Have used the product 5 or 6 times over the years on various cars and worked really well every time. You do need to top up the tyre pressure though,as the available pressure in the can is only enough to get you to the nearest service station. Good to carry a small 12 volt inflater or foot pump.
but have you confirmed with them that “punctured tyre” means “We come and fit the spare, if no spare available you pay for the recovery” or “We pay to get you to tyre depot if you decide not to have a spare”?
No, not exactly. The gunk does not ruin the tyre. it is the effects of the puncture that can ruin a tyre. Tyre sealant have come along because spare wheels have become more impractical. Tyres are far wider than the ever used to be. it means providing a full size spare is becoming impractical. May cars also have staggered fitments. As well as this, increasing safety design means putting either a big deep wheel well or a large lump of solid metal in crumple zones is not a great idea.
If you are away on your trip and you get up one morning and see a tyre looks a bit flat and you can see a screw through the tread, if you stick your gunk in it, it will almost certainly seal the hole and you can tear about the country side with impunity. The issue is not about major damage to a tyre, holes in the side walls etc which are irreparable by any method, but what happens when a tyre is run when deflated.
“Normal” tyres are held up with the air in side them. If you take the air away, the rim runs on the inside face of the tyre, usually at the corner between side wall and tread and simply chafes all the rubber from the side wall. This happens very rapidly, a couple of hundred yards will do it even at just 30mph. The rubber goes, then the textile braids then the tread separates. It is why the police use the stinger, and then why not very far up the road you see the sparks on the police camera action programs. So it is the point at which sealant is used that is the problem, not the sealant. If you looked at the other thread I linked to you will see the “Coffee” granules in the inside of the tyre. This is the rubber being chafed away. At this point, the gunk would still seal the screw hole. From the outside you would know no difference. Some people would not even have the tyre checked if it then holds pressure. It is only when the tyre is removed can the full extent be seen.
If you get a puncture on the road and don’t realise till it is flat, you have likely ruined your tyre if you have not been able to stop immediately. Most people see a puncture as the park and see low pressure or they come back to a parked car and see that it is flat. If you put the gunk in at this stage, reinfalte it and drive to the tyre fitter, then if the reason is obvious, o bloody great nail sticking out of it, then he should be able to repair it.
Run Flat tyres have additional stiffening in the sidewall in the bead area designed to support the weight of the car and prevent that internal contact. Unfortunately I don;t know of any 195 50 15 run flats. The MK3 sizes are available though.
Continental make a tyre with the gunk already in it. The inside tread face is coated with a sticky rubber jelly that gets extruded out of holes when they occur. You can’t repair them as you would have to remove the gunk.
Bottom line is a total replacement is always the best option as you can do what you like to the damaged tyre and still replace it, but sometimes that is not practical.
they will carry/tow to a tyre shop.
so the only problem is when everything’s shut
Surely it is just the ideal excuse to ensure your lady does not bring the entire shoe collection?
didn’t know that.
do they provide a pump & sticky stuff then?
Yep, same with RX-8’s
Hi Joe
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Just copied this off the GEM motoring assist web site, I think you may find it of interest.
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7 You must carry a roadworthy spare tyre (where fitted) with your<o:p></o:p>
vehicle at all times.<o:p></o:p>
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Richard.
they must have changed the rules then, they didn’t complain last time.
Some years ago there was an article in Softophardtop by ‘Dr Bob’ on a product by the name of ultraseal which was inserted into the tyre before any puncture, the wheel rotated to disperse the sealant which would then function in a similar manner to the aerosol. Has anyone any experience of this? It would seem to me that it may well seal a small puncture but the driver would simply continue driving, oblivious of the fact. Not a good idea in my opinion. I know many will disagree, but, I mourn the passing of the old fashioned plug, they were fine, with one huge proviso, if they were used correctly, for a small straight hole in the centre of the tread. But, some irresponsible people would use half a dozen in a cut or use them in the sidewall instead of scrapping the tyre, fatal! so because of the idiotic behaviour of the few thay were made illegal. I do not think there is any substitute for frequent examination of tyres, many people will spend countless hours polishing cam covers etc. but never think of regular tyre inspections. Again, I return to the same question what price do you put on your neck?
Regards Geoff Peace.
Is this an option?
It would certainly appear so. I am under the impression that plugs of this type are illegal. I could be, and I hope I am, wrong. Perhaps someone would be good enough to clarify this point. The repair executed by tyre fitters is only a plug with a mushroom head. In an emergency, with a small straight hole in the tread it would serve the purpose, a cut or puncture through the sidewall then most definitely not. Thankyou for the information IanC.
Regards Geoff Peace.
A vulcanized patch, fitted on the inside on a tubeless tyre within the permitted width of the tread area (lower the aspect ratio the lower the percentage of the tread width is allowed) is considered a permanent repair for the life of the tyre, all other methods are not.
I don’t know the legality of plugs.
Second answer down
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091227084415AA6vdJi
Take a can of gunk and be done with it.
If you get a puncture in the UK, you are in the same boat. Your going to have to call the AA. If you are in Europe you are going to have to do the same thing.
If the gunk works, all well and good, it will get you to a tyre depot, if it doesn’t then you have to wait for the truck. I strongly doubt they are going to start to argue that you don’t have a spare wheel. You would show the gunk, say it did not work and they will take you to the tyre depot. You tried. I strongly doubt any more would come of it.
If there was an argument with the insurance you could say your space saver was stolen, but a very credible reason would be that the full size wheel does not fit in the boot and could not fit in the car because you have a passenger. The tyre gunk is the only practical option in that instance even if you did have the spare.
As I undrstand the current law on this, the plug type of repair is only legal on agriculteral vehicles.
Thankyou for that NickD. Very informative.
Regards Geoff Peace.