Help Me With Flat/Spare Situation

[TromboneAl]

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.

 

[REWahoo]

The only "risk proof" option is purchasing a spare. That's what I would do.

 

[ivinsfan]

Tesla nickeled and dimed you on a spare tire? That's interesting or all new vehicles coming without spares now?

 

[REWahoo]

... or all new vehicles coming without spares now?

^ This. Every ounce of weight reduction improves fuel mileage.

 

[ivinsfan]

^ This. Every ounce of weight reduction improves fuel mileage.

Our last new car came with a donut spare, that was 7 years ago. It's a trade off guess and makes sense with a Tesla.

 

[easysurfer]

Tesla nickeled and dimed you on a spare tire? That's interesting or all new vehicles coming without spares now?

I think that's the trend to only give a flat repair kit and no spare tire. Cost cutting measure and makes the vehicle lighter in weight to meet MPG standards.

I had a flat about 2 years ago. Happy car still included a spare.

I wonder if the Tesla has a room for a spare or not. If not, then a spare would also take up additional trunk space.

 

[TromboneAl]

Yes, the spare will take up trunk space, as it did in the Leaf. That's okay, there's plenty.

The rules of #livelikeabillionaire and #blowthedough tell me to buy a spare.

 

[braumeister]

The car I bought two years ago came with just a can of sealant and an inflator pump. That's fine, but I'm the nervous sort so I bought a donut spare for when I make long road trips. Cost a few hundred and takes up significant trunk space but I'm fine with that -- the peace of mind is worth it to me. I have this vision of being 100 miles from anywhere and something happening to a tire that prevents it from being sealed and reinflated.

 

[CRLLS]

Don't forget the jack and lug wrench. You may also need the proper lug nuts for the spare.

Tesla has no dedicated place for a spare? 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......

 

[Alan]

Our last car, a 2017 Prius, came without a spare and we did get a puncture. I called the AA (UK equivalent of AAA) who came out and fitted a temporary spare. They carry adapters to attach to the existing wheel to fit the spare(s) they carry. The guy then followed me to the garage where he took back his spare and the garage fitted a new tire. (I did a good job of tearing the sidewall of the tire).

 

[aja8888]

Make sure if you buy a spare tire and wheel that the BOLT PATTERN and BOLT SPACING matches the pattern on the Tesla wheel hub.

And a jack and lug wrench is necessary too (as stated above).

 

[jollystomper]

Part of my work training was high availability and having multiple layers of backup/redundancy. So I would spring for the spare & associated required hardware AND the repair kit. All bases are covered, and the money spent becomes moot when you end up in a situation where they are needed.

 

[TromboneAl]

Yeah, spare it is. I can easily imagine an unfixable flat at night on a remote highway with no cell coverage. I have to flag down a car, and then what? Ask them to send help? Go with them and leave Lena alone in the car? Leave the car by itself?

It's worth a few hundred to avoid that, as unlikely as it may be.

EBayer's have caught on to the demand for Tesla spares, and the prices on these have gone up.

 

[MRG]

Part of my work training was high availability and having multiple layers of backup/redundancy. So I would spring for the spare & associated required hardware AND the repair kit. All bases are covered, and the money spent becomes moot when you end up in a situation where they are needed.

+1

Both our vehicles have spares. I also bought a compressor and patch kits for both of them.

A different issue with spares, my GMC truck has a safety feature to keep the spare from falling onto the roadway, a prior Chevy had it too. Maybe the spare comes down when you want, maybe not. My Chevy attacked my finger and had me trapped, took 6 EMTs to get me out. The GMC does not release either, same trap. AAA won't fetch the spare, they like their fingers.

 

[OldShooter]

Make sure if you buy a spare tire and wheel that the BOLT PATTERN and BOLT SPACING matches the pattern on the Tesla wheel hub. ...

Also wheel offset.

If you have a Discount Tire store nearby I would stop by there for advice. They may have something used and for sure will have a nearby source for steel wheels. They will know the correct bolt pattern and offset, too. They are literally the only national chain where I have any loyalty or trust. They have given me incredible service for years.

 

[Souschef]

I was quite surprised when I had a flat on my Hyundai at home. I opened the trunk to get out the spare and there was none! All that was there was a tire pump and no flat fixer.
I pumped up the tire and drove a mile to my local tire place and got the flat fixed.
I then went on line and ordered the complete package: Tire, jack, etc.

 

[camfused]

Spend another .2% of the purchase price for that car and buy a spare. Case closed.

Be sure to fill the spare with hydrogen, so it won't weigh anything.

 

[Tetto]

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.

I keep a "professional" plug kit in my car. Saved me on my vehicles a few times. I've helped out lots of my peeps too. Its a bit of work to plug a tire, but worth it, IMHO

 

[ERD50]

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

Given your conditions and experiences, haven't you answered your own question?

Buy a spare.

-ERD50

 

[NW-Bound]

Tesla nickeled and dimed you on a spare tire? That's interesting or all new vehicles coming without spares now?

^ This. Every ounce of weight reduction improves fuel mileage.

If and when cars become truly autonomous, the fuel/range mileage rating test will be conducted with the car driving itself around empty.

 

[RobbieB]

And get a good jack kit too, not a tinker toy that will break or be hard to use when you need it the most.

 

[Dalmore]

My Plug-in Prius did not have a spare. I got a LARGE nail on my way home, about 2 miles from work. Garages were all closed. Tow-truck could not take me home 36 miles away. The flat kit that came with the car and a couple of cans of additional sealant were my only option. About 12 miles from home, the nail came free, releasing all the air (while on the freeway). I was able to get to a 7-11 and get another can of sealant...lol, just poured out the hole onto the ground. Fortunately, by that time, I was able to reach my wife who was driving our other Pruis that came with a spare. She came to my rescue and I was able to get home. I won't do without a spare of some sort after that. Additionally, the sealants will destroy the pressure sensor in the tire if it has one.

 

[TromboneAl]

I placed the order on eBay. My info from the Tesla forums says it should work, but the seller said he'd pay return shipping if it didn't because he also wanted to know whether it would fit.

 

[easysurfer]

And get a good jack kit too, not a tinker toy that will break or be hard to use when you need it the most.

Also with a spare tire, I also carry along a good impact wrench (about 600 ft/lbs of torque), a digital torque wrench, cordless tire inflator. Might be overkill, but when stranded in the middle of nowhere, do want the right tools handy.

 

[TromboneAl]

Note that there's also pleasure in being prepared, even if you never need it.

Plus there's what I call "buying toys for your hobby."