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Help! What do I do with a flat tire?

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A

acarney

Active Member
Jul 9, 2019
3,509
2,351
Richland, WA
#1
Hey, I kind of normally know what to do with a flat tire, but I'm out of town (in Seattle) for medical reasons and have a completely flat tire (nail in it).

How exactly do I go about getting a loaner wheel from Tesla? Do I just call Tesla road side assistance? Do I have to call a Tesla store and try to get Tesla Mobile Service to come out? Are they the same thing?

I don't have any other transportation so "taking the tire to a tire shop" which is what I normally would do, will be extremely tricky without the help of a service...
 
#2
acarney said:
Hey, I kind of normally know what to do with a flat tire, but I'm out of town (in Seattle) for medical reasons and have a completely flat tire (nail in it).

How exactly do I go about getting a loaner wheel from Tesla? Do I just call Tesla road side assistance? Do I have to call a Tesla store and try to get Tesla Mobile Service to come out? Are they the same thing?

I don't have any other transportation so "taking the tire to a tire shop" which is what I normally would do, will be extremely tricky without the help of a service...
Click to expand...
Use the Tesla app on your phone to contact Roadside Assistance. The Roadside Assistance operator will text you or call you on the phone to update you on the available service options regarding your flat tire.
 
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#3
jcanoe said:
Use the Tesla app on your phone to contact Roadside Assistance. The Roadside Assistance operator will text you or call you on the phone to update you on the available service options regarding your flat tire.
Click to expand...
Oh! I forgot about the app, I was about to call them and thought I would just be connected to some third party that did towing or something. I'm hoping they can just swap the tire with a loaner on site, then I can swing by Tesla service (or I guess any tire shop) and have them repair it. The nail is dead center on the tread so I think a repair will be possible... Thanks Seattle roads, it's been like 10 years since my last tire and I'm up for awhile and within two months got one! :( LOL
 
#5
acarney said:
Oh! I forgot about the app, I was about to call them and thought I would just be connected to some third party that did towing or something. I'm hoping they can just swap the tire with a loaner on site, then I can swing by Tesla service (or I guess any tire shop) and have them repair it. The nail is dead center on the tread so I think a repair will be possible... Thanks Seattle roads, it's been like 10 years since my last tire and I'm up for awhile and within two months got one! :( LOL
Click to expand...
Loaner wheel (if available) would be quickest to get you back on the road. If you elect to have your Tesla vehicle towed to the Tesla Service Center you will probably be told they will only replace the tire (not worth Tesla Service's time to repair tires.) If you elect to have the Tesla vehicle towed to a tire repair shop they may be willing to repair the tire (some tire repair shops won't want to repair the OE tire because of the sound deadening foam liner that has to be cut away from the puncture area and after the repair the section of liner is glued back into place.)
 
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#7
jcanoe said:
Loaner wheel (if available) would be quickest to get you back on the road. If you elect to have your Tesla vehicle towed to the Tesla Service Center you will probably be told they will only replace the tire (not worth Tesla Service's time to repair tires.) If you elect to have the Tesla vehicle towed to a tire repair shop they may be willing to repair the tire (some tire repair shops won't want to repair the OE tire because of the sound deadening foam liner that has to be cut away from the puncture area and after the repair the section of liner is glued back into place.)
Click to expand...

Good point, I forgot about the foam. While I hate the cost, I honestly don't really mind a new tire. They should be fairly matched since I only have about 5,000 miles on them. I basically just want to get back to normal as quick as possible. I don't have my own garage space (staying in an apartment with an access controlled parking garage) and am the care giver for my mother who is going through cancer treatments and has daily appointments for 4 to 5 hours, so... since I'm not home and have other crap to worry about, whatever is the most minimal impact. I just have heard horror stories of Tesla not being able to get tires for weeks or something or service centers being booked up 4+ weeks before being able to service the vehicle...

Ah, Roadside just got back to me and said it would be $121 for Tesla to repair the tire or $412 for Tesla to replace it... guess repairing is "worth it" to Tesla for that price! (And wow, doubling the price of those Continental tires!)

Anyone know if Tesla roadside can repair a tire, or do they always have to take the wheel to a Tesla service center... which aren't open tomorrow... (I'll be pleasantly surprised if I can get same day service that fully resolves this issue, but I'm already betting against that, lol)
 
#8
jcanoe said:
Loaner wheel (if available) would be quickest to get you back on the road. If you elect to have your Tesla vehicle towed to the Tesla Service Center you will probably be told they will only replace the tire (not worth Tesla Service's time to repair tires.) If you elect to have the Tesla vehicle towed to a tire repair shop they may be willing to repair the tire (some tire repair shops won't want to repair the OE tire because of the sound deadening foam liner that has to be cut away from the puncture area and after the repair the section of liner is glued back into place.)
Click to expand...
In the past loaner wheels were not really available and was not an option. If towed into service center, most likely SC will want to replace 2 tires, if available, rather than repair. Discount tire good option, but have to get there.
I travel with a plug kit and a 12v air pump, plus green goop. in this case I would pull the nail, plug it, re inflate and check to see if good. If so, on my way. If not good and still leaking green goop time. Then find tire shop.
Since many new cars do not come with spares, need to prepare for this type of situation.
 
