Help Me With Flat/Spare Situation

Last flat tire I had was out in the boonies in Alaska. Pulled out my Viair air pump, filled up tire and drove halfway to our motorhome, filled it again and made it back. Since the nearest tire repair place was 50+ miles away I just plugged the tire with my repair kit. Took 2 plugs but I've since put 8000 miles on the same tire.
Can't recall the last time I've had to use the spare. But I do carry one in each vehicle, not in the motorhome. Worst case would be a catastrophic blow out where the tire can't be plugged and has to be replaced. Then you hope it's a common size!
BTW the tire guys really HATE when they get a tire with slime in it!
If you're often in remote areas then I'd get a spare. Otherwise I'd just carry a decent air compressor and a plug kit. Don't rely on slime or other sealants. Those really only work on small holes. I've seen off-road guys plug a 1" hole with tire plugs.
 
folivier said:
Last flat tire I had was out in the boonies in Alaska.
Click to expand...

Another factor that argues for a spare is the fact that if you're me, the problem will occur in the middle of a driving thunderstorm or snowstorm, in the dark, where there is no safe place to pull off the road. Been there, done that. :facepalm:
 
I would opt for finding a spare. The 2008 Pontiac G8 GT (V8!) we purchased used back in 2010 came with a repair kit (air pump plus sealant). Most people said the use of the sealant was a pain to clean up once an actual repair was performed. Plus this didn't help in the event we encountered a major blowout or debris on the road.

Since we ended up passing along the vehicle to our kid who moved 1,700 miles away from us in 2016, I found a full-size rim and tire to match up with what came stock on the vehicle (many G8 owners upgraded their wheels, so they sold off stock wheels on places like eBay and Craigslist). I also purchased GM's tire change kit that came with the base G8 V6 model. I could have purchased the compact spare that also came with the V6 model, but it was as expensive as the full size wheel and tire.
 
Last couple of cars haven't come with a spare and even worse yet, came with run flat tires (harsh ride). I switch to regular tires and roll the dice with no spare, I'm loco like that. Even if I had a spare, I'm calling AAA, not getting out to change a flat on the side of the road. That's a good way to get yourself killed in my neck of the woods. On the highways here, you can simply call a number on the back of your license and courtesy patrol will come change it for you for free because it's so dangerous.

In all my years of driving I've been left stranded due to a flat tire all of zero times. Admittedly I wouldn't do it in an area w/o cell service.
 
TromboneAl said:
Our new Tesla came without a spare.

My choices:

1. Buy a spare for $175 on eBay (like this).
2. Buy a tire repair kit (plugs, etc)
3. Depend on Tesla's road service

Variables:

1. There are places around here with limited/no cell phone coverage
2. Slime type repairs don't work because the tires have noise-dampening foam inside
3. If the road service tow company can't fix the tire, it will only tow you to a Tesla place, which is 300 miles from here (IIUC).

I bought a spare for the Leaf for only $75, and I saved my bacon once (and a repair kit wouldn't have worked).

My main question: How often a tire problems fixable with a repair kit?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

If there is room in the Tesla to store a spare, I would do that. Unless the Tesla has directional tires and the fronts are different size than the back.

Beware of the slime used with tire plugs. I read that slime screws up the TPMS system.

I don't have a spare in my corvette. I'll call AAA if I ever get a flat.
 
CRLLS said:
My Elantra came with the sealing juice and an air pump, but had an empty tire well for other countries required equipment. I believe it spares are still a requirement in Canada. I filled it with a full size spare and a jack and......
Click to expand...

As far as I know there is no requirement for a spare in Canada. I bought a 2015 Acura TLX a couple years ago and it came with a fill kit...which I hate. Had I known at the time of purchase I would have negotiated for a spare tire kit.

We took a long road trip and I used one of my off season tires as a spare but I'll be getting a space saver as it will fit in the opening. The full size off season tire doesn't and it took up too much trunk space.

It's not just about weight savings...it's about saving money. A fill kit is a lot cheaper than a spare tire, jack, and wrench.
 
