Flat tire? 'Repair Kit' to the rescue. NOT.

[klumpikat]

Started up for work Thursday to my car indicating I have a flat tire (a nice feature considering the circumstances). The rear right tire had 9 psi. Rolled out of the garage so I could access it.

Air would not go into the tire. Instead, it was blowing out around the nozzle, and in the process deflating the tire further. Thus, I called Ford's free Roadside Service (found a loose card outlining it inside the pouch with the owner's manual). Guess there could be worse places to be stranded.

When I called for assistance, the lady said, "Kits. I keep hearing about these kits. What are they?" I described the stupid thing, forgetting to ask if she is receiving numerous complaints about them failing.

The tow truck arrived over an hour later (sigh) and I rode to the dealership. Below was the culprit.

My service manager confirmed the kit was defective and a new one was ordered for me. I suggest, if you have a real air compressor at home (unlike me), test your kit out to make sure it actually pumps air into a tire.

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[Chargedguard5.0]

That repair kit is a waste of space. Actually the pumps nice to have but the fix a flat is just crap.

 

[klumpikat]

That repair kit is a waste of space. Actually the pumps nice to have but the fix a flat is just crap.

Yup, I did not even bother with the foam because I didn't want to ruin the tire in case it could be patched (which it was). I only wanted to inflate it and hope the leak was slow enough to drive safely to the nearest garage for a diagnosis. I heard the canned goo is bad for rubber.

But like you said, the pump is nice to have. One that works.

 

[JeffreyDJ]

I actually used mine to inflate my wifes Explorer tire when it had a nail in it. Pumped it up and drove it straight to get fixed. As you mentioned, I never once considered using the goo, though.

 

[cbrookre]

Reason #1 I am getting the spare tire, best $200 I could have spent

 

[1stWorldMustang]

OMG. I need to check mine & order a spare tire kit

I see online you can get a spare tire kit with all the tools & jack for $200. The Ford price is $255. But most big dealers will knock off a few dollars. Ford Part # FR3Z-1K007-C

 

[klumpikat]

Believe me, I looked into getting the spare tire, but Ford stupidly doesn't offer the option for the 20" wheels. :frusty:

 

[Chargedguard5.0]

I see online you can get a spare tire kit with all the tools & jack for $200. The Ford price is $255. But most big dealers will knock off a few dollars. Ford Part # FR3Z-1K007-C

Can u get one to fit over the brembos? I have one of my front pp tires in the trunk but would love to get a spare.

 

[Mellow]

Believe me, I looked into getting the spare tire, but Ford stupidly doesn't offer the option for the 20" wheels. :frusty:

I agree this was not a good decision by Ford to offer a wheel/tire combo without spare tire availability. I have the same roadside service coverage through both Ford and State Farm but long road trips outside a metropolitan area still make me wish it was an option. Sure I could put a 20 inch wheel and tire in the trunk but since it won't fit in the well it would take up luggage space.

Those 20 inch wheels looked too good to pass up though;)

 

[klumpikat]

Sure I could put a 20 inch wheel and tire in the trunk but since it won't fit in the well it would take up luggage space.

This.
Would have been nice if the well was designed a bit bigger. What if someone wanted to get the 20" wheels later?

 

[Jeeden]

The fact of the matter is that ford isn't the only one doing this. With pressure on companies to get mpg up the obvious choice is to dump 100 lbs of dead weight in the trunk and not need the room for any spare. I think your better off spending the money on an AAA membership. Even if you can change the tire you still need to take it to a shop for repair or replacement. Im more than capable of changing a tire, but with traffic these days and videos of distracted drivers hitting people/cops/tow trucks I'm not fired up to kneel on the shoulder and get hit while changing it. I have pretty much forbidden it (as much as I can) for my wife and kids when they start to drive.


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[Stangnut]

Has anyone tried to use the factory spare on a car with OEM 20's? No one seems to be able to come up with a reason why it wouldn't work. All the OEM tires are the same diameter.

 

[mikeyjobu]

I have a GT PP on order, and have considered ordering a single Forgestar CF5 18" (one of the only 18" that will clear the PP brakes) and getting a lightweight all-season 235/50/18 to use as a spare. It could only be like using a doughnut though -- especially on the rear with the TORSEN diff -- will get messed up with prolonged use of wheels that don't match...

 

[mikeyjobu]

I have a GT PP on order, and have considered ordering a single Forgestar CF5 18" (one of the only 18" that will clear the PP brakes) and getting a lightweight all-season 235/50/18 to use as a spare. It could only be like using a doughnut though -- especially on the rear with the TORSEN diff -- will get messed up with prolonged use of wheels that don't match...

I've also considered getting an all season 275/40/19 on an OE rim to use as a spare -- could be used up front in a pinch, and would be a closer match in the rear...

 

[phrenetiK]

buy this, throw it in your trunk, thank me the next time you get a flat. if you want to get real serious, pair it with a portable air pump

i got like 5 flats in a year on my bike, after flat #2 I figured out it didn't need to be a big ordeal and that I could use this....

http://www.amazon.com/Victor-22-5-0...UTF8&qid=1430772029&sr=8-1&keywords=tire+plug

i used it just last week on my coworkers truck and then we aired it back up, and it was good to go.

ive personally gone 165 mph on one, and at one point had 3 in my bike tire. they held up great until i was ready to replace the tire about 2 months later.

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