Flat tire fixing

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broxbourneDELETE

Guest
I've never changed a flat tire but just read the manual for our 2006 Honda Odys (non- Touring model. Ours does not have run-flat tires)

To change a flat with the spare, the manual says that everyone has to get out of the car when jacking it up to change a flat. (I guess if the car rolled off the jack, that would be bad, although you're supposed to leave it in P with the E-brake on. I can't see the car going very far.) If I were alone with the boys, this would be impossible to do safely, or at least according to the manual.

Anyone else keep Fix-A-Flat in a minivan? Where do you put it? I have it inside a ziploc in the rear. I don't like having anything pressurized inside the car.
 
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natysr

New member
I would likely make a parental decision to not follow the manual in that case. I would feel that my child was more safe secured in his seat, then being on the side of the road with me "helping" me use the jack. No way! That is crazy. There are too many variables that could go wrong. He could run in the road etc. The car could fall off the jack onto him. No.

I think the jacks are designed to be able to lift the weight of the car...not the weight of the car plus 6 adults. So I can see having all adults get out of the car, but I don't think the 25 pounds of my 3 year old will make any difference.

I hate fix a flat though. We keep an air compressor in the car and would use that plugged into the car outlet to try to pump enough air in the tire to get to a gas station.

Once we did have to actually change a tire though, it was in our 03 pathfinder, and wouldn't you know it....the jack was under the seat cushion right under where our infant seat was installed. That was a PITA, so we did have to remove him from the car in that case.
 

lovinwaves

New member
If I were to get a flat tire, then I would have family and friends come pick up the kids and I. Then our Roadside Assistance would come fix the flat, OR my husband would.
 

tl01

New member
If I were to get a flat tire, then I would have family and friends come pick up the kids and I. Then our Roadside Assistance would come fix the flat, OR my husband would.

I agree that I would try to do the same thing. I would also try to pull as far off the road as possible... to a dealership or service station. My parents were always very clear with me that they would rather the tire, rim, quarter panel etc be damaged but that I be safe while waiting for Roadside Assistance over a flat tire (back when I drove their cars). Of course I follow the same rules today. I always pull off to a save area even if I have to drive slowly to find a residential street.
 

Chameleon

New member
I would never attempt to fix a flat tire by myself with the kids--although I do know how.. That is why I carry my cell phone and call someone if that should happen.
 

southpawboston

New member
i would also not follow the manual. they say that for CYA purposes. if the car falls off the jack, the car is not going to move much, especially with three other wheels on the ground, in park and with e-brake on.

i don't care for fix-a-flat. it's fine for slow leaks, but if you get a gash in your tire, or your tire comes off the rim, it ain't going to do anything for you. same for an air compressor, but having an air compressor on hand is a nice idea for those slow leaks situations.

do you have a roadside service contract? something like AAA? they will change flats for you for no charge, but sometimes you have to sit and wait for over an hour for them to dispatch an authorized agent out to your car.

EDIT: on a side note, run flat tires are great for these situations (i have run flat sinter tires but not summer tires), but it is strongly advised that you do not install run flats on a car not equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). the reason being is that you could be driving on a flat tire and never know it, and continue driving that way. TPMS would notify you that the pressure is too low. of course, checking pressure regularly is pretty important in my book.
 

Morganthe

New member
i don't care for fix-a-flat. it's fine for slow leaks, but if you get a gash in your tire, or your tire comes off the rim, it ain't going to do anything for you. same for an air compressor, but having an air compressor on hand is a nice idea for those slow leaks situations.

do you have a roadside service contract? something like AAA? they will change flats for you for no charge, but sometimes you have to sit and wait for over an hour for them to dispatch an authorized agent out to your car.

The other issue with the Fix-a-flat is that the tire will never be able to be repaired and must be replaced. I was told this a while back by several different reputable mechanics. Unless they've changed the composition of the repair plugs or the fix-a-flat, there' just no 'stickyness' within the interior of the tire.

I have basic AAA which is good for changing a tire or a 3 mile tow. If it's any distance more than that, I'll be changing the tire myself. But it's not often that I leave town alone anyway :shrug-shoulders:
 
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keri1292

Well-known member
I've had a flat three hours from home and out of cell service area. I drove as slow as an inchworm to a business about a mile a way. Then, I politely asked the big burley dudes working there to help. :whistle: If I was too far from civilization as I often am on the 4 hour drive home thru the mountains, I'd change the flat with the kids in the car. Buckled in their seats of course!
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
How very timely! I just got a flat last night. No cell phone service! I was about 15 miles from home, on the side of a two-lane highway, in the dark, on sand. The jack slipped four or five times. No biggie - the car just landed back on the flat tire. Of course, it was frustrating as all h*ll...

