Flat tire today!

dseag2

dseag2

Dallas, TX
Location
Dallas, TX
We were coming home from lunch and my low pressure warning came on. We quickly went to a gas station and filled the tire. After we filled it we could immediately hear air pouring out (not leaking). I managed to make it the 1/2 mile to our house and parked it in the garage. Tomorrow I will be calling a tow truck service to put on my spare, then heading to Firestone to see if the tire is at all salvageable. If not, I will need to order a new tire and have it put on. I'm hoping there is some type of warranty through Firestone. I have to do some research.

The rub is, this is the rear driver's side tire and I just had two new rear tires put on in February... a little over 1,000 miles ago. I also had a flat tire last year after I hit a pothole and had to replace it. Our roads in Dallas are abysmal, like they are in many parts of the country.

I do try to look at the bright side of every situation. 1) I made it home so if I have to wait for assistance it's no big deal, 2) I have enough groceries for four days so the new tire should be installed before we need anything and 3) I have no commitments or appointments this week. Last week was my annual physical and my dental appointment.

Still, it's a bitter pill to swallow.
 

First of all, sorry you experienced this, @dseag2! It looks like you thought it through. If these tires you replaced in the back are under warranty, they should be able to replace the one that went bad. I used to have Firestone tires in the past, but no more. For some reason they were always giving me problems....maybe you might consider getting another brand down the road. Excuse the pun! :)
 
palides2021 said:
First of all, sorry you experienced this, @dseag2! It looks like you thought it through. If these tires you replaced in the back are under warranty, they should be able to replace the one that went bad. I used to have Firestone tires in the past, but no more. For some reason they were always giving me problems....maybe you might consider getting another brand down the road. Excuse the pun! :)
Click to expand...
Thank you for your thoughts. I actually have Pirelli tires, but I use Firestone to replace them because the shop is close by and they have been honest and great to work with. The Pirelli low-profile tires aren't great either. I think they develop flats more easily, but they are required for my little 6 year old "hot rod"!

A4.jpg
 

Gary O' said:
That was my first thought.
However, I too have that service from my insurance.
Mainly in case my lady is out and about

My 2nd thought......why not use it, especially in 100° temps

One thing I hate is picking up a nail or screw right after getting new tires
Click to expand...
When I first read that, I thought you meant that you have tire service in case your lady is out and can't change the tire for you. 🤣
 
I learned something with my last car's tire that kept losing air.
If the puncture is too close to the sidewall, the tire can't be repaired; they won't be allowed to. When the tire guy told me that, I thought he was trying to sell me a new tire, but I checked & it's true. They have a chart that says how far from the sidewall the puncture can be for a repair. I don't know if anyone guarantees tires against nails or screws. My car only had 7,000 miles on it & I had to buy a tire.
And I wouldn't put Firestones on; I've had problems with them in the past. I only use Goodyear or Michelin.
 
I've had a lot of bad luck with Michelin tyres on my motorhomes, in each case caused by premature sidewall failure. Once this happened in Germany, but I managed to change it for the spare and get to a tyre depot. I changed the Michelins on my current camper for Nokian C-line Cargo tyres. These have proved to be hard wearing, less road noise and a little lighter steering. I hadn't heard of Nokian before, but the local tyre depot recommended them .

Several tyre depots were critical of Michelin tyres and I tend to avoid them.
 
Alligatorob said:
Fortunately flat tires are less common with today's tires.
Click to expand...
So rare that many new cars don't come with a spare!

I understand the desire to improve fuel economy by reducing the weight of the tire and jack, but I'm old-fashioned and insecure about being without a spare.

marriage-relationships-breakdown-motor-tyre-fat-weight-ksmn1544_low.jpg
 
Gary O' said:
That was my first thought.
However, I too have that service from my insurance.
Mainly in case my lady is out and about

My 2nd thought......why not use it, especially in 100° temps

One thing I hate is picking up a nail or screw right after getting new tires
Click to expand...
I had the service too with the insurance but good luck trying to use it. I tried it one time and waited 2 hours for someone to arrive. Also in 100 temps here in Houston.
 
This past winter, I put my trash out and as I walked past my car I noticed it had a completely flat front tire. I called AAA and the guy came out within 20 minutes. He said that sometimes perfectly good tires can lose air when it gets freezing cold. He took the tire off, pumped it up, and said he couldn't find a leak and that it was holding air but just to be sure I should have my mechanic check it out. I wasn't happy because the tires aren't even two years old. It's not like I'm driving a lot since the pandemic hit, but you never know, you could run over something in the road or even hit a rock and that could damage the tire. And then there are the potholes, it's like playing pinball trying to avoid them. 🥴

The next day I took it into the shop and my mechanic checked it out. A lot of places would just sell you a new tire, but he said, if he could, he'd fix it. When all was said and done there was nothing wrong with the tire itself, but it was leaking air around the rim, so he fixed it with silicone and charged me $30.00. I've been going to this guy for many years and just love him. He's honest and has never tried to beat me. Bless him.

