I understand our C6 Corvettes came with run-flat tires. The original owner replaced them with Bridgestone Potenza tires which I understand are not run-flat.
I got a screw in the tire of my daily driver which, like the Vette, has no spare. So that got me wondering what most of you carry with you to handle a flat?
There are reasonably priced 12V air compressors and canned tire sealant. Do you favor one over the other? Does anyone have a good recommendation on 12V compressors?
Thanks!

 

Canned sealant will probably mess up your TPS. Get a good air pump (one that clips on to the battery, not plugs into the lighter socket).
Some also get a plug kit, but that might be hard to do with the tire on. In 47 years of driving, I have only had one flat tire that was not a very slow leak.
So putting a little extra air in the tire and watching the pressure on the read out, I could have driven a long ways.

 

I carry a small air compressor, a plug set and a can of Fix-a-flat. I also have road side assistance on my insurance.

Honestly the air compressor alone will work in about 95% of flat tires you'll likely get as it allows you to add air and drive to the nearest tire center.

The Fix-a-flat (Slime) will not harm your TPMS sensors if it's removed in a reasonable amount of time (a couple of weeks). It will just wash out with a garden hose in a couple of minutes and a flat on a speed rated tire should always be properly patched and not just slimed or plugged.

I had to use my air compressor once about 3 years ago, no big deal, just added air, drove home and took the car to get the tire patched in the morning... not a big deal.

FWIW - All the high performance Dodge cars and many of the high performance Mustangs now come from the factory without a spare and with a can of Fix-a-flat and a small air compressor

YMMV

 

How come? Why is the lighter socket not a good place to plug in an air pump? I like the idea that the socket is fused.

Tom

 

Good question. If the cigarette lighter socket can handle the draw from the lighter it can certainly handle the draw from a small air pump. I've plugged mine into that socket numerous times without problem.

 

I carry AAA Premier along with compressor, plug kit, razor and wire cutters to pull out whatever is in the tire.

 

Most cars nowadays don't come with spare tires, too much weight. They just through a compressor and a can of fix a flat. That is what I carry.

 

I always carry a Milwaukee inflator, dynaplugs, pliers, screwdriver, and razor in the rear cubby.

 

You can use one, but from my experience they do not have near the output and will ether take a looooooooong time to fill up the tire or may over heat.
This is what I have found out from using them on off road vehicles with large tires. I am not saying that it will not work and you may only need to put a small amount of air in the tire to get you home. But if you come out and it has almost zero air on a 335 a tiny air compress may not do the job or you could be there for a while.
That is all I am saying. It does not cost that much for a good pump around 80.00 that will pump up a 33" tire in about 30 sec if hooked directly to the battery. And yes mine still fits in one of the two storage compartments in the trunk (Vert).
You may never need it, so if you think a 10.00 pump will do then you should get it, your choice.

 

Runflat/ZP (Zero Pressure) tires are for the most part a convenience, although I have had two instances in my 35 years of driving where Runflats or a spare have saved me from the need to call a flatbed. The most recent time was on the backside of Tail of the Dragon in the middle of nowhere NC (literally hours from anything but small towns). Had a catastrophic failure that Fixaflat/Slime or a plug kit would not have helped with, but was able to limp the car the 60-70 miles back to a town with a tire shop and hotel (late on a Saturday, had to wait until Monday morning for new tires). Granted this is a super rare case, probably something many people will go their whole lives without experiencing, but it can happen and does make a case for Runfalts.

In general though, I would feel pretty comfortable using non-runflat tires and just carrying a good air compressor and a can of Fixaflat. If you want to be extra safe, also carry a small jack and a good plug kit. Plug kits are a pain to use, and typically you're going to want to pull the wheel/tire off to really do it, but they can sometimes seel a puncture that Fixaflat may not be able to. Honestly, around town, I wouldn't bother with the plug kit & jack, but would save that for when going on trips.

 

I don't think your cigarette lighter will be drawing 15 amps for 5 or 10 min or does it? Draw will depend on the pump.
If you don't think a lighter plug can blow a fuse or burn up do a google search, you will find a lot of them.

 

I carry a small pump that clips to the battery and the power cord and hose combined will reach all the tires. Also carry a small sizzor type jack, 1/2" ratchet and extension for the jack, good plug kit. Reason for the jack is to be able to turn the tire and look for the problem. Also a side cutters or plier to remove the metal or nail. I don't want to use any slime as I'm afraid to damage the TPMS monitor. Fortunately have never had to use any of it! Yet!!!

 

I had tire issues a month ago. The DIC told me a tire was low, pulled in to the closest gas station and filled the tire to the max PSI. I drove until it needed air again and did this until I got home. I pulled the wheel off in my garage and plugged the tire. Problem solved. If it went flat on me in a parking lot, I'd call a guy to come fix it. I'm not going to carry a lot of tools with me. Anyone actually try to reach in a rear wheel well to attempt to plug a tire. Not easy to get leverage needed to run the reamer in and out and then push the plug in. And I'm not laying on my back to try do it on a roadside... Fronts might be a lot easier, just turn the wheels to get the space needed.

 

Ive been seeing advertisements for a screw-type plug that simply screws into the hole with a Philips screwdriver, without the need to ream out the hole. Anyone see these before? Obviously it's a temp fix until you can get to a tire shop but it looks like it can buy you some time.

 

They're crap. And you bumped a 4 year old thread to ask about it?

 

Chances of blowing fuse very high.
Have blown several fuses using lighter w/ my pump.
Presumably current spikes when pump activates is more than lighter fuse rating..

Hooking up directly eliminates this issue.

 

Or just get one of . I aired up all 8 tires on my Vette and pickup (which have a much greater internal volume so take a lot more pumping) when the weather got cooler and it only used about 25% of it's charge. Very convenient especially for the motorcycle as it really doesn't have enough battery to run a compressor. I bought 2 as Christmas presents for SIL and niece.

 

AAA, than the your taking to long kit, Compact jack, plug kit, mini air compressor and a Prayer book I never have to get my old *** to do it.