Fortunately, my kids were at home, but I would NEVER have let them out of the car in that situation, and my youngest is seven! They'd have frozen, for one thing; for another, they'd be much safer buckled up in their seats than sitting around on the side of a dark two-lane highway.

Actually, now that I've said that, I'd probably have made my 13 year old help me, just to show him how and to have someone to hold the lug-nuts.

BTW, if you have anti-theft/locking lug-nuts, be sure you know where in your vehicle the key is stored. ;)
 
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broxbourneDELETE

Guest
How very timely! I just got a flat last night. No cell phone service! I was about 15 miles from home, on the side of a two-lane highway, in the dark, on sand. The jack slipped four or five times. No biggie - the car just landed back on the flat tire. Of course, it was frustrating as all h*ll...

I am glad you got your flat fixed okay!

Once we did have to actually change a tire though, ....the jack was under the seat cushion right under where our infant seat was installed. That was a PITA, so we did have to remove him from the car in that case.

Oh that is a PITA!


do you have a roadside service contract? something like AAA? they will change flats for you for no charge, but sometimes you have to sit and wait for over an hour for them to dispatch an authorized agent out to your car.

We don't have a roadside contract. I am more neurotic now with children, and can't work with the idea of waiting around somewhere (possibly isolated) for a repairperson to show up if I can help it. In an emergency and there is no way that van can move, I suppose I would call the operator or 911 and see if they could route my call to the local police who would know reputable towing companies and just pay full price. (I'd probably pay extra if they show up faster)

Now that you all have convinced me the minivan will not go very far even if it falls off the jack (repeatedly! ... poor Defrost), I would definitely change the flat myself. If I were on a very busy road, I would drive on the flat/rims/etc to a safer area to change the tire. I can't see too many instances where I would actually use the F-A-F but I have it anyway because I am neurotic.

Two interesting things I noticed in the Odyssey manual:
(1) If you're riding on the compact spare tire, you're supposed to turn off the VSA b/c the car could mistake the rough ride for bad driver steering and try to correct for it. (VSA = A vehicle stability assist with traction control) This seems like a major warning that should be plastered all over the spare tire itself like a beauty queen's sash... not just a little blurb on p.362 of the manual. I would assume that riding around on rims or a flat also qualifies as instances to turn off the VSA.

(2) Manual also says to check the pressure in the spare tire each time you check tire pressure. What a good idea! Wouldn't it totally be awful to assume the spare is good, mount it, and then see that it's flat also?? Let me tell you, last night, just minutes after I read the manual about this, I went to check and fill tire pressures, and still forgot to do the spare :doh:.
 
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Dizzymomma

New member
I wouldn't try to fix it with my kids in the car either.

FYI the fix a flat stuff may be helpful for a few instances but many auto shops and dealers will charge extra because it is a pain after it's used. We don't carry it at all.
 

beeman

Active member
My spare tire is the same size as the tires that I run (235-85-R15) regularly (not a useless donut spare), so with a change, I can run unlimited distances and at regular speeds, so tire sealant is not really for me. If its a big leak, the tires unbeaded by the time I get stopped, and if its a minor leak, I would prefer a professional repair.

The jack that comes with your vehicle should be rated for at least 1/2 of the GAWR of the heaviest axel . Your empty vehicle should not come anywhere close to weighing the GVWR, and with passengers and cargo, the GVW must be equal to or under the GVWR of the vehicle, and will most likely be under. Therefore the weight of the passengers is not a concern. As for safety of the passengers, you must asses the stability of your vehicle if it falls off the jack (which could very likely happen). If its on fairly level ground, this should not be a concern.

I would leave any child passengers in the vehicle, put up reflective markers (at night) and run hazard flashers, and change the tire immediately, keeping an open eye to traffic.
 

natysr

New member
(2) Manual also says to check the pressure in the spare tire each time you check tire pressure. What a good idea! Wouldn't it totally be awful to assume the spare is good, mount it, and then see that it's flat also?? Let me tell you, last night, just minutes after I read the manual about this, I went to check and fill tire pressures, and still forgot to do the spare :doh:.

