Flat tire experience

Quick story about my Friday morning. I hit a huge pothole on my way to work and blew out the front right tire. Bad start to the day. I was going to the trunk for the spare tire when I forgot that there is none. Doh! So I grabbed the tire pump with the fix-a-flat goop. Got it hooked up and tried to start the pump and it wouldn't start. Then I realized that I blew the auxiliary port fuse a few weeks earlier. Doh! But then I really looked at the tire, and I saw a large gash in the sidewall. I have a feeling that using the fix-a-flat goop would not have worked and probably would have gummed up my tire pressure sensor and cost me more money in the end. So maybe that was a good thing that the fuse was blown.

So I called roadside assistance and they sent a tow truck to haul me away. Took about an hour for them to get there (that seemed a bit long since I was in Los Angeles and near some major roads). Word of wise. If you do call roadside assistance, make sure you are sure you know where you want the car towed. The operator suggested the closest Nissan dealership and I said 'ok'. After I hung up, I then thought I should have asked to be taken to a tire shop that was next door to my work. Figured it would be cheaper there and I could walk over to work instead of waiting for the dealer shuttle. Unfortunately the tow truck driver would not let me change the destination address. He said that if they took me to a different address I would have to pay for the tow. That was annoying. He said something about the first address was approved and they weren't allowed to change it (since it was a pre-paid tow). Maybe if I forced the issue I could have got him to change it. Anyways I got to the dealership and lots of people were watching the LEAF arrive on the flatbed. They all asked what was wrong the car? Did I run out of juice? Nope.. just a flat tire.

The did not have the same tire in stock and it would take like 5 days to get it. So I went with a different Bridgestone tire (Turanza I think). Hopefully it won't effect my rolling efficiency. So it took most of the day to get the tire fixed. Unfortunately now the car pulls to the right. I'm not sure if it's because of the different tire (the psi is lower on that tire so I should match it to my front left tire) or if the alignment is screwed up now. Do I go back to the dealer or just go to a service shop and get a front alignment done?

Well that was my Friday. Definitely more difficult because of the lack of spare tire. Gotta watch out for those nasty LA potholes.

-Peter

I'm not a big fan of the recent trend towards no spare tire. It's definitely not just at LEAF thing - seems lots of cars are trying to do without the spare.

Getting a flat tire happens to me every 3-4 years, on average. It's one of those things that I can fix and be back on the road in 15-20 minutes. Keeping decent tires on the car seems to help in preventing flats (not running then down to the bitter end). Most other things that cause a car to break down can be fended off with aggressive preventive maintenance, but it's hard to prevent that nail from going through the tire.

I never go out for a bike ride without both patch kits and and extra tube and an extra tire. Don't know why I should be expected to go out in a car without the same precautions.

Sorry to hear about your troubles and your wasted morning.

prberg said:

So I grabbed the tire pump with the fix-a-flat goop.

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I am not too familiar with this method of fixing a flat tire in lieu of a spare tire since all my vehicles have a spare. Does the stuff work so you can continue driving the car or is it a temporary fix? If the tire has only a few miles, say 1000 miles, can one continue to use the fixed tire to the end of its life, which may be 40000+ miles?

linkim said:

prberg said:

So I grabbed the tire pump with the fix-a-flat goop.

Click to expand...

I am not too familiar with this method of fixing a flat tire in lieu of a spare tire since all my vehicles have a spare. Does the stuff work so you can continue driving the car or is it a temporary fix? If the tire has only a few miles, say 1000 miles, can one continue to use the fixed tire to the end of its life, which may be 40000+ miles?

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Strictly a band-aid, and often doesn't work.

prberg said:

The did not have the same tire in stock and it would take like 5 days to get it. So I went with a different Bridgestone tire (Turanza I think). Hopefully it won't effect my rolling efficiency. So it took most of the day to get the tire fixed. Unfortunately now the car pulls to the right. I'm not sure if it's because of the different tire (the psi is lower on that tire so I should match it to my front left tire) or if the alignment is screwed up now. Do I go back to the dealer or just go to a service shop and get a front alignment done?

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Bummer about the flat. I assume that they put the replacement tire on the front? Do you know the exact model tire they put on? You should inflate the tires to the same pressure regardless of any difference in maximum pressure. I also would have preferred to put the dissimilar tires on the rear to minimize any effect of dissimilar tires would have on steering.

I suspect that if you hit a big enough pothole to blow out a tire, its quite possible that your alignment is off as well. Double check tire pressures and move the replacement tire to the rear and see if that helps. If not - take it to an alignment shop and get all 4 wheels pointing as close to straight ahead as possible (within specs) which will improve efficiency but may increase the tendency to wander a bit on some surfaces.

Peter,

Your unfortunate experience points out my biggest concern with the Leaf (no spare tire). I have had so many flat tires (beyond repair) from debris on the streets in Phoenix that I am looking for a way to carry a spare and a jack even before I receive my car. In your case, I suspect the different tire characteristics for the replacement tire are causing the car to pull to the side. It may be less noticeable if the odd tire is moved to the back, but you may have to order an original tire to solve the problem. I hope the dealers start stocking the right tires for the Leaf soon.

Gerry

Those compact spares aren't ideal but I've had a couple occasions to use them and they do work. Too bad they couldn't work that into the design.

