Spare tire question

bassjack · 03-09-2009, 03:10 PM

Greetings,

After a flat tire on my daughter's car this weekend I got to thinking - my 911 has one of those spares that come flat...it's original to the car if I'm not mistaken. However, I don't have a means to fill it if the need arises. Some enlightenment, please!

Do I need to purchase a pump that runs off the cig lighter? Did the car come with some sort of pump originally? Any info appreciated.

Thanks,
Jack

Dennis Kalma · Dennis Kalma's Garage

911's normally come with a little electric compressor to fill the thing....you need one otherwise you really do not have a spare.....

D.

bassjack · 03-09-2009, 03:18 PM

I haven't an electric compressor...unless it's hidden under the spare. Where are these things normally stowed? It seems I can just pick one up at a auto parts store, tho' I did search our hosts' catalog but to no avail.

Jack

Dennis Kalma · Dennis Kalma's Garage

I don't think it will fit under the spare, normally it is in the space in front of the fuel tank or in the smugglers box....

Dennis

Zeke · 03-09-2009, 03:53 PM

Real deal Porsche compressors command way too much money. You can buy a replacement at your FLAPS for not much dinero. The factory one came in a case which was simply stored where you'd put your new one. Which is wherever you like.

bassjack · 03-09-2009, 04:01 PM

Thanks for the input...sorry, where's the smuggler's box?
FLAPS - guessing here...friendly local auto parts store?

J

Formerly Steve Wilkinson · 03-09-2009, 04:56 PM

The smuggler's box is the compartment just aft of the fuel tank, on the left side of the car looking aft. Most reasonably modern 911s have some air-conditioner stuff in there. It's accessed by pushing aside a small metal tab and lifting a cover about the size of a dinner plate, if dinner plates were rhomboids. (No, I was never good at geometry.)

TCB · 03-09-2009, 04:57 PM

While this subject is going, may I ask if there is supposed to be a cover of any sort over the spare tire. There isn't on mine and I'm starting to see an imprint of the spare in my carpet. Thanks.. Don't mean to steal the thread..
My car came with an orange compressor. I was curious and pumped up my spare last fall. Worked fine.

Terry

Zeke · 03-09-2009, 05:30 PM

yes on FLAPS. No cover.

Wyvern · Wyvern's Garage

would one of the "Air in a can" work ?
I know the space saver spares used those ?

...or how bout a CO2 filler like I use on my enduro / long distance motorcycle ...may take 2 on the small or 0ne of the larger disposables ..

bassjack · 03-09-2009, 07:52 PM

Ok, I've had the opportunity to take a good look under the hood, and here's what I found. The smuggler's box (aptly named, btw) which indeed didn't have much room in it and no compressor. I took the spare out - it had some sort of light weight form fitting spacer underneath it, but no compressor. Between the spare and the front bumper I found a jack, a took kit stuffed with all kinds of tools and a spare belt, a plastic sheet, but no compressor. What I thought might be the compressor at first glance I believe to be the horn after thinking it about it.

So, if my car had one at one point it's long gone so I'll be off to my flaps to see what they have to offer. Any recommendations?

Thanks to all, this forum is outstanding!

Jack

gtc · gtc's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassjack

So, if my car had one at one point it's long gone so I'll be off to my flaps to see what they have to offer. Any recommendations?

Jack

Mine was $15 at Walgreens. It works no worse than a factory compressor, which is to say they all suck.
I hide my compressor under the carpet near the battery so I don't have to look at it.

James Brown · James Brown's Garage

get one of these:

from slime. cool and new!

sc_rufctr · 03-10-2009, 12:04 AM

Just some further info...

Some time ago I took my spare out and inflated it using my compressor. (I was bored)...

Anyways, it blew up so large it was almost unbelievable. It really is a site to behold. And then I thought. It will never be small again...

lol
So I let the air out and you guessed it. It returned to it's original size.

My car is a 1978 so I was impressed. The spare worked as it should after 30 years!

After reading some of the threads here I think sometimes we take Porsche engineering for granted. It was the first company to use such a concept.

James Brown · James Brown's Garage

still, it's 30 years old and can only be used on the front tire

S2GART · S2GART's Garage

I would think that if the spare tire had never been used, that after 25 plus years it would be so creased, that it would be useless or crack/blowup when you filled it. I would feel more comfortable using a can of fix a flat.
My compressor was missing as well, but now I will check this smugglers box.

sc_rufctr · 03-10-2009, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Brown

still, it's 30 years old and can only be used on the front tire

Are you sure? Why couldn't you use it on the back tire?

Reply to:S2GART... That's what astounded me... After 30 years it wasn't perished and looked fine. No cracks or anything. I wiped it over with a damp cloth to remove the dust it looked brand new

bluebox88 · 03-10-2009, 07:08 PM

Spare will fit on any corner, front or rear. Ask me how I know.

SteveinTO · 03-11-2009, 09:12 PM

Beware. When you need it most, in the dark of night, side of the road, flat tire, your brand new K-Mart compressor at the ready, you plug it into the cig lighter, and.................nothing.

Still nothing!

Test it first! And when you can't make it work, fashion a pair of alligator clips for it and go directly to where 12 foolproof volts lurk. Beyond the reaches of relays, switches, fuses, the Prince of Darkness himself.

bonkers · 03-11-2009, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Are you sure? Why couldn't you use it on the back tire?

You're supposed to fit the spare to the front and, if necessary, move the regular front wheel to the back. Probably to minimize the difference in wheel / tire width left-to right and its adverse effects on handling.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveinTO

Beware. When you need it most, in the dark of night, side of the road, flat tire, your brand new K-Mart compressor at the ready, you plug it into the cig lighter, and.................nothing.

Still nothing!

Test it first! And when you can't make it work, fashion a pair of alligator clips for it and go directly to where 12 foolproof volts lurk. Beyond the reaches of relays, switches, fuses, the Prince of Darkness himself.

Hmmm, thought I read in another thread recently that the cigarette lighter is only active when the ignition is on. Could have been your problem?

Anyway, in addition to the compressor, I keep a tire guage and foot pump in each of my cars. No power? No problem.