Had my first flat tire in 20 years the other day. Picked up a nail somewhere. As soon as I saw the warning that my right rear tire was low (6 PSI) I immediately thought, oh no, I don't have a spare. And, I should have read up on how to use that sealant thingy! But after fumbling with it a bit and having to consult the owners manual, it was actually pretty easy to use. And it worked. My tire inflated and sealed itself and held the pressure until I could take it in for repair the following day.
Yea, waiting until the next day was simply a matter of 12 hours. It was 8:00 PM when this happened and I was only a mile from home. But the interesting thing was that, per the instructions for the sealant compressor, I needed to drive the car for 5 miles so that the sealant evenly distributes inside the tire. So I drove around my neighborhood 5 or 6 times before heading home. I went to the garage a couple of times after arriving home just to check if the tire was holding and it was. And looked just fine the follwoing morning too. It does warn you not to drive over 55 MPH until you get the tire fixed. Fortunately for me the tire was easily patched. So, just a small repair cost and then about $30 to replace the sealant canister in the compressor. That way in 20 years when I get my next flat, I will be ready!
Not to sound cheap, but $30?? I carry 2 cans of Fix-A-Flat ("sensor safe" type) in case first one doesn't get me to town. But I paid about $7 at local auto store. Of course it takes up more room.....
Agreed. That was a bit steep. It's replacing the cannister that fits into the air compressor. Not sure if you can buy that on your own at at automotive shop somewhere? I didn't even think to check. Probably should have shopped around.
No you did OK Don, because you replaced the OE canister which is a specialty item. I just hate being held captive by OE parts prices. But at least yours fits the pack and did the job when called upon. At least we have choices....
The US models don't have a spare tire, they only come with a seal can? No wonder we pay extra $$$ for the car in Canada, it comes with a spare, so there is my extra $4000 right there, lol
Btw, what is in place of where the spare tire would be ?
At the top of this thread they are talking about the Cadillac SRX which doesn't have a spare. The Equinox and Terrain have the small compact spare tire in US.
At the top of this thread they are talking about the Cadillac SRX which doesn't have a spare. The Equinox and Terrain have the small compact spare tire in US.
Rather have a spare than the sealant. Sometimes you can get more damage to the tire or even a rim. Guess this is the future to cheapen and make vehilces lighter. Funny how they do that on the caddy
Gee I can say I have a car like a Caddy! -- In 2006 Saturn Sky's (and sista Solstice) had no spares -- only the battery compressor and sealant.... Of course No trunk either!
A 45K+ vehicle and no spare rubber...very odd it is not like there is not room for one....shesh well here is a can, do not forget to shake well before use.
There are quite a few newer cars that do not have a spare tire...even upscale..$60,000...$80,000...100,000. Corvettes...ZR1..to name one. Some use compressors & Sealant..others just run flats.
I had my Solstice GXP for five years...but luckily never had a flat. In fact..I probably haven't had a flat in 25 yrs or so.
A 45K+ vehicle and no spare rubber...very odd it is not like there is not room for one....shesh well here is a can, do not forget to shake well before use.
Odds are it was removed for weight. THey SRX uses a larger tire. The SRX also weighs more than the Chevy and GMC. While it may not see like much weight it is often the first place many MFG go to remove any weight.
I'm sure it's to save money and weight. I have had valves clipped on my cars and in 1 case a broken rim which the sealer would not fix (I doubt the sealer could fix a sidewall gash). I prefer a spare (or temp spare). I also don't trust the sealent once it's in the tire to cause future problems. But when you buy a vehilce you don't have much of a choice.
I have never used sealant. It seems like it should be alright for most situations.
I have used a spare tire only twice in 30 some years it would not bother me not to have a spare.
He he, what do you mean - 'no trunk' sure it has one! Just really small. ;D
Actually I'm surprised what one can fit in there, we have the 4 piece Kappa luggage bag set that fits in perfectly for those summer trips to the B.C. mountains.[/color]
RNOX said:
Rather have a spare than the sealant. Sometimes you can get more damage to the tire or even a rim.
I'm with RNOX, rather have the option to fix the flat properly than have the tire shop say they could have fixed it, but not now with the sealant in it. JMO[/color]
Odds are it was removed for weight. THey SRX uses a larger tire. The SRX also weighs more than the Chevy and GMC. While it may not see like much weight it is often the first place many MFG go to remove any weight.
I have to agree about being a little apprehensive with no spare tire, but I guess it's the way of the future. My previous car (an '08 Enclave) got a flat because someone cut the sidewall. I just put on the spare...and then had to fork over $285. for a new tire! My '05 Terraza had one flat (a nail) and my '02 Olds had one flat (a nail). So, I guess in 10 years there was only once that the sealant wouldn't have worked. (I'm old enough to remember when cars had 2 spares...mounted in the front fenders.) Anyway...
Will a tire shop repair a tire that has sealant in it? Good question! I'll have to stop and ask a few of them. I'll give you the results when I ask around.
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