Tyre emergency flat fix/inflators

I have heard that also, but has anyone had first hand experience with being refused a repair because a can was used? A few years ago I got suckered into a new (spare) tyre because of how the puncture hole elongated, but then learnt an old fashioned plug should have fixed it just fine. At that moment I finally understood the tyre shop had the ethics of a dodgy lawyer. It would not surprise me that some might prefer to profit where they can when they can, no pun intended.

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The plugs we use are apparently illegal to use, I assume because they might let the tyre go down if not installed properly. IMO, roads covered in sharp rocks are more risky, and should be illegal!

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Vicroads has a position on repairs and plugs. This is dated 2000 but is still current per Vicroads web site.

They explicitly allow ‘mushroom headed’ plugs to be used from the inside, and plugs to be used as temporary repairs inserted from the outside. Bob Jane specifically references properly used plugs.

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It would be good to know if that’s for real or just a sales angle, and whether opinion differs between companies.

There would be a lot of outlawed roads around here. I’ve seen 8 of the string repairs used to fix a single stake in a sidewall … 2 of the other tyres used the rest of our strings … admittedly we were 50k or so from the nearest road :slight_smile:

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We purchased a car in 2018 (a 2015 model) that had no spare tyre at all.
When we got a puncture in Brisbane the first week it was a chance to try out the free roadside assistance number that came with the car (which was good, brought “loan” replacement wheel and tyre, and fitted it).
And we purchased a tyre sealant kit when we picked up our own wheel (with new tyre).

As more and more cars have no space designed for a spare tyre, I hope the technology of aerosol cans (and plugs) keeps pace.

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I had a 2009 Prius iTech with no spare tyre. Came with a single use compressor / goo combination unit. Worked perfectly. Tyre inflated and didn’t leak.
Took it to a tyre place ASAP. They plugged the tyre which didn’t give any subsequent trouble.
However Toyota didn’t have a replacement compressor / goo combination unit in Australia and estimated many months and (from memory) $300-$400 to order one in.
I bought 2 cans of pressure pack goo from a car parts store and re-fitted the used compressor in case the “cans” didn’t get the tyre back to the correct pressure. Never had to try that.

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While I still can, I refuse to buy a car without a full size spare wheel, and after I have developed a short list, it is the first question I ask. The other permutations are just unworkable in Australia for distance drivers, although I realise that all our cars are now imported and that Australia represents only about 1% of the world market.
We were returning to Melbourne from a family visit to Canberra last year on a wet Sunday. There was an upmarket SUV by the side of the highway with a shredded tyre and abandoned. The vehicle either came with no spare or a “repair kit” which was useless in this instance. Even temporary use spares have severe limitations. I considered the possibilities for the owner. The nearest town of any size was about 50kms away, and it was Sunday. He may have had to wait until Monday morning and be told that, sorry, we do not have one of those tyres and will have to get one from Sydney. They might have been back on the road 24 hours later. Hopefully they were luckier than this.

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For the last 10 or so years I have frequently travelled over the Newell highway between Brisbane and Melbourne as well some travels around central NSW and an occasional trip to Townville. The work SUV I had and our personal car only had micky-mouse spares (better than no spare but given you can only do a max speed of about 80k and travel a limited distance - good luck especially if on a dirt road).
My solution has been to buy a full size mag wheel and appropriate tyre. I had a special frame made that attached to the towbar. Attached all the required lights and numberplate and It rotated down for access to the boot. Expensive and ungainly, but at least I have peace of mind when I do a long distance travel.

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As a Campground Host for Parks Victoria, I had the curious pleasure of helping a BMW X1 driver who found his run-flat tyre wasn’t much use on the gravel road in a national park. The road wasn’t that bad, but he still put a rock through his run-flat sidewall. No jack supplied with the X1 either, so goo wouldn’t have had an opportunity to work! What use is a 4WD that can’t handle gravel roads! Many days later, after he found the local garages didn’t stock any replacement for his fancy Michelin run-flat, and waiting for one to be trucked out from Melbourne, he departed vowing to sell his pretend 4WD when he got back to the city :slight_smile:

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Some new cars only offer a tyre repair kit; no spare at all. Even the somewhat ordinary Toyota Corolla Hybrid ZR drops the full-size and space-saver spares of it’s lower-end brethren. Why would you pay for the top-dollar model just to lose all spare tyres? :wink:

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Is there any reason owners of these ridiculous no spare wheel vehicles can’t purchase another wheel to use as a spare? I really can’t imagine driving any distance without a spare, flats are a frequent fact of life here!

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One obvious, model dependent. Where do you put it? A functional ‘spare well’ is sometimes missing as well as the spare, and a ‘spare well’ sized for an emergency tyre is not big enough for a full sized one. The boot? The roof? Then where to put the dirty flat?

Our wonderful continuously watered down to suit the manufacturers standardisation ADRs are perfect for [screwing] us, yes?

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Our younger daughter previously had a Mazda 3 Maxx Sports hatchback which came with a “wheelbarrow” spare wheel.

When she was preparing to drive from Cairns to Perth, I bought a matching alloy wheel and tyre and placed it into the wheel well, and then placed some pieces of 70mm x 38mm pine on the boot floor so as to support the moulded boot liner.

Worked fine and was still in place when the car was sold.

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Perhaps the dirty flat was never fit for purpose, self evident! :thinking:

You could like many others just leave it where it lies? Being a responsible Aussie you could avoid littering, take it with you, and return it to the nearest brand dealership for a full refund under Australian Consumer Law. Rim and tyre or the whole vehicle, I guess there is a choice? :wink:

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I bought a new 2018 BMW Gran Coupe and it did not come with a spare tyre, but the car has “Run-Flat” tyres. I had never heard of these before, but apparently due to the tyre construction these tyres are safer and less likely to go flat as quickly as normal tyres. The computer inside the car informs the driver when tyre pressure is getting low so that you can get them checked and get the puncture repaired before it becomes dangerous. Has anyone had prior experience with this before? I am aware that these tyres are most costly than the norm.

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There are other opinions/issues with them and this from CarAdvice

edit: Somewhat of a bloggy page about outback (and somewhat less outback) travel, but germane.

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TheBBG thank you so much for providing all of the information! Wow! Amazing tyres, and much better than I had previously thought. Thanks again, that was great and very enlightening :smile:

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Can of goo is no use if you nick the side wall of the tyre.
Happened to me couple weeks ago in Gladstone QLD. Waited 1 1/2 days for a tyre to be delivered to suit Mustang. No spare just can of goo plus inflator kit.
Found bloke in Melbourne who sells spare wheel kits to suit Mustang GT - $800 but better than sitting around trying to find tyres

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I have used cans of air a few times and found them to be a useful way out of trouble. Once in 4wd in very rough country we went through the three spares and had to resort to using the canned air which kept the tyre inflated for over 150kms of dirt roads. I had a good result with flat on the motorcycle and it was so good that I almost forgot to get the rear tyre repaired when I returned. I helped a woman with a flat on her trailer, and as our jacks could not get under the trailer, I just pumped the tyre and found it inflated the tyre despite the trailer carrying a load a sand.

The cans I used were self sealing as plugs were not needed. I had no issues when getting my tyres repaired.

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I have one of the last built Commodore SV6’s with standard spec wheels and tyres. Not ultra low but 18" so getting there. It luckily comes with a full size spare.
Since owning the car 3-4 months I have had 2 flats. Both at city speeds which doesn’t present as a driving issue at those speeds until the tyre is shot. A pressure can MIGHT have got me out of trouble but one had a tear in the side so doubtful.
I have now bought tyre pressure sensors for both this and the other car we have.

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