2012 Prius Plug in - run flat goo refill?

Would have to agree that some roads are the cause of flats. For example, well traveled interstates are very unlikely places to get a flat. Have driven for about 17 years now and about 300,000-350,000 miles. Have yet to get a flat on any vehicle I've driven.

 

Although this was occasionally mentioned in other threads on the subject, there is one caveat for those purchasing a Toyota Corolla donut: the pressed metal wheel of the donut takes tapered lug nuts while the cast wheel of the PiP takes flat-rim OEM lug nuts, so using the OEM lug nuts when temporarily replacing the punctured regular wheel with the new donut might be a bit risky. The tapered lug nuts are a $9 purchase for the set at any auto store. I keep mine in the trunk's right-hand shallow "mystery use" compartment above the 12V battery.

 

Actually, the PiP lug nuts are totally suitable to be used with the spare, they have the taper on the end.

 

The OEM lug nuts will work fine with temporary spare. They have tapered seats as well as the flat washer. They just stand out further, look kind of strange. But they work. They have to.

For our snow tires on steel rims I did get regular tapered lug nuts. I didn't want to be looking at the chrome lug nuts sticking out, for 4+ months. And it keeps them out of winter's salt, gives me a chance to clean them up. The extra nuts I got are plain, galvanized, open ended. I picked them up from the dealership, they were a bit more, about $30, but I want to make sure they're the right taper, there are variations.

 

Not having a spare on my new PIP bothered me initially, but I never had to change a tire on my previous car; I was always able to make it to a tire shop. I do however, wish they had made run-flat rims standard.

 

Ahhh.. never took my OEM wheel lugs off yet, thanks.

 

A funny thing about averages...some people are above the average and some below!
Sometimes it is impossible to be average. Like when the average number of children in a family is something like 2.1.

Mike

 

Or that adults can drown in water of an average depth of 12".

 

OK, today I did take the lugs off because on the way to a family friend's naturalization ceremony I drove over a screw and got the 1st slow-leak flat tire in at least a decade. Typical suburbia roads in decent weather, and yet that lone screw found my rear tire. Thankfully I still had my never-used junkyard Toyota Corolla donut wheel in the trunk - just hadn't taken it out after a long trip in late March. Boy was I glad. 10 minutes of work after the ceremony and I was on my way - no waiting for the Toyota PiP road care wagon, no messing up the sensor in the wheel with slimy goo. Another 10 minutes at a Midas dealer enroute to work to drop off the flat tire wheel for a plug, and after work a pick-up and another rapid manual wheel swap in a spacious parking lot under lights - total cost of $38 and abut 30 - 35 minutes total aggregated time.

Yes, the OEM chrome lugs do have a taper on their ends and they do work great on either wheel.

And yes, henceforth the Corolla donut will live forevermore in the PiP's trunk.