tire, and we got a check within a few weeks.

 

Cool ! Does that mean I can drive into a home construction area with lots of nails and sharp metal, mysteriously end up with 4 sliced tires and get money back for the OEM tires ? (Not that that would ever unfold.)

Nokian WRG2's, here I come...

 

Before you drive into an area with new construction and loose nails, I suggest that you verify whether you have roadside assistance or not. This program may have been cancelled a couple of years ago.