Just 2 months of ownership of my '07 Coupe and already a low tire pressure warning on the DIC. After checking the tire, noticed a wood screw near the inside edge of the right rear of the tire. Question: Are "run-flat" tires repaired the same way as regular tires and should I be concerned about the type of repair place I take the tire to (dealership versus Discount Tire)? Also, given the location of the screw in the tire (within 2 inches of the edge/side of the tire), will the repair be subject to the same restrictions for non-repair of tires since this is a run-flat tire? Any other comments, suggestions, or places to have the repair done in Austin, Texas would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for the comments. Don

 

The tire will be under warranty or repairable at a Goodyear dealer.

 

Take it in. The tire must be repaired from the inside; they cannot be fixed with a "plug."

 

Call the Goodyear 800# to get the location of the nearest 'runflat' repair location. Just had one repaired at Discount Tire, no cost.

 

If the puncture is too close to the sidewall it is non-repariable according to Goodyear. I believe the distance is about the width of a quarter but I'm not positive on that.

Find your Goodyear warranty pamphlet and read it and understand it BEFORE going to your Goodyear dealer for repair. The warranty is not typical and many GY stores have not seen it or one like it before, so you may need to 'discuss' it with them. My GY store had to call GY the first time around (I've had two tires replaced free of charge under the warranty) before they knew for sure what to do.

If your car has been in service less than 12 months and you're within the first 2/32" tread wear, a non-repairable tire will be replaced free of charge. Beyond that time/mileage it will be pro-rated.

Also, make sure the GY store you go to is Runflat Certified. The GY website will give you that information.

 

You need to verify the repair shop is able to lift the car in whole or part without damaging the rocker panels or other parts. You should obtain and carry the socalled hockey pucks that insert in the rocker panel area to give the necessary clearance. Unfortuantely many Chevy dealers will not repair flats and are not GY dealers, and will want to simply sell and install a new tire. You can find GY dealers on the GY web site within a prescibed radius from where you are. Look for the symbol denoting certified for runflat (EMT) and make sure the grunt who does it is qualified. You have up to 25 miles (not more) at up to 55 mph while running flat without damaging the tire. Its a good idea to carry a portable 12v inflator on board. Bring your tire waranty. It should be in the dash with the manual. Its a good idea to pay for a new dyanmic balance after the repair if it can be done, or with a new tire.

 

They are not repaired with a simple plug. The tire must be demounted and a "Patch-Plug" installed (basically it is a patch with a integral plug) from the inside. If the puncture is too close to the edge to be repaired, the tire should be replaced under warranty. The repair is also a warranty item. Be sure you take your warranty with you. Some dealers "forget" that there is a warranty.

 

Others have already answered your initial question so I'll just put your mind at ease... If the repair shop/dealer insists you pay them because they don't do warranty tire repair etc, just pay them and GoodYear will reimburse you in a matter of days. I faxed my bill and got a check in a couple days. No sweat, they were extremely accommodating over the phone, it was a pleasant surprise.

Note: Not all GY stores can repair runflats OR large wheels, make sure you ask.

 

Thank you all so very much for the accurate responses. As it turns out, I located my GY warranty brochure, read it thoroughly, and called the "nearest dealer" toll-free number yesterday (Sunday). The automated system forwarded my call to a NTB here in Austin. The technician at NTB advised that there wasn't anyone qualified there that day to service EMT (runflat) tires. He also told me that there was no warranty on repair or replacement as far as he knew (he claimed he had been working there "a long time"). We ended our phone call amicably but I knew I had to contact GY directly. This morning I called GY and spoke with Dave Johnson. Dave confirmed that there was in fact a warranty for repair and/or replacement and contacted a nearby GY direct dealer trained in EMT tire service. I plan on taking my tire and wheel in tomorrow. I bought a hydraulic jack and jack stands last night so that I can do the wheel removal myself. I will use the jacking points on the rear as listed in the owner's manual. Fortunately for me, I noticed the low pressure and screw location at home so I haven't driven much since the pressure dropped. However, the puncture is very near the edge so it may be that GY will have to replace the tire. According to Dave, there should be no out-of-pocket expense, save taxes and any proration if applicable. So far, GY has been very helpful. I will take the warranty brochure with me tomorrow and report back when complete. Any advice on lifting for tire removal is appreciated. Thanks again to everyone that responded.

 

Great way to do it. That way you only have to worry about them scratching the wheel instead of scratching the rocker panels AND the wheel Good Luck!

 

Hopefully you bought a low profile floor jack at least 1.5 tons. If it's not low profile you'll have to drive onto something to raise the car high enough to get the jack under.

I would recommend lifting the car from the rear center frame and put a stand under each side. If you try to lift one side at a time you'll be torquing the frame quite a bit before the wheel lifts. Just remember, the center support (looking from the rear) is semi-hollow and slants up toward the front. Place your jack pad so it's centered under the rear edge and it won't slip. If you make the mistake of assuming the frame is flat, your jack could slip and damage your car. Crawl under there and you'll see what I mean. I'm assuming you don't have the adapter that allows you to bridge across the frame like in the thread below...

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...55&forum_id=74

Here's another good thread...

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1117639

Disclaimer... use the instructions at your own risk. I claim no responsibility at all for anything. Works for my wife.

 

That's good to hear. I got screwd over by a GY dealer on a road trip. I had a screw near the edge of the tire. They would not fix it. They also said it was not under warranty, they wanted to charge me like $400 something for a tire that would need a few days to arrive. I just pluged it with a regular tire plug, drove it a few thousand miles (with track events) than just upgraded all the tires.

Good to hear they are helping

 

Wow! Newfound respect for another member; I would definitely think twice about driving on the track (roadcourse, I am assuming), with a tire plug.

 

Good news. I agree with you taking the tire and wheel off. I always do that when I'm getting new tires or having a flat repaired. This way I know the torque is correct, I adjust the air pressure and they don't screw up my car. In addition I use plastic lined sockets.

 

Although it certainly should be repaired under warranty properly, I am the type of person that isnt spending an afternoon in a waiting room for my flat to be fixed. I have repaired 5 flats on my corvettes to date with a simple plug kit from autobard and never had an issue with the tires even at insane speeds.

It takes 60 seconds to fix a flat and it would take more time to put the wheel in the back of another car.

To each his own. I'm sure I have 50k miles collectively on my 5 dollar plugs.

 

Report: Yes, I did buy a low-profile hydraulic floor jack and it fits nicely under the car. I couldn't lift the car from both jacking points since the jack did not come with the attachment to contact both points simultaneously and lifting in the center. However, the owner's manual didn't seem to require this. In any event, I lifted the car just high enough to get the tire off the ground to remove it to minimize the torque on the frame. Don't know if this was proper or not. Anyway, took the tire to GY and they were able to fix it with a patch-plug. Tire is holding air and the puncture was far enough from the edge that the tire did not have to be replaced. If replacement was required, GY did not have it in stock and I was told it could take up to a week or more to get the exact same tire. What? Was not too happy to with that news as I could have been without my car (and it up on jack stands) for the duration. Good news: the repair didn't cost me a cent and I just shook the guys hand and walked out of the place-with newfound respect for GY and a better understanding of what it takes to repair an EMT runflat tire. Thanks to everyone for responding and the advice and comments. Once again, you all were a great help. Don

 

Yes, the runflats are few and far between. It took me two days to get my first one and five or six to get the second. Fortunately I had very slow leaks both times so was able to drive it in the meantime by just refilling it daily.