I'm sharing this story to benefit other F-Type owners who may face similar circumstances.

I got a low tire pressure warning on the F-Type and I was about 10 minutes away from work. I pulled over and checked the on board tire pressure reading in the dash display and my right rear tire was reading 27 pounds. I headed for the nearest gas station with an air pump and filled the tire to 40 pounds. Arrived to work (3 blocks away) and it was down to 37 so this was no "slow leak." When I parked, I heard a fairly loud hiss coming from the tire. Checked in at work and returned 20 minutes later to take care of the tire. The tire was now completely flat. So for the sake of safety, I used the OEM Continental Tire Repair Kit per the instructions. Basically you use the canister of glue and the air pump that is plugged into the cigarette lighter. It uses the air pressure to transport the glue into the tire. Then when you drive, the glue is dispersed throughout the tire and seals the leak.

I drove to the dealer and they promptly fixed the tire for $35 and spent a considerable amount of time cleaning out the glue from the tire. So I obviously inquired about getting a new Continental Tire Repair Kit as the owners' manual indicates the pump tube, glue, and adapter must be replaced. So a long story short the dealer only sells the complete kit, which includes the air pump, for $235.

I found the complete kit on Ebay for $70 shipped link: CONTINENTAL OEM CONTIMOBILITYKIT TIRE REPAIR KIT W/ 12V AIR PUMP & SEALANT | eBay

Tire Rack sells the kit with the replacement glue, pump hose and adapter for $30 link: Continental ContiComfortKit Replacement Parts

In retrospect, I should have filled the tire up and driven to the nearest tire repair shop on surface streets while monitoring the pressure on the interior dash display. That way, I could have pulled over and filled the tire again if needed and avoided using the glue altogether.

 

So if I'm to learn this lesson from you correctly... Don't use the glue unless you absolutely have to...

BTW - you cannot claim under Pirelli warranty if sealant (glue) used either...

 

Exactly....the little pump has an orange cap that goes where the glue bottle attaches so it can still dispense air. Really handy if you have a flat. Just fill it up and go get it fixed.

 

So I can use it as a tire inflator? No glue necessary? I'd prefer to do that and then take the car home and plug the leak myself.

 

Yes, just leave the orange threaded cap attached to the pump.

 

Thanks for the tip...I'll not use the glue.


FWIW - I absolutely hammer my little compressor that came with the car; Every four weeks it tops up the four wheels from 37 to 50 psi while I go away to work.
Been doing that since we bought the car in May '15 and it hasn't missed a beat, gets a tad warm, but it's a good bit of kit.

 

I always have a small duffel bag in every car/truck I've owned w/ emergency items, food, water packs, flares, ammo - you know - the essentials.

For tire goop I'd rather just use this and leave the EOM unit alone - https://www.amazon.com/Slime-60190-Inflator-Eco-friendly-Formula/dp/B01FX5TMGO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1483495880&sr=8-2&keywords=quick+spare+tire+sealer

$22 shipped on Amazon; ones for $14 would probably do the job on an F-Type tire.

 

In the past I had a few cars with run flat tires before they were any good. Made the cars handle very poorly and they lasted only 15 or 20k miles. I always replaced the run flats with Michelin Pilot Sports or PS2s. Since these cars had no spare or jack I always carried an air pump, a plug kit, a pair of pliers and a spray bottle of window cleaner in case I had a nail or screw puncture. The spray bottle of window cleaner was to locate the leak (and clean the windows) and the pliers to pull the nail or screw out of the tire before I plugged it. I saved myself more than a few times with this set up.

I also carried a pressurized can of the tire glue to use as a last resort if the puncture was too big for a plug. I never liked to use the glue because I was afraid it would plug up the TPS units (fortunately never had to).

If those didn't work my back up plan was AAA.

 

Doesn't goop knacker the TPMS sensors? or can they be cleaned?

 

This is pretty much my set up in the F-Type. Stock air compressor is first attempt. If there is a nail, I have a tire plug kit to attempt that fix and then use the air compressor. If it is really bad, AAA is getting a call. Last resort will be the glue, if AAA can't or won't come, or tire shops are not open for business and towing it there would do nothing (holidays, ext).

 

I think it says on the compressor or the manual that you should not run it longer than 8 minutes. Maybe it would overheat and malfunction.

 

The manual does not say anything about that and neither did the dealer. My OEM compressor still works although I got a bit of glue residue that came out but it was not hard or gummy at all. The service advisor at the dealer I went to said they had never had any customer use the glue previously.

 

Uh..... YES!


and you get a free chemistry lesson into the bargain!

 

....and this is why I refuse to buy cars without some kind of spare. In a few years I guess I'll be limited to buying older used cars or new SUV's, but so be it. There are a LOT of places in the SW where a 50 mile runflat just gets you to another place with no cell service. Also, runflats are no use if there is sidewall damage.

Yes, this is a major hobby horse of mine.

 

I noticed several people talk about pulling a nail/screw and plugging the tire. I also carry rope plugs for my F-type and on my motorcycle. They work well on both. However, if you discover a nail, you probably don't need to pull it immediately and plug the hole. Just air up the tire and it will often last for many miles till you can have it repaired properly.
I once spotted a construction nail in the rear tire of my motorcycle the second day into a 3 week trip. I checked air pressure daily and completed my trip from Dallas to Key-West, up to Virginia and back home to Dallas. The tire held air for several days at a time and went flat the instant I pulled it.
The first instinct is to "FIX" a problem but the tire is still perfectly good and will often seal around an object until you can fix it properly.

 

True, but there are risks to leaving the nail in place when driving at higher speeds, one of which is the possibility of the nail coming out and causing rapid deflation at speed. This can quickly cause a crash. The rotational forces on a tire at its tread are very high and if the nail comes out even slightly it could impact the road at an angle and cause a very large hole. Certainly, this does not happen often, and leaving the nail in "can" be fine, but it is a risk that must be acknowledged. I would not take my family onto the highway in a car with a nail in the tire; it isn't worth the risk.

 

You must live a charmed life. I would never trust my life to a nail in the tire of my bike.

 

The top of the can on my green goop says Tire Sensor Safe.

 

I don't need or want a full size spare in my F type though I could see the wisdom of tossing in a plug kit if I was planning on a relatively remote trip. I've only had a dozen flats in the last few decades and all but one or two were on my offroad motorcycles......the others were construction site nails on my truck. I've never had a flat on a car driven exclusively on pavement in nice weather ever. Of course it can happen but the odds are very, very slim. .....and if/when it happens there is a 95% chance I can get by with the factory goodies and if THAT doesn't work there is a 99% chance I'm in cell service and can call for a repair.

There is no way I would take up most of the very limited trunk space on my F type with a "full size" spare.......that's in quote's because it wouldn't really be full sized or it wouldn't fit at all.


Dave

 

There are Michelin PSS runflats available. They are OEM on C7s, and as highly rated as the standard PSS, capable of over 1G on the skidpad, at least on the C7.