pianewman

Seems like many (all?) gas engines are now running "lifetime" fuel filters. Hmm...lifetime...the car's? The owner's? I guess with modern sealed fuel systems, there just isn't enough particulate matter entering the fuel system to require a more frequent fuel filter change, hence the "lifetime" label.

^^^ this...and you might hear the pads/rotors making a scraping sound for the first few revolutions of the wheel. My 35 years of VW experience taught me this...they oxidize/rust overnight in high humidity regions.

fconway: Hopefully there won't be another incident, but you now have other's experiences to rely on. There doesn't seem to be a clear consensus on the viability of various sealants, which is why you are totally justified in asking questions. With ANY repair made on any of my cars, I request to see the evidence of a broken part, or a code that shows repair/replacement is necessary. If a tech is belligerent, I ask to speak with the Service Director. I've learned, over the years, to remain very firm but calm.

Good point. Do I remember seeing a tape-like material rolling out of a flaming machine, bonding it to the road surface? Regardless of the material, I don't slip with the other tires in my garage of cars.

Alignment? Don't think that could be a problem. The issue I have is limited to starting from a dead stop, only extremely gentle throttle keeps it from spinning. I may just have a particularly hyper fueling issue. It's just not linear from a dead stop. I'm not going to worry about it any more. I just have to remember to start out more gently, which I thought I was already doing! Whether or not my wife can make it work? We'll see.

rbort: For sure, the sealant makes a mess. When the tech removed the tire, he deflated it first (of course!), broke the bead on one side, removed the wheel/tire from the machine, took it outside the garage, and poured the sealant out. Removed the tire, then hosed everything down. I was surprised how easily the sealant washed clean with water and a rag.

The saga continues... Tread is even across all the ribs. I finally too the time to read the Energy Saver reviews on TireRack. Interesting that several (many?) comment on poor wet traction. Timewellspent: Your experience is exactly like mine. I don't think changing the PSI will help. I've never had a set of tires spin/slide like these do, except...uhh...well...early Michelin Radial Tires (Sears!), , mid-1970s, on my nose-heavy 1971 Mercury Comet V8. Tires lasted FOREVER, but at about 85k miles, early morning mist, gentle braking...went into a very dramatic slide, fortunately no traffic. Replaced them quickly afterward.

Interesting read. Thanks for posting it. I wonder why Michelin didn't run the same test with OVER inflated tires? Beating a dead horse here, but my issue isn't hydroplaning. The traction loss occurs upon gentle acceleration, from a dead stop, specifically over painted road stripes (crosswalks). Of course, this can occur in any car, ICE vs Elec, FWD, RWD,...but I feel it's excessive with the Energy Savers. I think we've wrung about all there is on this. Thanks for a lively discussion.

Murphy: Again, you are correct. My 350hp 1993 Audi S4 max torque was around 2200 rpm, IIRC. I understand the torque curve (there is none!) of electric motors. I'll make my point again. The only way to "roll into" the throttle of the Energi w/o breaking the tires loose is as follows: I have to release the brake, allow the car to roll (slowly!) on its own for a few feet and then barely rest my foot on the throttle. The slightest pressure will cause the tires to spin. My wife, who is a reasonably sensitive driver, is having a tough time doing this. The next rainfall, I'll drop the PSI and see if I can make it work. I hate to lose the MPG, and the dry traction, but... ptjones: You're a proponent of higher PSI. Are you having the same wet traction issues with the Energy Savers? I'd love to hear your input.

fconway: Sorry about your ordeal. Hindsight is cruel sometimes, but I'm wondering exactly how the sealant ruined your tire AND the TPMS? Were you able to actually see the inside of the tire and the sensor? I suppose we'll never know.

Murphy: Yes, I know, but read the rest of this thread. For 45 years, I've ALWAYS bumped up PSI to minimize rolling resistance, increase MPG, and increase tread life. I've never experienced this much slippage in the wet, on a tire with 50% tread remaining. (I might try dropping to 35PSI and see if it makes a difference!) The Premier A/S on my Avalon, at 50k miles, never lost traction so easily. I've compared the tread design, and the Premier A/S has much more pronounced sipes, and Energy Saver has almost smooth blocks, at 29k miles. Hmm...The Premier promotes the traction aspect for the life of the tread, that the sipes actually get wider with wear. I don't how they do that, but it seems to be true!

I'm at 28k miles, 45psi, and in the rain, the tires spin too easily while accelerating from a dead stop. I hardly touch the go pedal and they break loose, especially on road paint stripes. Probably 50% tread remaining, but if they're so "slick" on acceleration, I'm concerned they won't have much grip when stopping, or in an emergency. I'm enjoying my Michelin Premier A/S on my Avalon Hybrid, and our CMax, and might just change out the Energy Savers.

My experience with my Nissan LeafS (continental tire mobility kit) was completely different. I used the kit to seal a screw puncture. I was at home, so I was trying the kit as an experiment. Used the sealant, compressor, drove the car, the puncture hole sealed after 5-6 miles (at 25-30mph). Ultimately drove the "sealed" tire for a week, with no loss of pressure or balance issues. The sealant process worked exactly as Continental describes it. NTB (close to home) removed the tire, washed the tire/rim with water, ditto the TPM, properly plugged the tire, remounted. I drove the patched tire for 5k+ miles, replacing it with the others when they needed replacing. I had none of the issues fconway had. The TPM functioned, there were no issues with the tire. It's possible the chemistry of the (water-based) Continental sealant is different than the Ford sealant. YMMV. rbort: I agree with your solution to tire punctures, as I have done these repairs before, and used to do ALL my auto maintenance/repairs. However, not all of us are capable of performing a tire patch on the side of the road. I'm 65, I'm a pianist, and even with my strong hands, the act of inserting a plug into a tire tread is difficult.

...continuing to flog a dead horse... New OEM battery installed, battery minder reset, etc. etc. Out of curiosity, thinking the battery might have been stored for a while, I decided to plug in my BatterTenderPlus overnight. It immediately showed 80% charged, then showed fully charged 7 hours later. Ford dealer service adviser agreed that if the car needs to sit for extended periods, plug in the BatteryTender. Now...to move on without thinking about the car's battery!