Fix-A-Flat tire repair

[sourmash]

Anyone use this stuff? My wife picked up a nail yesterday in her RX330 and took it to NTB this morning. They told me the nail was to close to the side wall to repair...and we would have to replace the tire (nail is on the outer band of tread pattern). The tire is a $207 michelin (Ouch! ) and I was wondering if I pull the nail and use fix-a-flat, if it would seal the hole and work fine...it looks like maybe a 3d or 4d nail....so relatively small.

 

[jasonTDI]

If it's in the tread even in the outer section it's repairable. try somewhere else. Patches are preferred but you can plug it yourself with no issues as well.

 

[bam_bam_dip]

I keep a plug kit in the car. But as Jason said, patches are preferred. Fix-A-Flat is discouraged.

 

[jasonTDI]

Huge balance issue with fix a flat.

 

[sourmash]

Problem solved. I took the tire to another tire place (Big10Tires) and they patched...no charge. The tech said he couldn't guarantee it would hold because of the location, but strongly discouraged fix-a-flat. I already knew it is discouraged and only as a last resort, but didn't want to shell out for a new tire just yet. Hopefully this patch will hold for a long time. BTW, I told my wife to try and swerve around nails in the road from now on as this is the second one in as many weeks.

 

[bam_bam_dip]

Yes, avoid nails. But aim for the squirrels!!

 

[PDJetta]

Problem solved. I took the tire to another tire place (Big10Tires) and they patched...no charge. The tech said he couldn't guarantee it would hold because of the location, but strongly discouraged fix-a-flat. I already knew it is discouraged and only as a last resort, but didn't want to shell out for a new tire just yet. Hopefully this patch will hold for a long time. BTW, I told my wife to try and swerve around nails in the road from now on as this is the second one in as many weeks.

That was nice of him. I hope you slipped him a $10 spot so he could buy a 12-pack of his favorite brew! I did that once and it really made someones day!

--Nate

 

[jbrone]

I was shocked that my buddy's new Miata MX-5 does not have a spare - just a can of fix-a-flat in the trunk. Like someone said: Use as a last resort only.

 

[jasonTDI]

Most BMW's too.

 

[sourmash]

Yes, avoid nails. But aim for the squirrels!!

Exactly, but my Vizsla needs something to chase anyway...so I'll leave them for her.

 

[sourmash]

Most BMW's too.

I think all Bimmers have now switched to run flats....or at least the 3 series has.

 

[sourmash]

That was nice of him. I hope you slipped him a $10 spot so he could buy a 12-pack of his favorite brew! I did that once and it really made someones day!

--Nate

I wish I had cash, but I never carry the stuff anymore. Maybe sometime next week I'll drop by there and set him up. I guess he felt sorry for me though with out of state plates and all.

 

[chromeBuddha]

I have used the "plugs" several times. They are technically considered a temporary fix. The only long term "approved" method I have read about is the internal hot patches. For these the tire has to be removed from the rim and a patch affixed to the interior of the tire where the hole is. Then the tire would have to be remounted and rebalanced.

Back to the plugs...you can buy the kits at any autoparts store. Consists of a roughing tool(to clean and fray the sides of the puncture hole), a "needle", and the rubber "rope" you push into the hole. Additional plug packages can be purchsed. I have used these at least 6 times, and temporary has been up to 5 years.

That being said, I drive relatively conservatively and rarely exceed 90 mph. If you have a sports car and performance tires, you will likely want to look for the longer term solutions... My cars have taken $30 tires or ones I got as take of sets for cheap...

 

[sourmash]

The first repair was on a different tire on the vehicle and it was a plug done at NTB for $23. The one today was a patch on the inside which the tech told me is the proper way to fix puncture wounds. Only time will tell if they both hold, with my luck they will both go at the same time and we'll end up dropping 400+ for two new tires.
Thank God for the new tire inflation sensors, as it alerted the wife of the low pressure and she went straight home and parked before it got to low.

