use the fix a flat with caution

[fconway]

I've never had a car without a spare before this one.

 

I recently drove over a piece of metal and punched a small hole in my tire. I used the ford supplied inflator and the fix a flat goop in that inflator to get back on the road. 

 

A week later (i know, ford says not to wait this long), i went to the ford dealer to get the puncture fixed properly. well, they reported that the fix a flat solution made the repair imposible. so, $200 for a new tire. then, they reported that the fix-a-flat solution (supplied by ford) had rendered the tire pressure sensor inoperative ($100). 

 

Lesson learned? just get the car towed to the shop, it'll be far cheaper. (or maybe i just got taken by the ford service department, who knows).

[rbort]

Its best to carry the tire repair kit with you, a needle, a rubber strip, some goop clue, and the rasping tool.  You use that to fill the hole, and the compressor WITHOUT sealant to put air back into the tire.  Use sealant only as a last resort as its known to damage the tire pressure sensors.  You also need pliers to pull the metal object out.

 

-=>Raja.

Edited August 22, 2019 at 07:48 PM by rbort

[pianewman]

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.

[murphy]

Not all tire sealants destroy the TPMS sensors.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Slime-10011-Emergency-Sealant-Trailer/dp/B000C11PYW/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2J1XI352XID1N&keywords=slime+tire+sealant&qid=1566756931&s=gateway&sprefix=slime+tire%2Caps%2C137&sr=8-3

[pianewman]

Not all tire sealants destroy the TPMS sensors.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Slime-10011-Emergency-Sealant-Trailer/dp/B000C11PYW/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2J1XI352XID1N&keywords=slime+tire+sealant&qid=1566756931&s=gateway&sprefix=slime+tire%2Caps%2C137&sr=8-3

 

ah-HAH! The plot thickens.

When I dealt with the Continental sealant, I had a lengthy conversation with TireRack. They and others (NTB, Discount Tires) recommended AGAINST "Slime", as they claimed it WAS destructive to the TPMS sensors.

Since the Slime bottle now says, "Tire Sensor Safe", maybe we can assume they've reformulated the product?

 

Sigh...caveat emptor...

[fconway]

Its best to carry the tire repair kit with you, a needle, a rubber strip, some goop clue, and the rasping tool.  You use that to fill the hole, and the compressor WITHOUT sealant to put air back into the tire.  Use sealant only as a last resort as its known to damage the tire pressure sensors.  You also need pliers to pull the metal object out.

 

-=>Raja.

 

Its an interesting thing, I've gotten used to the grown up world, where i just take things in to get repaired. When i was younger i'd do all my own maintenance, I've gotten out of the habit. This is good advice, i might have to just carry around a repair kit and fix the darn hole myself going forward. losing a tire with 15,000 miles on it due to the fix a flat solution is crazy.

[pianewman]

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.

[rbort]

Its not hard to do to fix the tire with the rubber plug, and you can do it with the tire mounted right on the car.  Front tires are easier, you can turn the steering so you can see the puncture from the top and fix it very easily.  Rear tires a little harder, you'd have to put the puncture either at 3 or 9 o'clock and lay down to do the repair work if you do not remove the tire off the car.  Also possible but as you get older it gets harder.  Happy to say though in my 50's I can still do that no problem.

 

The sealant doesn't ruin the tires but causes a mess.  I remember many many years ago when I was a kid I used tire sealant on my first car but it didn't work.  I took the car in to get the tire fixed.  The guy removed the tire off the car, put it on the machine to remove the tire from the rim and did not take the air out first, just put the plate on the side and pushed down on the sidewall to break the seal.  Well it blew out allright, and he got sealant all over him and the garage.  I was watching through the window and couldn't help but laugh!!  That was crazy, they were not happy with me with the sealant mess, but they did fix the tire by putting a rubber patch on the inside, that's what they did back in the day in the late 1980's.

 

-=>Raja.

[pianewman]

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.

[Russael]

I've never used any sort of fix-a-flat remedy... I've always had plug kits for both of my vehicles.

 

If you're interested in fix-a-flat remedies like that, Project Farm on Youtube tested a variety of products and the results were interesting... with Fix-A-Flat being garbage.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5DWhIF1c0M

 

I had GoodYear tires on my truck and those were, by far, the absolute worst for punctures.  I picked up more trash with those tires than any other I've ever seen or heard of.  When I finally had them replaced, I had more than a dozen plugs in one tire and about a dozen in the other (both on the passenger side).  Even though plugs are touted as being a temp fix, I've always used them as permanent and never had a problem.  Tire shop was certainly baffled at seeing all of them when they unmounted the old tires.

 

Did have to take a tire in off of the Fusion... wife rode over the biggest bolt I've ever seen get pushed in to a tire... no plug was going to seal that.  Unmounted the tire, brought it in and they patched it, also putting in a piece of rubber where the hole was since it was so substantial.  Fixed a second nail that was sticking through the tire too that I didn't notice.

[jsamp]

I have had issues with the plugs, but only on my truck.  The tires on that run 80psi, so it had a habit of pushing plugs back out if the hole was anything larger than a nail.  I got pretty good at tying knots and twisting the plugs so they wouldn't come back out.  I've never used any fix-a-flat type product.

[fconway]

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.

The ford dealer basically said he wasn't able to get the goop cleaned out well enough to be sure the patch would be effective. Honestly it felt like BS, but I'm not a tire guy at all so I didn't have a leg to stand on. My only option was to take the car to another tire place, but with no spare i'd have to tow it. Same with the sensor, Since i'm not a mechanic, how do i argue that the sensor doesn't work.

[pianewman]

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. 

[JosephJonathanGould]

ANY "Fix a Flat Foolishness" will render the TPS inoperable; it plugs up the sensor as well as the Tire puncture. We have two sets of rims and tires one set for winter and one set for summer. We keep an un-inflated off season tire in our trunk as a spare. The Fusion Energi comes with a tire compressor so re-inflating the tire, if it is needed, is no problem.  This is our Bridgestone Blizzak.BLIZZAK WS90 winter tire,(it is a little larger and harder than the OEM All Season P225/50R17 93V Michelin Energy Saver A/S tire),  It will still fit in the trunk when un-inflated so that it can deform to fit the available trunk area. the trunk lid will rub a little on the close but it still closes and opens just fine.