Bella✌️
 
Capt Lightning said:
I've had a lot of bad luck with Michelin tyres on my motorhomes, in each case caused by premature sidewall failure. Once this happened in Germany, but I managed to change it for the spare and get to a tyre depot. I changed the Michelins on my current camper for Nokian C-line Cargo tyres. These have proved to be hard wearing, less road noise and a little lighter steering. I hadn't heard of Nokian before, but the local tyre depot recommended them .

Several tyre depots were critical of Michelin tyres and I tend to avoid them.
Click to expand...

Yikes. I just replaced the stock Nexens on my Class B RV with Michelin Agilis due to lots of people with the same van stating they're pleased with them. On the Class B forum I'm on, a good many owners have had Nexen sidewall failure and even treads peeling off in strips. So far this hasn't happened to anyone with the Michelin Agilis replacements so hopefully this is a good Michelin product. I do have a spare mounted on top of the van just in case.
 
dseag2 said:
The Pirelli low-profile tires aren't great either. I think they develop flats more easily, but they are required for my little 6 year old "hot rod"!
Click to expand...
"Low Profile tires are more susceptible to losing pressure, especially if you hit a big pothole. They don't have the flexibility, or "give" that a normal tire has, and the bead can separate from the wheel rim....causing a sudden loss of air. Often, they can be "reseated" by pumping the pressure up to 50 or 60 lbs., which can force the bead to reseat....then drop the pressure back to about 30.

It's also a good idea....IMO....to carry a can of Fix-a-Flat in the trunk. A can of that stuff can usually fix a minor leak, and allow you to continue on until you have the time to go to a tire shop for a more permanent fix.
 
Last edited:
Don is 100% correct. Low profile tires are susceptible to many issues, but they also gave advantages. Low profile tires are better on the road for grip, traction and tire wear, but other than that, they are kind of an over priced item for regular cars. Back in my hay days, I used low profile tires on the front of my drag car. If you are driving a BMW or other more expensive sport model, try using nitrogen instead of regular air. You should get better performance. If you wish to use nitrogen, you will need to completely purge the compressed air in the tires before putting in the nitrogen, otherwise, it may take you a long time time to have your tires 100% nitrogen infused.

Truthfully, street cars seldom spend the money putting in nitrogen air.
 
At least you had a spare. I had a Hyundai that had a flat. I went to get the spare, and to my shock there was not one! What they had was a tire inflater and a kit to seal the tire. Apparently this was done to decrease the weight and cost of the car,
I immediately ordered a spare kit that came with the tire, jack and lug wrench.
 
Well, here's how it all played out.

I have an Audi, but it is over 5 years old so the Roadside Assistance is no longer in effect. Even so, I tried calling them last year when I got a flat and just hung on the line until I finally decided to call a two truck operator.

I called a tow truck operator this morning. The gentleman came to my house within 30 minutes and put my car up on jacks but did not have the right-sized tool for removing the wheel to install the spare. There was not one in my trunk, so I couldn't have done it myself. He ended up towing the car to Firestone, with me sitting in the passenger seat, to the tune of $150. :( The manager at Firestone has known me for many years, and although all his technicians recently quit and there are only 2 people working there, he had me in and out in 45 minutes. It was the valve stem, which they fixed for $18. A new tire would have cost $290, so I still got out cheaper and "she" is back on the road again!(y)
 
bowmore said:
At least you had a spare. I had a Hyundai that had a flat. I went to get the spare, and to my shock there was not one! What they had was a tire inflater and a kit to seal the tire. Apparently this was done to decrease the weight and cost of the car,
I immediately ordered a spare kit that came with the tire, jack and lug wrench.
Click to expand...
Most cars no longer have a spare - just that can of air. That's all I got with my '21 Accord. No gas cap, either - just a plastic cup built into the filler door & a spring-loaded opening to put the gas nozzle in.
I read that in a couple of years, tires will no longer have any air.
 
win231 said:
Most cars no longer have a spare - just that can of air. That's all I got with my '21 Accord. No gas cap, either - just a plastic cup built into the filler door & a spring-loaded opening to put the gas nozzle in.
I read that in a couple of years, tires will no longer have any air.
Click to expand...
I had run-flat tires many years ago on my Lexus SC430. They were horrible. I changed them out for Michelin Pilot Sports and carried a can of Fix-A-Flat in the trunk. I test drove a BMW 3 Series that also had run-flats and the ride was brutal. I hope future tires that don't have any air are better than those offered today.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top