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#9
jwharnish said:
In the past loaner wheels were not really available and was not an option. If towed into service center, most likely SC will want to replace 2 tires, if available, rather than repair. Discount tire good option, but have to get there.
I travel with a plug kit and a 12v air pump, plus green goop. in this case I would pull the nail, plug it, re inflate and check to see if good. If so, on my way. If not good and still leaking green goop time. Then find tire shop.
Since many new cars do not come with spares, need to prepare for this type of situation.
Click to expand...
Agreed 100%. Plug kit with an inflator will get you back on the road in less than 10 mins. Even if it is not a perfect job, you will still get to your destination just fine and get the proper repair.
 
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#11
nate704 said:
Agreed 100%. Plug kit with an inflator will get you back on the road in less than 10 mins. Even if it was not a perfect job, you will still get to your destination just fine and get the proper repair.
Click to expand...
Does that destroy the TPMS for that wheel? I've been hesitant on using that solution because TPMS are so hard to get. Normally I'm ~150 miles away from a Tesla store or service center and I don't think they'll ship those (or at least used to not). Maybe while I'm in Seattle I should pick up an extra sensor or two so I could use that solution until I can get to a local tire shop....

Actually, does that destroy the tire? Can they clean the goo from the tire and just plug a flat and get you on your way, or do you need to still replace the tire? I can't imagine having dried goo in the tire that might unbalance it long term is a great solution...
 
#12
acarney said:
Does that destroy the TPMS for that wheel? I've been hesitant on using that solution because TPMS are so hard to get. Normally I'm ~150 miles away from a Tesla store or service center and I don't think they'll ship those (or at least used to not). Maybe while I'm in Seattle I should pick up an extra sensor or two so I could use that solution until I can get to a local tire shop....

Actually, does that destroy the tire? Can they clean the goo from the tire and just plug a flat and get you on your way, or do you need to still replace the tire? I can't imagine having dried goo in the tire that might unbalance it long term is a great solution...
Click to expand...
A plug kit is not the same as the fix-a-flat goo in a can.

CKAuto Universal Tire Repair Kit, Heavy Duty Car Emergency Tool Kit for Flat Tire Puncture Repair, 36 Pcs Value Pack, Tire Plug Kit fit for Autos, Cars, Motorcycles, Trucks, RVs, etc. https://a.co/d/8GTDO89
 
#14
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#15
I would just go to Les Schwab. They have fixed me up in the past (as long as it can be fixed). It was somewhere in Bellevue-Kirkland area and even free. I would stay away from the goop or DYI fixes,but that’s just me. PM me if you need assist or ride home.
 
#16
acarney said:
The nail is dead center on the tread so I think a repair will be possible... Thanks Seattle roads, it's been like 10 years since my last tire and I'm up for awhile and within two months got one! :( LOL
Click to expand...
Is this a fairly new Tesla? Because you will be getting a lot of nail/screw in tires. I rarely had nails in tire since the 80's. And I never had "screws" in tire. That's until I got Tesla. Between our 2 Tesla's, we got about 7 or 8 nail/screw in tires in the last 4 years. One time I even had a bolt in the Model X tire. Probably because EV are heavier. I know someone who got a Bentley and kept complaining about nails and screws in tires. I think Bentley is also very heavy.
 
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#18
wycolo said:
Inflate tire with the 12v pump and drive toward nearest tire dealer (Discount or in PNW Les Schwab). Stop every so often to check tire pressure is over ~30 lbs. You will need pliers to pull a nail so leave it in there (its a gift).
--
Click to expand...
That's actually a good point. The nail is solidly in the tire and I probably could have limped to a service center with that... I'm going to order a 12v pump right now.

Wait... does the Tesla even have 12v? Is it in the front arm rest?
 
#20
It is down to random luck. Could be that there is just way more construction in the last ten years then back in the 80s and 90s so there is more crap being dropped on the road.

BUT, could also SLIGHTLY be the car. Tesla has pretty wide tires and is very heavy, so there is likely a large flat contact patch on the road... but, I don't know if that would make a statistically significant difference or not.

I've had pretty good luck with my Tesla, except for today... and I've been in Seattle for 2 to 3 months and holy cow there's construction, EVERYWHERE. Just some bad luck. The 12v pump and tire center is a good idea... just haven't had a flat in the last ten years or so and I've kind of forgotten all these little tips. Also, at home I have a floor jack and a set of winter tires and access to a second car. If I walked out this morning at home, I would have pulled the wheel off, jumped in the other car and drove down to a tire place, lol
 
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