Well, as a taxpayer, I'm simply aghast that I was party to selling you an incomplete vehicle.:facepalm:
 
I guess Tesla must figure that if you can afford one of their cars, you can afford to have it towed to a tire store. And if the tire store has to order a Tesla tire for you, then you can afford to rent a car until they call to tell you that your Tesla is back in service.

I dunno? I never had a Tesla, and probably never will. I just drive regular ol' Toyotas. :)
 
I bought a set of four Tesla OEM Model 3 18” tires and wheels for $600. The owner upgraded to the 19” tires and didn’t need the 18’s any more.

Since we have two Model 3’s I kept two of them and sold the other two for $225 a piece.

I keep them both in my garage. They are too big and heavy to keep in the trunk at all times. Most of my driving is local so I figure worst case I can have Tesla tow the car to my house if they don’t have a spare wheel as part of their roadside assistance service (which they occasionally do not).

Also important is to buy one of those hockey puck devices that allows a AAA truck with a regular jack to jack up the Model 3 without damaging the battery. The Tesla trucks carry them but if you need to use AAA they often do not have them on hand.

Here is one example but there are plenty so just get whatever is on sale:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QM6RNRH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


You only need one of these to jack up the car but if you plan on taking the car for tire rotation and the business does not have them on hand you will need four of them.
 
For years now, I have kept good tire repair kits in all my cars. Even those with a spare and/or run flats. I've had a few flats in the last 10 years and "so far" I've been able to fix the tire while it was still on the car (except once). The one exception I had to take the tire/wheel off to plug it.. (Don't ask) But in all cases I was able to fix the tire with a repair kit.
 
One thing I learned this weekend about our Model 3 is that the cigarette adapter in the car does not provide enough power to operate a tire inflator. I tried two different models and neither one stayed powered on for more than a few seconds before the software breaker tripped.

So if you want to carry a tire inflator in your car it will need to be powered by a rechargeable battery.

Tesla sells an inflator for $80 that is supposed to work on the cigarette adapter but I don’t have a lot of confidence in it. I went with the Ryobi P747 rechargeable inflator and now I keep it in my frunk along with two fully charged batteries. So far it’s been working out great.
 
Ready said:
One thing I learned this weekend about our Model 3 is that the cigarette adapter in the car does not provide enough power to operate a tire inflator....
Click to expand...

:facepalm::facepalm::facepalm: WTH? All that battery power available and it can't run a tire inflator?

Seriously, are there posiive and negative terminals available? On my inflator I spliced in a couple alligator clips so I can run the inflator from the lighter socket or directly from a battery. I use it all the time with my lawn tractor to inflate trailer tires for trailers that are parked where it isn't convenient to drive a car or truck to.
 
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pb4uski said:
:facepalm::facepalm::facepalm: WTH? All that battery power available and it can't run a tire inflator?

Seriously, are there posiive and negative terminals available? On my inflator I spliced in a couple alligator clips so I can run the inflator from the lighter socket or directly from a battery. I use it all the time with my lawn tractor to inflate trailer tires for trailers that are parked where it isn't convenient to drive a car or truck to.
Click to expand...

Yes, I could access the 12V battery directly by removing a panel in the frunk. It’s not a big deal but I’d rather not mess with it, and I don’t want to put any extra stress on the 12V battery since if it dies the entire car becomes non-functional.

I needed a tire inflator for our bicycles as well and I don’t really want to have to run the inflator off my car to inflate bicycle tires. The rechargeable just seemed to be a lot more convenient overall. It’s free this weekend at Home Depot if you buy the Ryobi battery and charger, so it was a really good deal.
 
Interesting, but I already have the Ryobi battery (2 actually) and charger.... but I'll check it out... I can see where it would be convenient for bikes, trailer tires, etc.
 
pb4uski said:
Interesting, but I already have the Ryobi battery (2 actually) and charger.... but I'll check it out... I can see where it would be convenient for bikes, trailer tires, etc.
Click to expand...

It’s $50 for just the tire inflator, or $99 for the tire inflator, a charger, and two spare batteries. Today is the last day of the sale for the combo.
 
