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3rd flat in 7,500 miles 2º F 2020 Prime XLE

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by P.Neophyte, Feb 7, 2021.

  1. P.Neophyte

    P.Neophyte Junior Member

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    I live in Indiana where we have inclement weather and some rough roads in the winter (like most of the USA). Last autumn, I had two flats around 5K. One tire REPLACED at dealership! The other tire held enough air for Costco to patch. Today, I was driving to my office at 6 AM. It's 2ºF outside, light snow last night and hit a rock or something around 30-40 MPH. It was small enough that I really didn't see it in the well-lit city street.

    Pulled into my office parking lot and noticed that I had a very low tire. Toyo Nanoenergy a41

    On my first flat, I was able to inflate the tire in my home garage enough to get to Costco for the repair.
    Second flat, I called AAA. When the gentleman came to help me, he was only equipped to put air in the tire. He didn't even have a tire pressure gauge! He certainly did not know how to add sealant to the tire.

    Because of my previous poor experience with AAA roadside assistance, for my 3rd flat today, I used Toyota Safety Connect. I never used it before. I thought that perhaps these individuals may have some familiarity with Toyota vehicles. Essentially, it was the same as calling AAA, except you just hit the button near the overhead interior lights. The tow truck arrived within 45". This driver also had no experience with tire sealants, but would tow me to a closed tire store (it's 6:00 AM on Sunday).

    Having had the presence of mind to anticipate this debacle after the first two flats, I had already purchased a kit of Slime tire sealant for "a just in case scenario". I had never used this before, and at 64 years old, I really didn't relish the idea of learning something new in an emergency situation. I was hoping that the lad who came for roadside assistance would have taken to the task. He helped as an assistant, and put air in the tire (he also did not have a pressure gauge), but it was under my counsel that we were able to accomplish the task.

    I would like to offer other members my experience as a cautionary tale, as a flat tire can be life-threatening.

    Fortunately, I was in my well-lit parking lot adjacent to windows and doors where I was able to bring a hair dryer out to warm the "flexible" vinyl tube that allows the Slime to go into the tire.
    Secondly, I was able to bring the Slime inside to place it over a heat register to reduce gelling and increase the flow rate.

    After putting in an almost entire bottle of Slime, air still leaked. I then drove the car back and forth for multiple tire revolutions to get the Slime to coat over the leak in the tire tread. We then over-inflated to 60 psi, and I waited 30". It held, so I reduced to 45 psi and drove 30 miles home calling Costco on my way. Michelin Defenders are going on my 2020 Prius Prime this afternoon. In addition to the 4 tires that came with the car, by this evening, I will have purchased 5 additional tires for an auto that has 7,500 miles!

    Had I not been immediately adjacent to my warm office and well-lit parking lot, my vehicle would be sitting in some far away tire store, and God only knows how I would have gotten home. I then would have had to arrange multiple rides to get to work and to pick up the vehicle after repair. Most importantly, what if I would have been on some highway or dark side street? At 2º F and dark outside, it's highly unlikely that I would have been able to work with the cold plastic tubes, Slime, and battery powered tire inflator. I could see in certain situations, this scenario could be life threatening.

    I have a 2018 Toyota Land Cruiser as well as a 2013 Lexus LX 570. First and foremost, I purchase Toyotas because they are safe and reliable. The technology and fuel economy of the Prius is remarkable, but without thoughtfully designed essential safety equipment (tires), my fond feelings for this relationship with the Prius Prime have dissipated. I should think that Toyota should give us a a more reliable tire choice suitable for different parts of the country, albeit with diminished fuel economy.

    If you have a Prius Prime, as the Boy Scout motto goes, "BE PREPARED".

    Where might I find a mounted spare tire with cover that I could store in the back? Maybe behind the passenger seat.

    Lastly, have other members had a favorable experience with the Costco exclusive Michelin Defender equivalent,
    MICHELIN ® X TOUR A/S TIRE?




     
  2. Washingtonian

    Washingtonian Senior Member

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    Are you aware that your car comes with an emergency tire repair kit that includes the sealant? I have never used mine, but can't see any reason to buy a bottle of "slime". I bought a spare for mine on eBay that originally came with a Lexus CT200H. Local wrecking yards would probably have them also. There are a couple of threads on here that discuss them.
     
  3. schja01

    schja01 One of very few in Chicagoland

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    If a car comes without a spare it should be mandatory to come with run flats. I wonder how viscous that sealant in the supplied pump kit is an 2° F?
     
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  4. schja01

    schja01 One of very few in Chicagoland

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    Personally I purchased a mounted compact spare from my dealer for about $200. I’m sure I could’ve found it cheaper but it was convenient. I keep it behind the passenger seat.
     
