Flat tire- what to do

You have probably picked up a small nail, stapel, or metal fragment....or the tire isn't seated properly or the inner wheel has some rust on it, or a bad valve stem. If there is a nail or something, you may have difficulty finding a shop to patch it...they don't want the legal liability...if you don't want the hassle of getting tire replaced or wheel liked at, buy a 12v air compressor and when light comes on, air the tire. Also, if car sits for days on end, all tires loose air pressure, some lose it faster than others, even same brand on same car.

Z6201V ?

 

IF.....the tire is indeed repairable, call around.
WalMart does good puncture repairs for about $7.50, just for instance.

If there is a place close by, use the "roadside service" guarantee to get it pumped up or the spare installed and then let someone else fix it.

If it is sidewall damage and not repairable.......then the choice becomes a bit more difficult.

 

It's a flat. Happens even to new tires!

Get it repaired at the closest tire place -- back in the oldendays every corner gas station repaired flats....now you need a tire store. Out West, Les Schwab does them for free no matter where you bought the tire -- if course they are hoping it is NOT repairable so they can sell you a new one.

You are stressing out way too much. If I don't have a flat at least once every 18 months or so, I feel blessed

 

Pump it full of air and stick it in the bathtub (livestock tank, etc), that will tell you where the leak is and if the tire is repairable.

If you don't have access to a body of water, then after filling with air, spray soapy water all over the tire and look for bubbles.

Can you please tell us which tire chain store this is, as the suspense has gone on way too long now.

 

If the tire is flat? No, you don't even want to drive it 10 feet if you can help it.

Use the donut, drive the car back to where you have good terms.

 

Not a good idea, unless the wheel has been removed from the vehicle.

How many feet away is the gas station?

 

My opinion, which is worth just what you paid for it.

Screw the tire warranty. Get it fixed at the closest spot. Tire and battery warranties are both somewhat of ... well... say no more.

If you don't mind a bit of risk,,,,,or put another way: Are you a bit of a gambler?

The odds of you needing to ever take advantage of the warranty are low -- and even if you do, odds are, you will NOT save enough to account for the hassle now.

Get it fixed at the closest place and call it good. End of your worries (hopefully).

 

Good Grief Charlie Brown! Put air in it or change to the spare and take it to the nearest tire place and have it patched! Call roadside and have them change it. Or do it yourself, which most able bodied driver's need to know how to do. Then drive to any tire place and wait while they fix it. But only with a patch from the inside. Sams Club won't void your warranty. Everybody gets flats.

 

So put the spare on and run it over to the tire shop.

just my 2 cents: get yourself a pressure gauge, floor-style bicycle pump and a decent quality plug repair kit (BlackJack or sim), watch some videos on how to do the deed.

 

Really DO try and be practical about this.

Tire "warranties" are pretty much of a joke in most cases anyway.
And the odds of you ever having to use the "warranty" on that one tire are pretty slim.

MAKE your decision and then stop fretting over it.

P.S. You aren't really going to know if it's repairable or not until someone finds the leak and looks at it.
Could be something simple like a valve stem gone bad or left loose.

 

Apologies if my response seems a bit harsh, but I'm seeing too many possible indicators of unrealistic expectations:

Were you expecting the roadside service person to do the patching on the spot? That is quite unrealistic these days.

He/she gave you the reasonable expected options. If you can't put the spare tire on yourself, you should have let him/her do it.

NO!, if it is still flat. That will likely ruin the tire, and void any warranty as abusive use.

Age and amount of driving are totally irrelevant to the types of road debris that commonly cause flats. It could happen in half a block as you drive away from the original installation.

That is the problem with getting a warranty from a very inconvenient location. The inconvenience and lost wages and other costs of getting there to exercise a warranty, can exceed the value of having the warranty.

Tires are one of those things best handed by a nearby shop.

Covid was not a good reason to wait. The low pressure light needs immediate attention, even if nothing is visibly wrong. Automotive and tire repairs are essential services that never closed, anyplace close could have checked it almost immediately if you were not able-bodied enough to do it yourself.

Even if you are not able-bodied to do it yourself, at least have a tire pressure gauge in the car so that a visiting friend or relative can do it for you. A gauge is much cheaper than even a single un-covered service call.

Had your tire pressures ever been checked since you had them installed? If not, then it is no surprise that very slow leakage could have triggered the warning light after 1.5 years. That is far too long to go without pressure checks and adding any needed top-up air. All tires lose air over time.

If you can't do preventative checks yourself before this trouble arises -- and it will, even if you never get a debris-induced flat -- then take it to some place that can. And do it on a regular schedule.

 

"And, yes Charlie Brown," the last couple of posts have told you exactly what tire warranties are all about.