Check that alignment.. that was a real bad move putting on a different tire, one you will regret for the next 60k miles. You can order the right one and use the one you got as a spare.. or try to sell it on Craigslist?.. Next time pay attention to the road

The LEAF is meant to be an urban car, no big deal if you get a flat.. there really is no good reason to carry an extra 30lbs of tire and rim that you will SELDOM need.. meanwhile it is lowering your range all the time. I always use a can of Flat-In-A-Can tire sealer instead of putting the spare on (I have a spare) and then drive it to the nearest tire shop, it has always worked, the serviceman wont like it because it uses a flammable gas to re-inflate the tire but I never have problems with gook plugging up anything.

BTW, roadside assistance usually takes from 45-60 minutes, always.. They just schedule enough towers to achieve this goal (it varies with the hour, day and season), if they can do it quicker then it means they have towers sitting around doing nothing and wasting money. There are some premier plans that promise quicker service, they are rare. Guess who the tow truck operators give preference to?

You could have called the service while riding on the tow truck and had them approve a new destination.. its done all the time.

prberg said:

But then I really looked at the tire, and I saw a large gash in the sidewall. I have a feeling that using the fix-a-flat goop would not have worked and probably would have gummed up my tire pressure sensor and cost me more money in the end.

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I think you were correct in that assumption. Fix-a-flat goop may seal a small puncture in the tread area of the tire, but it isn't going to be effective on a large split in the sidewall. As far as "gumming" things up, if you do inject the goop into the tire, have it replaced and the rim cleaned well ASAP. I have seen alloy wheels where the goop was left inside for quite awhile before the tire was removed and replaced, and the corrosion of the rim material in the dropwell was quite extensive. There seemed to be some kind of "accelerant" in the chemical composition of the goop that promoted a corrosive effect on the aluminum alloy. The inside of that rim was severely pockmarked and deteriorated compared to the others.

TT

I'm going to ask my Nissan dealer if they carry a compact spare that will fit the Leaf. Put a cover on it and keep it in the trunk? Sure beats having to get towed....

Is there some commonly available tire that is an "exact" replacement for the LEAF's tire?

Is there a lightweight, commonly available compact rim and tire that could be mounted on the LEAF to drive (perhaps not high speed) to a dealer or tire shop?

Do tire shops carry the LEAF's OEM tire, or is it "strange" and unusual?

Are LEAF-certified dealers required to stock the LEAF's tire?

It's typically a bad idea to have two different tires on the same "end" of the car.

Will the LEAF actually operate if one rim (a temporary compact) does NOT have a pressure sensor?

IIRC, from an earlier thread, it was stated the Versa, and other compact spares have the correct lug dimension and offset. Try a junkyard, If you want one.

I'm still wondering how well a compact rim and tire will fit in the LEAF trunk.

Anyone checked out how it will fit?

edatoakrun said:

IIRC, from an earlier thread, it was stated the Versa, and other compact spares have the correct lug dimension and offset.

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Not Versa, it has a four-lug wheel.

Altmia, Maxima, Rogue, Quest, probably. Other 5-lug Nissans....370Z, Murano, maybe (they have bigger stock wheels).

bummer
herman has it right.
order the right tire and save or sell this one. get the alignment cked/done first.
I did it on my 10-year-old volvo and she now runs true.

also getting new tires for her when I went back to work improved mileage about 10%.

mwalsh said:

Not Versa, it has a four-lug wheel.
Altmia, Maxima, Rogue, Quest, probably. Other 5-lug Nissans....370Z, Murano, maybe (they have bigger stock wheels).

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But..but.. you mean to say the Leaf is not an expensive Versa?.. there was even a guy that retrofitted floor mats from a Versa so you must be wrong.

garygid said:

Are LEAF-certified dealers required to stock the LEAF's tire?

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Good point gary makes ... if it were me I would go back to the dealer and require them to change to the (now arrived) proper replacement tire at no cost.

Considering it was raining Friday, it is quite likely that he could not spot the pot hole... Regardless, I consider the lack of a suitable spare to be a big failing in any car! Our Acura came with a space saver spare and I quickly swapped it for a full size spare. Fortunately, Acura allowed enough space for it to fit in the same location. Our BMW came with a full size spare tire (even on the same allow wheel as the other four) from the factory. I'd gladly swap a a mile of range for the piece of mind of a real useable spare.

Herm said:

Check that alignment.. that was a real bad move putting on a different tire, one you will regret for the next 60k miles. You can order the right one and use the one you got as a spare.. or try to sell it on Craigslist?.. Next time pay attention to the road

The LEAF is meant to be an urban car, no big deal if you get a flat.. there really is no good reason to carry an extra 30lbs of tire and rim that you will SELDOM need.. meanwhile it is lowering your range all the time. I always use a can of Flat-In-A-Can tire sealer instead of putting the spare on (I have a spare) and then drive it to the nearest tire shop, it has always worked, the serviceman wont like it because it uses a flammable gas to re-inflate the tire but I never have problems with gook plugging up anything.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, the suspension on the Leaf has no field alignable points with the exception of front toe-in. Thus, if it is out of spec it is likely due to a bent suspension component and will likely need parts replaced to bring it back in to spec. A good alignment shop should be able to handle all this.