Check your spare tire!

Ok, let me see in the trunk......
...I do not have an spare tyre!!! What shall I do???

 

I have the crappy tiny spare and a full sized strapped behind the passenger seat...one or the other should get me home....no idea where the jack is

 

i don't have one.

 

I'd have to check mine, again. I forget what the PSI is/was, but when checking the other 4 tires, I recalled I'm coming up on 30K and never checked the spare, so I decided to give it a look over...to be safe.

 

The jack's on top of the spare. Worthwhile getting it out and doing a practice run. It's the worst scissor jack I've ever seen: the linkage on the jack (at the point you connect to crank it) is a poor design, and it's soft metal starts get chewed up right away.

And the pinch weld on the underbody is completely unreinforced at the jacking points: only provides lateral stability, when I used the jack the car body dimpled a bit there.

 

I carry an air pump in all my cars and trucks. Here is the one I have in my Prius. If it is a slow leak I will just fill it up to get me home, or to the tire repair shop.

The Prius Power outlet is rated at 10A. This pump requires 15A. I modify the power cord to hook it up directly to the battery. With the Prius you can hook it up to the jumper port under the hood, just make sure to hook up the positive to positive. Other pumps I have will work with either wire connected to the positive battery terminal. Just be very careful with the Prius, you can fry the computers if a jumper cable is hooked up wrong.

Cheers!

 

A bicycle pump will work too, won't tax the 12 volt.

 

Is it true that a 2012 PIP does not have a spare tire as standard equipment?

If one is young and in good shape, pumping a bicycle pump is good exercise. At my age and health, I don't want to have a heart attack in the Florida heat. As long as the power is "Ready" the TB and ICE will keep the 12 volt battery charged.

Anything to save having to change a tire (in the heat) and driving on the small donut spare. But, whatever works.

I changed my truck tire (side wall blow out) on the expressway a year ago. That tire weighs about 60 pounds. I was beat when I was finished.

This thread is a good reminder to keep that spare tire filled to 60 psi.

I have a "TireMinder" tire pressure monitor on all 5 tires. So, I know when my spare tire is going low on air.

TireMinder TM55 5-Wheel TPMS, Includes 4 Transmitters for Brass Valve Stems - Minder Research, Inc.

Cheers!

 

took my 2008 into the dealer a few years ago and they set all the tires to 32 psi including the spare. told them not to touch my tires again. I continue that same instruction on my 2014 now.

 

Dealers get my blood pressure up. I avoid if at all possible. I do understand that not everyone knows how to work on cars. If I can do the work, and have the time, I will do it myself. I've rebuilt engines, transmissions, etc. But, I'm getting too old for the heavy work these days, and I have the money to pay others if need be.

The last time I went to a dealer for maintenance was 2004. The oil pump failed on my 1999 Ford Ranger. It was $2000 to replace a short shaft about the size of a pencil. They forgot to hook up my air conditioner after reinstalling the engine.

I have the OBD II cable and software (old windows XP laptop) for maintenance on my Prius. I bought a new key fob and programmed it myself. It think the only thing I can't do is re-flash the main computer (can't remember the name of that computer right now - senior moment).

I feel comfortable changing water pumps, all fluids (including brake fluid), traction battery, shocks (struts), sparks plugs (what a pain), etc. I'm too old to want to pull another engine or trans-axle.

It's too bad we need to double check a dealers work, for all the money they charge for their "superior" craftsmanship.

 

Mine was bad too I put a special gas in there called STAFILL so I should be good. Little expensive but I was interested in it for bike tires too. I posted about this stuff a few months ago.

 

yes, it is true. i keep one on the hatch floor.

 

My wife and I moved to Orlando, FL from Mechanicsville, VA two years ago (new job and semi-retirement). How far are you from Richmond? My wife flies up to Richmond all the time to visit our children/grand-children (free flying benefits).

We like Virginia, but "love" Florida. When a new job opportunity came up, our dream of retiring in Florida became a reality early.

Great idea about the STAFILL.

Cheers!

 

Well on a good day north Virginia is 90 mins away from Richmond but you have to take I95 (good luck)

 

My son-in-law flies for United. He drives from Mechanicsville to KIAD about once a week for work. I think he said it was about an hour or more.

 

Thank you for this reminder, carpedal! I just checked my spare today and it registered 4 PSI! Yikes!!