 

[PDJetta]

The first repair was on a different tire on the vehicle and it was a plug done at NTB for $23. The one today was a patch on the inside which the tech told me is the proper way to fix puncture wounds. Only time will tell if they both hold, with my luck they will both go at the same time and we'll end up dropping 400+ for two new tires.
Thank God for the new tire inflation sensors, as it alerted the wife of the low pressure and she went straight home and parked before it got to low.

I had a plug go for 70,000 miles in the '85 (tire wore out).

I also carry a plug kit and a hand oerated bicycle tire pump in the trunk and a good tire dial gauge in the glove box.

My wife's '01 Buick has a low tire pressure warning system. It works we discovered! I envisioned some internal pressure sensor and wiring with some sort of slip ring to keep contact with the sensor, while allowing the wheel to rotate.... Curious as to how it works I read the Owner's Manual. It states that the ABS system keeps tabs on wheel revolutions per a certain distance. And when one wheel deviates by a set amount by too many revolutions, the ABS ECU makes "low tire" light illuminate. The tire diameter gets smaller at air is lost, increasing its revolutions, compared to the other 3.

--Nate

 

[Dorado]

It's not a bad idea to keep a fix-a-flat can in the trunk for an emergency, but that is not meant to be a permanent fix for the tire. Not at all.

With respect to the plugs, if NTB said they could not perform a high-performance plug because if the location of the nail, I would look seriously into replacing the tire soon. Auto tire pressure sensors are not meant to prevent accidents. A tire failure can easily cause an accident on the highway. And you could also be on your own in terms of insurance, if an improperly repaired tire were to blame.

If I were you, I would save some $$ and get a new tire in there next month. There is too much at risk, your family's safety and your money.

I've had two nails on our tires so far, on one occasion we replaced the tire for the same reason you were given. The other time, NTB put a high-performance plug in it.

 

[jasonTDI]

If the nail was in the tread as he stated there is no issue. Would you trust some 18 year old kid there 3 months to tell you what is good or bad?

 

[48 MPG]

As a paragliding instructor, I have been on some really bad excuses for cow paths going straight up, much less a road. I run 10 ply tires on my Explorer when I have to be the one to drive. I too have had good luck with plug kits. I helped one guy out of a ditch who had 3 flat tires. We plugged his tires and reinflated them with a double piston tire pump -- Hella makes a great one with a very accurate tire gauge, and is about the same volume as a half gallon of milk. I asked him months later, and he was still using the same 3 tires! Major balancing problems with fix-a-flat, as someone mentioned. Anything less than a 70 series tire will get the crud improperly distributed. A trick I learned is to hit the speed bumps with the offending tire, and the bouncing will redistribute the sealant....

 

[Panurgist]

Thank God for the new tire inflation sensors, as it alerted the wife of the low pressure and she went straight home and parked before it got to low.

Do not use fix-a-flat on this vehicle. If you have a tire pressure monitor you should never use any kind of stuff like that. You should tell anyone who is working on your car that it has the monitors, letting them know can save you a lot of money. On many designs you cannot tell outwordly that it has them.

The monitors are installed in place of conventional tire stems and on most older designs they look like fancy chromed stems, on the newer designs they look just like regular, rubber stems. The only clue is the monitor on the dash that lights up for a second when you start the car ( assuming you are looking for it ). The gook from the fix-a-flat will ruin the monitor. A new monitor is $80-$150 per tire, plus installation, plus the computer has to be reprogramed. Also most tire shops and parts stores don't stock the peices.

Also, remember, if you have your tires rotated the computer has to be reprogramed. Ask the shop first if they know how, nearly every car has it's own special procedure and special tools are required. The shops that know what they are doing also know they have to charge for this service (no free tire rotation). Any time you touch one of these things it is possible for it to fail, fixing a flat or installing a new tire requires messing with them because of their location, if it fails it is not the mechanics fault in most cases, don't expect them to eat it.

Sorry for the long winded post.