I just wanted to add, that we get our tires at Costo and they use nitrogen insteat of CO2. The Nitrogen doesn't change volume with hot/cold weather so the tire pressure will always stay consistant as long as you don't have a leak, so there is no need to check the pressure regularly. (Per my DH)

Someone can feel free to prove him wrong on that though. :p

Also, we like Costco, because if we do get a flat, they will professionally repair it free of charge, or if it is unrepairable, you can buy a new tire at a reduced price based on the amount of tread remaining on the old tire. We ran over something once which made the tire unrepairable and we only had to pay $5 for a new tire because they were pretty new.
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
I vote for tires with replacement guarantees, too.

I just paid $130 for a new tire today. *sigh* At least this ONE is covered now!
 

southpawboston

New member
We don't have a roadside contract. I am more neurotic now with children, and can't work with the idea of waiting around somewhere (possibly isolated) for a repairperson to show up if I can help it. In an emergency and there is no way that van can move, I suppose I would call the operator or 911 and see if they could route my call to the local police who would know reputable towing companies and just pay full price. (I'd probably pay extra if they show up faster)

just as a side note, AAA can pay for itself over and over, even without ever utilizing their roadside services. if you wear corrective lenses, you get a 30% discount at lenscrafters. this alone saves us the cost of AAA membership each and every year, there have been years when both DW and i have gotten all new frames, lenses, and sunglasses all at once, and AAA has saved us upwards of $200. AAA also offers additional discounts elsewhere, such as hotels, motels, and car rental agencies... oh, and free maps!!!

just FYI!!!
 

Melanie

New member
just as a side note, AAA can pay for itself over and over, even without ever utilizing their roadside services. if you wear corrective lenses, you get a 30% discount at lenscrafters. this alone saves us the cost of AAA membership each and every year, there have been years when both DW and i have gotten all new frames, lenses, and sunglasses all at once, and AAA has saved us upwards of $200. AAA also offers additional discounts elsewhere, such as hotels, motels, and car rental agencies... oh, and free maps!!!

just FYI!!!

I didn't know AAA had all those other benefits.

Another low cost option may be your own car insurance company. Most companies offer road side assistance insurance for a reasonable price. It would usually need to be on the vehicle needing the tow/tire change (can't put on 1 car and have it cover all cars in household). Normally, you pay the tow company and get a reimbursement. Just check on the limitations...same have a dollar amount or distance they will tow. State Farm charges us about $7/year for each car.
 

MsFacetious

New member
I had a blow out in the middle of nowhere. No cell phone service, and nobody stopped to offer to help for 2 hours. By then I was almost done.

The jack and everything was underneath the backseat in my Mom's 4runner where two Regent's were installed with the 35 and 38lbs kids in them. I had to take them out 1 at a time, install them in the front passenger seat, to get everything out. Take out Sadi, install the seat on the front passenger seat... get the stuff out of underneath the seat. Then move Ali over to her side, get the stuff out from underneath that seat, then put Sadi back in the backseat.

There was not room in the back to just set them back there because we were on a trip...and we were in a dirt median so nowhere to set them outside the truck. It was horrible. I was terrified we were going to get hit. I had no one to call, even if my cell phone worked the closest person was 3 hours away. We all would have fried by then in the 105 degree weather.

So I did that, and then still had to change the tire... now, those tools come OUT before we install the seats in her truck! It was the first flat tired in the 11 years they've owned the truck. Go figure.
 

beeman

Active member
just as a side note, AAA can pay for itself over and over, even without ever utilizing their roadside services. if you wear corrective lenses, you get a 30% discount at lenscrafters. this alone saves us the cost of AAA membership each and every year, there have been years when both DW and i have gotten all new frames, lenses, and sunglasses all at once, and AAA has saved us upwards of $200. AAA also offers additional discounts elsewhere, such as hotels, motels, and car rental agencies... oh, and free maps!!!

just FYI!!!

Cloverdale paint also honors CAA/AAA membership discounts. It's amazing some of the companies that give CAA/AAA members a discount. As SPB said, even if you don't use the roadside assistance, it pays for itself with just a few simple purchases. My discount on paint for bee boxes this year paid for my CAA membership.
 

broken4u05

New member
THIS JUST HAPPENED TO ME....

I was with the boys and i got a flat right down the street from their house. I put my car some where it was safe and took out the stoller from the trunk and walked them home and called my dad to help with the tire. I also have AAA and if it was not right before i got off of work and not so close to the house i would have called them but i didn't need to today. I also know i could call the mom if she was working from home if i had to. Today she even told me should would take me to school if i needed it but i didn't have class today. But yeah i would not take the kids out of the car than change the tire. I would make sure the kids where safe first
 

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