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  5. royrose

    royrose Senior Member

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    I have the Michelin X Tour from Costco on my 2010 Prius. I have about 20,000 miles on these tires and they hardly show any wear. Traction seems good overall including pretty good in snow. Bottom line, I'm very happy with them. I had the Michelin Harmony, the predecessor of the Defender, and those also served me well.
     
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  6. P.Neophyte

    P.Neophyte Junior Member

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    Yes, I am aware, but to move all the items I had in the back to access the kit seemed more daunting than just having a self-contained kit at the ready. Also, I wanted an extra kit should I have one of the tire repair kits fail or more than one tire go on the trip. Thank you for commenting.
     
  7. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    The Tyo Nanos are NOT strong tires and are NOT very good in snow. I am dealing with them on my new (6 months) 2020 Prius ADD-e, but will replace them early with Nokian WRg4 tires. I do have a mounted mini spare (from my totaled 2016 Prius) stowed behind my driver's seat. Not relying on the sealant kit in the trunk.

    JeffD
     
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  8. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    Although my 2012 Prius v came with a compact spare, I immediately got a new wheel and a full size spare. It takes up space, but it's worth it.

    Forget the scissors jack. I got this $28 Walmart jack that's amazingly good quality and easy to use for the price.

    Hyper Tough 2 Ton Trolley Jack Red/Black - T82011W - Walmart.com - Walmart.com

    My friend makes these modified polyurethane "pinch weld" adapters that goes over the small saddle of the Walmart jack. initial entry.JPG I was driving around in a dangerous neighborhood over 10 years, ago in another car. Those were the days when I didn't own a cell phone. Having a floor jack and a full size spare, I got the tire changed and out of there in less than 15 minutes.
     
    #8 Georgina Rudkus, Feb 7, 2021
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2021
  9. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    Any full sized late model Toyota Corolla wheel will fit. Most tire shops sell full size steel wheels that they use for winter tires.
     
  10. Merkey

    Merkey Active Member

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    I also have Michelin X Tours from Costco with 45000 miles on them now. Still lots of tread left and they never feel out of balance. Give very good mpg for a tire not sold as a low rolling resistance tire. I recommend them.
     
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  11. Northerner

    Northerner Active Member

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    I am wondering why you specifically picked Nokian WRg4 tires. This is the second time in a short period that I noticed somebody recommended those.
     
  12. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    I'm thinking that Corolla and Prius share the same wheel size....at least that's the way it works for G3s.
    If I'm right about the size, you can get a doughnut spare from a 2020 Corolla for about $100 on ebay or locally at a "used car parts establishment."
    Interestingly enough.....all recent Corolla Trims come WITH doughnut spares except for the Hybrid model. Of course a full size spare is preferable in some cases, but I'm thinking that for city slickers a dinky-doughnut is lighter, smaller, etc.
    Do not forget about the jack, lug wrench, chocks, etc....
    Companies that cheap out on the spare, usually delete the tools needed to change a tire.

    When I worked for Uncle, my HMMWV had "run flats"
    ....It also had a spare. ;)

    "Run Flats" will only allow the tire to support the weight of the vehicle for a short distance at low speeds if it was punctured - NOT if the tire was damaged from a blow-out or other more serious incident.
    They're a lot better than nothing, but they're more expensive, they don't last as long, and they ride kinda rough.
    I know.....PERFECT dot.gov solution!
    They're probably heavier and less fuel efficient than non run-flats, but that's speculative since dot.mil HMMWVs all got MPG ratings that were single digit.
    Run-Flat Tires/No Flat Tires - The Pros and Cons | Edmunds
    It probably wasn't 2-degrees inside the car. C or F, and one supposes that the goop will stay pliable long enough to wreck your TPMS and seal the puncture......if the puncture is small enough......maybe. ;)
     
  13. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    I have used Nokian WR tires (several generations - WR, WRg2, WRg3) on 2 earlier Prius that I have owned (2004 for 188k miles - 50k on the OE and 50k on Michelin MXV4+, 2016 for 48k miles) and they performed well (good MPG, Good stability, Good traction in all conditions, and 50k+ tire wear)
     
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  14. P.Neophyte

    P.Neophyte Junior Member

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    I loved your bio "Killed by Kamikaze deer at 4 years...."
    Very funny!
     
  15. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    You can add me to the list. I've had the WR and WRG2 on the Gen 2 and the WRG3 on the Gen 3 Prius. I've also ran "R" true winters on the Gen 3 and am currently running R3 true winters on the Prime. The Gen 4 just swapped out its factory tyres for WRG4s.
     
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