I got a flat tire on interstate 80 out in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming. Pressure dropped from 42 to 10 in about 2 minutes. Luckily the leak was easy to find. I fixed it in about 20 minutes with a $20 tire repair kit and a $35 inflator from Amazon. I’m really glad I bought them when I bought the car. I’m on my way across the country for the second time. I’m glad I didn’t have to spend three hours or something waiting for AAA.
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Money well spent: tire repair kit
- Thread starter whizfish
- Start date
This... I got a flat 20 minutes from home. Had to get a family member to pick up wife & kids paid $200 for a tow to Discount tire where I paid another $300 for a new tire (they said they couldn't repair it). Get a repair kit and battery powered inflator and keep it in the car. It at least gives you a chance of not having to pay for a tow and of course, time. My tow took 2 hours to arrive.
Teedub21
Member
Using a slime can in the sound deadened Tesla factory tires sounds like a mess.
If Discount Tire couldn’t repair it then I doubt a patch kit would have saved you anything.
But sometimes it’s all you need.
zoomer0056
Active Member
I always carry an inexpensive Monkey Grip plug kit and glue. Has a handle with reamer, some sticky glue and rubber plugs. Also a small air compressor. Also need a pair of pliars to pull out the nail/screw and pair of gloves. Led headlight helps to locate the offending penetrator.
Depending on how the repair goes I will consider it a permenant repair, or just a temporary fix till I can get a new tire.
Depending on how the repair goes I will consider it a permenant repair, or just a temporary fix till I can get a new tire.
Hippo25
Member
This is the tire repair kit that I use and highly recommend it. It's the same kit used by the tire professionals:
Black306
Active Member
I'll bring a road side emergency kit on long drives. It's one I put together. Might be time to update it though. 
Teedub21
Member
I was thinking, yeah, probably should get a plug kit and a small compressor, no biggie. Then I remembered, probably need a jack and a lug wrench too. Dang, seems like a lot. I don’t have the foam tires, so could try a slime kit and a compressor. Would sacrifice the TPMS sensor more than likely. Plugs tend to work way better though.
zoomer0056
Active Member
Yes, needle nose are best IMO. I also keep a pair of coveralls, an old large towel, and mechanic gloves with my kit.
Home - Safety Seal
Safety Seal makes, packages & distributes a full line of tire repair products - trusted globally in the automotive, transportation & tire industries.
safetyseal.com
I’ve been using safety seal for a while now. Always have had great results and made in USA.
Second the needle nose, must have with a seal kit.
Marc Connery
Member
just added a plug kit after the last car had I leak that I could feel, otherwise the 4 other tire issues I have had in my life a plug kit wouldn't help. Two slow leaks, one unfindable leak and a blowout.
I still keep a slime kit with inflator in the car as well.
I still keep a slime kit with inflator in the car as well.
Plug kit that I used:
Inflator that I used:
I make no claims these are the best, or even better than average. They worked for me. BTW the handles on the reamer and plug-inserter are held on with two allen head set screws (on each). The handle of the plug-inserter pulled off as I was trying to remove it from the tire. The kit comes with a little allen wrench so I was able to put it back on and tighten the set screws very tight. That did the trick.
I made it the rest of the way home (from outside Rawlins, Wyoming to Santa Cruz, CA) with no loss of pressure. My friend who is a tire expert says just keep driving on it.
Inflator that I used:
I make no claims these are the best, or even better than average. They worked for me. BTW the handles on the reamer and plug-inserter are held on with two allen head set screws (on each). The handle of the plug-inserter pulled off as I was trying to remove it from the tire. The kit comes with a little allen wrench so I was able to put it back on and tighten the set screws very tight. That did the trick.
I made it the rest of the way home (from outside Rawlins, Wyoming to Santa Cruz, CA) with no loss of pressure. My friend who is a tire expert says just keep driving on it.
I just bought that one. Now I just need to add some pliers. I keep this DeWalt 20v Compressor in my car. It has a 12v plug in case the battery runs down. If I ever get the Porsche aluminum Jack, I may add the DeWalt impact driver and try to find a way to pull 12v into the frunk to keep a battery charged. I wish that compressor would charge a battery. I assume other vendors might have a similar setup that would.
This is just a cheap knock off of the safety seal kit that is made in the USA.
It's just for emergencies. I think a manual lug tool handle would be all you need. It would be lighter and more reliable.
That said, I wish Tesla would have added a freaking outlet. My fam members with EV6 always chuckle at my Tesla and show me theirs. I threw an inverter in the trunk, then found out it won't work with 16V. I haven't tried plugging it in for fear of what might happen.
