Screw in tire and TPMS

It's a plug and patch on the inside of the tire.

I just plugged a leak from a small nail this week. The old way, with a plug from the outside, like I've done many times. Never had a tire fail yet, let alone lose air from the repaired site.

Can't do anything nowadays the easy way due to all the litigation out there. It's all about CYA.

SCH-I535

 

I've used this to get home when there was no one to help - late Sunday night in the middle of nowhere. It worked perfectly fine, and held until I could drop it off at a shop the next day. Didn't lose 1 psi of pressure after plugging it.

 

For the ignorant:

Tires have evolved over the years, and we no longer remove the nail and patch the inner tube like your grandfather did or maybe you did with your bicycle tire when you were a kid. Perhaps you remember that you could have a tire plug put in your tire from tubeless tire, which was better, but more is required for today's belted radial ply tires. Tires have changed, and repairing any tire with a "plug" is a potential disaster waiting to happen! In fact, the tire industry as a whole warns against making any "string plug" or tire plug repairs for any tire repairs today.

 

I bought a new set of tires from my Toyota dealer. The dealer said Toyota does not patch tires, they are replaced. Seems like a waste to me but covers Toyota on liability.

 

I wouldn't expect Toyota to patch tires--they sell cars. Years ago, my dealer patched a tire for me. Perhaps now some dealers don't believe it is worth their employee's time to perform such an inexpensive task.

 

Nope, it's all about the liability or minimizing exposure to liability. Of course they'll recommend replacement over repairing.

SCH-I535

 

I've read that the tire manufacturers recommend a plug/patch repair. I have never seen this done to any tire of mine, and I've had many. (I'm responsible for the tires in my house. We have 4 drivers.) All I see is a patch, no plug, or a plug, (that I keep to use on runflats with no spare), and no patch. Supposedly you are not supposed to repair a tire on the outside edge of the tread like what seems to be on the video, but knowing how conservative my wife was I tried a plug there and it held till the tire wore out. It lost 1 psi of air every two weeks, (1 psi faster than the other tires,) but I don't consider that too bad.

Without the plug part you supposedly run the risk of the belt rusting, but like I said I've only seen patches on my tires, or the plug. With the plug you supposedly run the risk of it coming out. (I wonder if anyone ever had that happen?) I'd hit up to 100 MPH going to Las Vegas on that tire with a plug, outside the safe repair area. It did not come out...

 

That's a new one on me. Charging the customer for turning off the TPMS light? It goes out by itself when proper tire pressure is restored.

 

Or you can be lazy like me and put some tire-repair goop into the tire and leave it. I bought the stuff that says "will not degrade rubber" which nearly all tire shops say will happen if you use such stuff.

 

I recently had a puncture professionally repaired- they removed the wheel from the car, put it on the mounting machine, broke the bead so as to be able to get at the inside of the tire on the tread portion, they scuffed up where the puncture was, applied some vulcanizing goo then placed a small rubber patch over the hole from the inside of the tire. The mechanic pressed the patch for a few min, then remounted the tire to the wheel- re-balanced the tire/rim and remounted to the car.
That fix will hold for the life of the tire...

 

Why is it dangerous?

 

I agree, I also have been plugging my tires with great results. I know that in the day of bias ply tires, there were problems, but with steel belted tires, I am not so sure that putting a good quality plug in is dangerous. Please correct me if I am wrong and why that is the case.

 

I have used a lot of the regular old type plugs in the past and drove many miles at highway speeds. Never once had a problem. I too, can not understand how they got to be so dangerous.

 

That's the way I've seen it done since the late Pleistocene...

I've done it myself many times over the years. There was a choice between gluing on the patch and melting it on. To melt it on, you lit a flammable substance in a metal pan over the patch, and when it cooled, the patch was bonded to the tire. I'm not sure about any new-fangled methods they may be using nowadays.

 

I don't know if it's true, because I never used plugs, but I've been told they are a temporary fix which is sure to fail.

 

I have not had any problems with them but I have stopped using them.

 

No, this is for the gullible.
Of course the tire industry don't want people patching their tires and bypassing the tire sellers.
But, it could be dangerous if someone dense patches a sidewall.

 

Costco does it for free and then balances the tires. Not sure if it is worth the worry and time to DIY.

 

Just to add to the chorus: there is absolutely nothing needing "resetting" on the TPMS. If the TPMS warning is on due to low pressure on a tire, restore pressure on that tire and the light warning goes off. Not right away, but in about 15~ minutes.

Tire repairs: the dealership typically will repair tires, for a charge. If you bought your tires somewhere they may do it, for free. Costco's a good example. The real up-and-up places take the tire off and do a combination patch/plug.

I've had two flats with our Prius. The first was deemed "unrepairable" by the dealership, since it was about an inch from edge of tread. In both cases I plug repaired myself (something new for me); they've held up fine, no problems. It depends on your mindset.

For peace of mind staying with the pro's recommendations and using the combo patch/plug is probably better, but if you're careful DIY'r and the punctures are small...