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Tire Repair Kit ... Dealer admonishment?

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by apalapala, Mar 5, 2019.

  1. apalapala

    apalapala Junior Member

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    My Prius IV Touring came with the Toyota Prius Tire Repair Kit (goop and inflator). I never trusted it, so I bought my own full-sized spare. Recently a nail punctured my tire. I pulled over, and was about to swap on the spare, but I thought I'd test how well the repair kit works.

    I followed the instructions, and all that happened was the tire goop sputtered out of the hole, never sealed it, and never inflated it. I added my spare, and went to the dealer where my car's tires are covered with a road hazard protection plan. I explain that I first used the Tire Repair Kit and it didn't work.

    It takes the dealer 1.5 hours to diagnose that they cannot patch the tire. They don't have that specific brand in stock, but they do have one in another brand that would fit. I ask if that is a low-rolling-resistance tire, and the service adviser wasn't initially sure what that meant. After some checking, she said that it is not, but she can order the matching tire and it will arrive within a week. I agree, and drive around on my full size spare for the 5 days it takes to get my new tire in.

    It takes the dealer 2.5 hours to put on the new tire and perform the 15,000 mile service. When I get my car, my receipt details the jobs performed (see attached). I'd like your opinion. It seems like they are blaming the customer (me) for using Fix-A-Flat -- like they are suggesting that I shouldn't have done that. I didn't use Fix-A-Flat, I used the system provided by Toyota. I'm not sure what they mean by "can give a defiant answer about how much liquid got in sensor". I never had any such conversation with the service adviser.

    Am I over thinking it? Should I call the service manager and get clarification as to what they are talking about? Are they overtly blaming me for doing the wrong thing? Is using the official tire repair kit bad, overall? Should I just go to a different dealer for future service?

    Thanks :)

    20190305_170459_000024.gif
     
  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Do all those minus signs mean no charge?

    Anyway, I think your first mistake was not following through, just installing the spare. Even if the goop had worked, it leaves a big mess.

    And yeah they're off base with the fix-a-flat comment.
     
  3. bamike

    bamike Junior Member

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    3 hours of labor to change 1 tire? That's just a paperwork number, the technician did not spend that amount of time. Don't pay a cent to that dealer unless its free under warranty.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  4. apalapala

    apalapala Junior Member

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    It's free for me under the dealer's road hazard insurance. I wouldn't have paid $300 for a tire.

    It occurred to me that the description is a fluff number to get more money out of the tire insurance company for the job -- perhaps the insurance company was defiant about the amount of labor or fix-a-flat. IDK.
     
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  5. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    The "covered with a road hazard protection plan" - have you read the terms and conditions? Maybe it excludes "goop" repairs.

    I believe tyre shops charge extra to clean a rim which is covered by GOOP - but might depend on the shop.

    I'd read about "issues" with GOOP - when I bought my FIESTA in 2011 I complained vigorously that I had to pay $300 for a wheelbarrow tyre as it only had goop supplied. In that case, there was a jack and wheelbrace supplied - but some cars don't even get them. I noted that 6 months later, a wheelbarrow tyre was supplied FREE with FIESTA. UGGGH. GRRRR.

    Yes, the tyre repair companies hate the GOOP - one told me that it 1) often means the tyre can't be repaired anyway - but could have been if the GOOP hadn't been used; 2) cleaning up the rim is an EXTRA COST; 3) you can't just leave the spare to get fixed and come back - you have to wait in line till they can fit it in; 4) - I've forgotten, let me know if you remember what I was going to say.

    TOYOTA UK BLOG - check out the comments below - nobody likes them!!!!
    How to use a tyre repair kit - Toyota
     
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  6. apalapala

    apalapala Junior Member

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    Seems to have been covered.

    So, maybe the tire repair kit is a scam to upsell tire/cleaning services that could have been avoided with a $10 patch? Hmm...

    I was mostly unnerved by the tone of the shop's writeup.
     
  7. ILuvMyPriusToo

    ILuvMyPriusToo Senior Member

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    [​IMG]

    Wait, looks like labor was only $15 and the bulk of the repair ($246.99) was for Tender Loving Care (TLC)? ;)
     
  8. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

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    Folks, please...never use goo to repair your flats on street legal cars and light trucks.
     
  9. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    There was one "slightly positive" reason for GOOP - maybe. That is, if you've had a flat in an awkward location, not really safe and away from a flat-bed truck etc - if the puncture IS repairable, you can do it in a matter of minutes without having to use a jack, wheelbrace etc where it might be hazardous to do so.

    But - I'd far prefer to take the risk and replace the spare. Hopefully a FULL SIZE.
     
  10. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    I'm curious, did you leave the nail in when you tried the goop?
     
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  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    toyotas fix a flat system destroys the sensor, from what i've read
     
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  12. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    The more I read, the less I like it - there are 4 pages of warnings - (2 more than I've pasted below) - the number of times "spattering" or "stain" - plus the health warnings (though I'm not sure why/how one would ingest it). It says to leave the nail/screw in place, and also to pump it up twice, the 2nd time after a short drive.

    [Off Topic - but I just read in Popular Science (Aust edition - the final one) that the toxic dose of ingesting dark chocolate is: (2 figures are male/female)
    upload_2019-3-6_11-45-43.png - my mind immediately thought - who ever tried this out without getting quite ill first?]

    BUT - it doesn't mention the Tyre Pressure Monitoring being destroyed - but the tyre valve will be.

    upload_2019-3-6_11-37-37.png
    upload_2019-3-6_11-38-49.png

    upload_2019-3-6_11-39-31.png
     
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  13. apalapala

    apalapala Junior Member

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    No. Perhaps I should have.
     
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  14. padroo

    padroo Senior Member

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    I noticed it says "defiant" but think he misspelled definate.
    If they were turning it into Toyota to get paid they wrote it up so they can get reimbursed, my guess.
     
  15. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

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    IF you can goop a tire (whether it works or not), you can definitely swap with a spare faster...but...it is all about choice.
     
  16. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    There is no choice when the majority of Prius models now have no choice for a spare tire. It is goop or buy a different car.
     
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  17. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    Or perhaps an attempt to reclaim some of the service profit lost due to less maintenance hybrids.
     
  18. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    The goop probably would've worked then, less of a hole to seal.
     
  19. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

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    Had my dealer not agreed to replace the goop with a space saver spare, I would have gone and bought another car.
     
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  20. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    Some dealers here do not care. I tried to get my local dealer to lower the price because I know I could get a better deal elsewhere. They refused so I bought elsewhere.
     
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