Well yesterday was the worst birthday I have had in a long time.... my tire pressure light came on when I left court, so I went to the convenient store a couple hundred feet away where they have free air. When I got to the passenger side I saw the rear tire was flat, which is strange because I didn't feel it when driving.
I took out the tire kit.... make sure you always have a dime in your coin holder, that seems to be the only coin that fits to unscrew the carpet from the floor. There are detailed picture instructions on the inside of the lid, but as I later found out, the manual has written instructions which are much more comprehensive and complete. You have to check the later section on flat tires, because the first one earlier in the book ends with "remove kit and follow instructions".
Biggest problem I had was the glue was messy.... part of that was my fault because I didn't tighten it as far as it could go at first, but also when you take the machine off the tire, the hose does spatter glue around. Also, always keep a plastic shopping bag in the back of your smart because you have to throw the machine in the car and drive for a few miles, then take it back out to test the psi.
The instructions vary based on how the psi responds to the repair kit... mine maintained a psi over 19 which meant I could drive on the tire another 125 miles before having it repaired or replaced. I drove home and the tire pressure light kept coming on every five minutes or so. I figured it was because the tire was repaired, but I looked in the manual to see if there was a more on flat tires and this is when I found the written instructions. Everything I did following the picture instructions had been right, but I didn't think to bring the tire up to its proper psi.... once I saw the psi was above 20, I stopped the pump and left for home, forgetting that the pressure had to be at 36.
Anyway, I came home and switched to the Wrangler for the rest of my day. Now today I have to decide if I am going to trust a local tire place to patch the tire or risk driving over the 125 mile limit to have the dealer take care of it. Not to mention driving 50mph on the interstate which I do not want to do if I can avoid it.
Gee, that's too bad you had such a bad time with the whole thing! That is one of my biggest dreads I have with the car, just the whole process of what you went through!
I bought a spare, a jack and tools to change the tire just so when I called the smart car place for roadside assistance, I wouldn't have to be towed to a smart dealer just for a flat tire...however, I don't want to change the tire either! So I have all the stuff that the assistance people can use when they get to me!
So, after you put the flat tire stuff in the tire you only have 125 miles to REPLACE the tire, i guess if necc, (damage not on tread), or to get the gunky stuff cleaned out of the tire and the hole fixed? Hmmm...I'd rather have run flats! Though I can't find the size we need for runflats, and they are VERY expensive.
Interestingly, I stumbled onto a TV show a couple of days ago ("Unique Whips") just as the customizers were dealing with Tony Stewart's Lamborghini Murcielago. Guess what they pull out of the car? - a goo-kit and 12v compressor. The Lambo doesn't carry a spare either; we're not in bad company.
At any rate, if the tire can be repaired expect to pay an additional charge for cleaning out the goo.
This is one of the reason for hoping for an air-less tire that can work with the Smart. I have seen articles on them. Here is a site called 'Fast Cool Cars' with airless tires.
Here is an article on the Tweel.
Here is another article on an airless tire.
EXIPNAKI ..... I may be a stupid question, but when you found out the tire was flat, did you check to see if it would hold air (using the free air at the convenience store) before you used the kit? I'm just curious, because a lot of times if it's a nail or screw in the tire, you can just fill it with air (if it'll hold) and drive for a long time before you lose the air again, especially if the screw is in the center of the tire, because as the tire rotates, it's keeping pressure on the screw each turn to prevent the air from flowing out. Once you stop, unless you park on the nail/screw, that's a different story. Had the exact same thing happen once when I came out of work, in the rain, and I used my air compressor to fill the tire and drove 14 miles home. When I got home, I felt for where the screw/nail was again, and jockeyed the truck a little until I was parked on the screw, and when I got up the next morning the tire still had air, and I drove it to the shop to be repaired! :>) No GOO needed! :>) Just a "heads-up" for anyone who finds themselves in the same situation. In my smart I carry a plug kit, and a bottle of soapy water, and pliers....... just in case! :>)
P.S. Sorry that your birthday sucked! :>(
I bought a spare, a jack and tools to change the tire just so when I called the smart car place for roadside assistance, I wouldn't have to be towed to a smart dealer just for a flat tire...however, I don't want to change the tire either! So I have all the stuff that the assistance people can use when they get to me!
You want to hear something stupid....I actually have four rims and tires in my garage because right now I am driving on snow tires. If I had gotten my butt in gear and put in one front wheel and one rear wheel in the cargo as spares, as well as a jack and a tire iron, I would be changing a tire instead. But then as I was doing all of this yesterday I thought "would I rather be changing a tire in my suit?" and thought, probably not.
Also, I think I would feel funny calling roadside assistance when I had all the tools to do it myself, but I know many other women do like you and have the means in the car for someone else to do it. I just feel funny doing that, but then again I don't even like full serve gas stations for that reason too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KarenS
So, after you put the flat tire stuff in the tire you only have 125 miles to REPLACE the tire, i guess if necc, (damage not on tread), or to get the gunky stuff cleaned out of the tire and the hole fixed? Hmmm...I'd rather have run flats! Though I can't find the size we need for runflats, and they are VERY expensive.
I am guessing 125 miles to either fix or replace. What are run flats?
At any rate, if the tire can be repaired expect to pay an additional charge for cleaning out the goo.
My husband set up an appointment for this afternoon locally since I have office visits all day today. He gave the tire dealer a heads up about the glue and the dealer isn't happy about it.... he may be thinking about the traditional goo rather than this light-duty latex which is in the car kit, so we will see what happens. I will let you all know how we make out.
EXIPNAKI ..... I may be a stupid question, but when you found out the tire was flat, did you check to see if it would hold air (using the free air at the convenience store) before you used the kit? I'm just curious, because a lot of times if it's a nail or screw in the tire, you can just fill it with air (if it'll hold) and drive for a long time before you lose the air again, especially if the screw is in the center of the tire, because as the tire rotates, it's keeping pressure on the screw each turn to prevent the air from flowing out. Once you stop, unless you park on the nail/screw, that's a different story. Had the exact same thing happen once when I came out of work, in the rain, and I used my air compressor to fill the tire and drove 14 miles home. When I got home, I felt for where the screw/nail was again, and jockeyed the truck a little until I was parked on the screw, and when I got up the next morning the tire still had air, and I drove it to the shop to be repaired! :>) No GOO needed! :>) Just a "heads-up" for anyone who finds themselves in the same situation. In my smart I carry a plug kit, and a bottle of soapy water, and pliers....... just in case! :>)
P.S. Sorry that your birthday sucked! :>(
I did.... after I filled the tire it was hissing pretty loudly and kept doing it until I had the kit set up. I didn't try driving on it though... probably should have Problem is that there is a whole lot of nothing between this particular court house and my home, except steep mountains- first downhill then uphill, so I would have been too paranoid had I considered it.
... I am guessing 125 miles to either fix or replace. What are run flats?
A run-flat is a tire with a stiff sidewall that will partially keep its shape if punctured. It is no better than a goo'd tire - they both have a 50 mile-at-50 MPH range and then must be permanently repaired or replaced. A run-flat is no easier to repair than a goo'd tire, and is considerably more expensive to replace. They are noisy, rough riding tires.
Last edited by Old smart; 12-05-2008 at 10:06 AM.
Reason: sp.
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Problem is that there is a whole lot of nothing between this particular court house and my home, except steep mountains- first downhill then uphill, so I would have been too paranoid had I considered it.
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