Roadside Assistance experience: Flat Tire

[3sr+buyer]

I had two flat tires near home in the first two weeks I owned my car (screws). I have a compressor, which can easily get me home with slow leaks like these. However, I found the plug kit difficult to use. Reaming out the hole and inserting the plug was difficult, even with the wheel off the car. I think trying to do this on the side of the road with the wheel on the car would be a real chore.

I did a plug on someone else's tire (off of the vehicle) once. The main thing is to note the angle of the penetrating object and ream / plug at the same angle. It otherwise was not difficult.

However, it would have been much more difficult or impossible with the wheel and tire on the vehicle (it was a rear wheel and tire, so it could not be turned outward like a front wheel and tire). That means that if you bring a plug kit for on-the-road use, be sure to have equipment to remove and reinstall the wheel and tire.

 

[PianoAl]

I'm saving this thread for every time someone says they don't need a spare or take the spare only on trips.

You can see how luggage and my spare get along in this photo:

https://imgur.com/d8FUBL7

 

[DevZ]

I was the unfortunate victim of a large nail right where the tread meets the sidewall (unrepairable), losing about 2 psi every minute, so I had to act fast.

To make a rather long story short:

• Had Fix-a-Flat and emergency compressor onboard. Did it work? No.
• Fix-a-Flat will not be reliable for anything but the slowest of leaks. The sticky goop was definitely too thin to stop a small nail puncture, and did nothing but cause a huge mess.
• Fortunately, there was a Wal-Mart nearby. A cheap plug kit worked perfectly.

Now, I carry tire plugs, compressor, pliers, and a slime kit (squeeze type, requiring valve core removal). Formulations of any brand which pass through the valve core IMO are just too thin, and will not plug larger holes sufficiently, as I have discovered the hard way first-hand.

 

[BeeBee]

I dont have the original tires on. I have tires from discount tires. Im just trying asking if I get a flat will Tesla service tow me to discount tire?

In my case they installed a full size loaner spare in my driveway and took my tire and rim back to the nearest Tesla SC. They returned the next day with a new tire mounted on my rim and installed it on the car. They told me they would have done it all in one day but they didn’t have the tire in stock and had to source it. It was a third party tow service who installed the spare. It was a Tesla employee in a panel truck who installed the new tire. A tow was not required. In the scenario you described I can’t imagine they would tow you to a discount tire shop. What if the nearest one was miles away? They would provably repair it on site if feasible, or give you a loaner spare. I guess you could then drive to a discount shop yourself and then return the loaner spare.

 

[PianoAl]

It was a third party tow service

This is another thing to keep in mind. While it's nice to think some meticulous Tesla employee is going to respond to the road service request, in many cases it will be Bubba from Billy Bob's Get 'Er Dun Towing Company.