Ready said:
One thing I learned this weekend about our Model 3 is that the cigarette adapter in the car does not provide enough power to operate a tire inflator. I tried two different models and neither one stayed powered on for more than a few seconds before the software breaker tripped.

So if you want to carry a tire inflator in your car it will need to be powered by a rechargeable battery.

Tesla sells an inflator for $80 that is supposed to work on the cigarette adapter but I don’t have a lot of confidence in it. I went with the Ryobi P747 rechargeable inflator and now I keep it in my frunk along with two fully charged batteries. So far it’s been working out great.
Click to expand...

Interesting.

I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XWHL2BW

and I just tested it by bringing a 40 psi tire up to 44.5. It took about a minute and worked fine. I'd test more, but DW needed the car. I'll do a full inflate when she gets home. Perhaps it works because it's cheaper/slower/uses less power.

Someone on TeslaMotorsClub.com says this one works fine, which I'm sure is the same as the one I have. In fact, there seem to be quite a few that work okay.

The power socket is suitable for accessories requiring up to 12A continuous draw (16A peak). The specs for my compressor (above) say it draws 10 amps. What does yours draw, Ready (OCR1)? And what did you do when circuit breaker tripped?
 
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TRY THIS:

From this thread:

"I always start the air pump, then connect it to the tire. I learned this after blowing the fuse in my 2015 model S and other cars. If the air pump is started while connected to the tire the starting current is greater than 15 amps and blows the fuse every time. I've had four flats on my two Teslas in the last three years and use the Tesla pump all the time. No problem if I start the pump first, then connect it."
 
TromboneAl said:
Interesting.

I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XWHL2BW

and I just tested it by bringing a 40 psi tire up to 44.5. It took about a minute and worked fine. I'd test more, but DW needed the car. I'll do a full inflate when she gets home. Perhaps it works because it's cheaper/slower/uses less power.

Someone on TeslaMotorsClub.com says this one works fine, which I'm sure is the same as the one I have. In fact, there seem to be quite a few that work okay.

The power socket is suitable for accessories requiring up to 12A continuous draw (16A peak). The specs for my compressor (above) say it draws 10 amps. What does yours draw, Ready (OCR1)? And what did you do when circuit breaker tripped?
Click to expand...

The inflator I bought did have a warning on the Amazon page stating that it requires 180 watts. I did not see it. But after trying that one and an old one I had lying around I just didn’t want to take any more chances with an inflator that only draws power from a cigarette adapter.

I needed something to inflate bicycle tires as well, and it seemed silly to draw power from the 12V on our Tesla to inflate bicycle tires. Why put any extra stress on the 12V if you don’t need to?

But I know a lot of people have tried other inflators and they have worked fine on the Model 3. So I think I just had some back luck with mine.
 
For those who use a compressor through the 12V auxiliary...a word of warning. Please check the current draw of the compressor. If it's too high it can melt/burn the small wires that connect it. This happened to me on my last car.

For less than $100 there are several battery power packs available on Amazon. Not only can they power a compressor but they can jump start a car several times, act as a flashlight, charge your phone, etc. Here's one (picked (at random):

https://www.amazon.com/Audew-Starte...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
 
I carry a bicycle pump in each car, as I don't want to worry that the battery in an inflator will be dead, or the wire is too hard to stretch to the tire from the cigarette lighter.

Besides, my tire pumps only cost $10 each.
 
Music Lover said:
For those who use a compressor through the 12V auxiliary...a word of warning. Please check the current draw of the compressor. If it's too high it can melt/burn the small wires that connect it. This happened to me on my last car.

For less than $100 there are several battery power packs available on Amazon. Not only can they power a compressor but they can jump start a car several times, act as a flashlight, charge your phone, etc. Here's one (picked (at random):

https://www.amazon.com/Audew-Starte...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
Click to expand...

I dunno, I have 2 of those, but I'm leary about keeping them in the car trunk all the time - too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. It does affect their lifespan, and I worry about the batteries exploding under high temperatures.

Anything rechargeable, you have to remember to recharge them periodically. Murphy's law comes into effect when you get in a jam.
 
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