ok, so i have no idea how the goo stuff that you inject into the tire works. i should probably clarify that....

i realize it plugs the hole so that you can get to a location in order to buy/repair tires. now, my question is, how does it get to the hole?

say you stop after realizing you have a flat, you go as per the instructions for the kit, but what happens if the hole is at the top of the tire? wont trying to add air to the tire just be a waste since the goo is in the bottom of the tire?

how does it work?

 

Aaah yes, the lovely tire patch kit.

It works like this. You pull the valve out and pump in the goo then put the valve back in and attach the electric air pump. The air pump inflates the tire, which is still leaking, then you are supposed to get in the car and drive it up to 40 MPH or so which throws the tire patch goo all over the inside of the tire (hopefully semi-evenly). It covers the entirety of the inside of the tread and hopefully the hole.

Now, you might ask, "But what if my hole is not on the outer tread? What if the tire had a catastrphic blowout and has a huge hole or won't inflate at all with the electric pump because it is losing air faster than you can put it in? What if the tire was destroyed by running on it before I found that it was flat? What if the sidewall was cut on a curb? Etc."

The answer is simple. It doesn't work for any of those situations. Mazda reccomends that you call roadside service. As for all of the hypothetical questions above . . . each and everyone of them has happened to me at one point in my driving career or another. There are alot of possible flats other than a nail in the outer tread which is the only thing that the patch kit will address.

Happy motoring.

 

true enough, my situation is a bit narrow-sighted

 

Is it true that the "goo" is not good for your tires?

 

once you used the chemical to fix your flat, your tire is no longer serviceable and you would need to buy a replacement. The "goo" renders the tire unfixable.

 

OK...so if that's the case that goo is not a fix, but a last resort (hell fire is comming at you) thing to use. So, instead of calling for a pickup $50 and fixing the flat $20...you put the goo drive yourself and have to pay $200-250 or the tire????

Note to self...NEVER USE THIS STUFF!!!!

I'd rather put air in it and allow it to leak (for a slow leak) as I drive to the repair shop than use that stuff and need a new tire...how stupid is that????

 

so it should be seen as a last resort?

 

I carry a plug-kit in my trunk. I think it costs like $14 at Auto-zone. It's pretty easy to use and likely the same kit that a garage would use to plug and repair your tire in case of puncture. Since we already have an air-compressor in the car, it's a good solution. You don't need a new tire and no need for the goo. Easy to use too.

 

I'll use it if I'm stranded in the middle of the desert.....otherwise I'd just have the car towed.

 

I've "heard" that it can be cleaned out, but because I have not used it and do not really ever plan to unless it's a true emergency, then I probably won't ever be able to verify that. The fact that I was quoted a $100 or $200 price tag to replace the flat repair kit itself is reason enough for me to call the tow truck if I'm not carrying a spare. Use that roadside assistance that comes with the car or get a AAA membership. In most cases, if you get a AAA membership and buy AAA car and home/renter's insurance, you will end up paying less or the same for all three than you would normally pay with another car insurance company. Plus, they don't have a cute but slightly creepy reptile on the payroll.

 

This is a good suggestion, as long as you're pretty handy with these sort of things.

Yes, using the kit should be seen as a last resort. I believe the sealant used in the can is similar to that "fix-o-flat" spray sold at your local auto parts store that was involved in issues about repairmen getting injured when the tire explodes while being fixed due to flammable chemicals present in the sealant. I believe no tireshop will touch your tire once they learned you used spray sealant.

 

Instead of all this guessing and surmising and passing out wrong information why not say nothing unless you actually know. I asked my dealer and Discount Tire (national chain) and both said they could repair a tire after using the inflation kit. I also called the kit manufacturer and was told that the foam was water soluble and any tire repair place could clean it out and repair the tire normally.

 

Yeah... the Fix A Flat products have a warning to tell the tire repair person that you used the stuff, so they put out their cigarette before working on your tire. I don't think it's the goo, but the propellant.

I believe the goo degrades the rubber over a long period of time. I have a mini van and had a puncture, pulled the nail and used the goo. Worked great. About a year later the tire developed a slow leak...used another can...after another month or two another can...After another month the leak got so bad I had to pump the tire once a week. Finally I got tired (excuse the pun) and went and got a new tire, the inside looked eaten up, like dried out cracked rubber, but was sticky. So I'm assuming it was thee goo that was eating the rubber. Maybe if I had the tire cleaned out right away and repaired, it would have been fine.

 

well you know one of the way backalley mechanics seat tires is with ether and a match Just have to be careful how much you spray in.

 

I think the reason that people say the tire can not be reused and must be replaced is because the RX 8 Owner's Manual says it. Page 7:12 "A tire that has been temporarily repaired with the tire sealant cannot be reused. Mazda recommends replacing the tire with a new one." I'm not saying that the good can't be washed out. I'm just saying that this is where the idea that the tire must be replaced comes from.

 

The green TIRE SLIME, that you can buy at most stores that have an autoparts section is pretty good. They say to put it in the tire and drive around all the time, that way it seals a puncture right when it happens = no flat. I dont think thats such a good idea as it would not only add more lbs to the unsprung weight, but also might cause the tire to become inbalanced. I have used it before, when I got a flat in the miata, or my dad got a flat in his vette, come out, see the flat tire, inject the slime, pump the tire full of air (over inflate by about 5 psi) then drive slowly so the slime coats the inside of the tire, then your good to go, even at highway speed supposedly...for up to 2 years. I always just drive slowly to the tire store.

Its non-flamable and washes off the wheel/tire with soad and water. It will not make the tire un usable and at least Discount Tire will patch the hole (although they complain they have to wash the tire/wheel off) but it wasnt really a big deal.

Personaly I have AAA+ with unlimited towing, Mazda road-side assistance and some road side assistance program that the dealer gave me when i bought the car. So i dont even cary the tire inflation kit with me, unless I go out of town.

 

To each his own...

If your dealer wants to go against what MNAO official instruction then you may go ahead and spray away :D

 

With a properly inflated spare you have a guaranteed fix and don't have to worry about all that other stuff unless you're quite far away from a repair. Carrying a tire plug kit is a good idea for a temporary fix in that situation -- I'd still take the tire into a tire shop for a proper patch job. The goo is a last resort and a big hassle, from dealing with the gooed tire, to having to get your goo-can refilled. Its effectiveness is limited and it's definitely no substitute for a spare.