Anyone try 'fix-a-flat'? ...

Markus30 · 01-02-2002, 12:44 PM

It's compressed air / tire sealer goo in a can. Wondering if this product would be ok in a pinch as a temporary repair.

Markus

stray15 · stray15's Garage

Stay away from the JUNK!!!

It is garbage, please just put on the spare tire. Trust me, I work at a tire shop and the stuff does more damage than it helps. I was outside in 20 degree weather, today, trying to hose out a tire that had fix a flat in it so I could put it back on the rim to find where the hole even was. Please, do your local tire shop a favor and never use fix a flat.

It also can ruin the rim and the tire as well if it is in the tire too long.

Just don't do it!

Markus30 · 01-02-2002, 12:52 PM

Well, that answers that. Thanks for the quick reply.

Markus

carnut169 · carnut169's Garage

I gave my wife a bottle for her car- it does work, and what is better- your wife out there on the side of the road putting on a spare tire or pissing off a tire shop guy w/ fix a flat?
It is a nasty mess for the tire shops, and potentially dangerous for them as well. If it is used go straight to a tire shop, and tell them it is in the tire!
For us, although it is a pain to fix a tire (double that when it is a rear) I would not put in in my 911 unless it was a total emergency.

Dantilla · 01-02-2002, 12:56 PM

When I was in construction, I used it several times when I drove over junk on a work site. One can, add a bit more air, and call it a permanent fix. I drove for a couple of years in a truck that had three tires held together with that stuff.

I will NOT use it, however on the P-car, because of the stresses of triple digit speeds.

Eric Coffey · 01-02-2002, 01:00 PM

I totally agree with stray15, don't do it! Not only is it a menace to tire shops, but that goop will usually settle in one spot and dry, throwing your tire balance WAY off. Plus, it is just unsafe at the speeds most of us 911 owners reach.

stray15 · stray15's Garage

IF you absolutly must use it, you MUST tell the shop that it is in the tire, like Carnut said. If we don't know it is in there and we take out the valve core the stuff can shoot out and get you in the eye and you could go blind. I got some in the face once, luckly not in the eye. Also, most of the fix a flats are flammable and if the person working on the tire is smoking, which a lot of people that work in garages do, well, you can just imagine what could happen.

Superman · 01-02-2002, 01:11 PM

I'm going to take what appears to be the counterpoint here. First, fresh new tires with lots of tread usually don't have flat problems. Whether or not your tire had lost most of its tread before the puncture, some motorists would consider that tire to be junk. That is, you REPLACE flat performance tires, you do not attempt to FIX them.

If you accept these premises, then why not keep 2 cans of fix-a-flat in the trunk instead of the spare and compressor. In the unlikely event of a puncture, use the goop to get to the next tire store where the tire is replaced.

My spare tire outweighs a can of fix-a-flat by at least 20 lbs and I'm not sure I trust the spare more than I trust the can.

daz911 · 01-02-2002, 01:37 PM

I agree with superman, I don't plan on fixing punctures on the p-car. I carry a can of this stuff for emergency and be honest who knows when their spare was last inflated.
I've had mine 2 yrs never done it, PO had it for over 3 yrs never did either.

Rot 911 · 01-02-2002, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by daz911
I agree with superman, I don't plan on fixing punctures on the p-car. I carry a can of this stuff for emergency and be honest who knows when their spare was last inflated.
I've had mine 2 yrs never done it, PO had it for over 3 yrs never did either.

Which brings up an interesting question, has anyone ever used the inflatable spare? The one in my '86 looks like it has never been inflated. Can you inflate one to test it and then deflate it back to its original size? And what about the fact that it is now 16 years old? Will the damn thing even work? Perhaps we would all be better off tossing this type of spare and going with the fix a flat or like I have used before a tire puncture repair kit and a compressor.

a63vette · 02:03 PM

Never used the can stuff, however, I did have alot of luck with a plug kit I bought in a local auto parts store...you ream the hole a little bit, put some goo on plug, poked it through and cut off the plug. Might not be the optimal solution for a tire to be used at high speed, but for my daily driver Saab it worked great. I had gotten a large nail in it (on the way to a Porsche show..of course)
and it lasted the life of the tire...

Regards,
Jordan

MBAtarga · 01-02-2002, 01:57 PM

I did just use this type product yesterday, but that was to fill my wheelbarrow tire that continues to go flat. I now know that the side wall of the tire is cracked, and the leak is coming from there.

So far though, the tire is holding pressure, and I don't think the 5 MPH max speed I will likely hit running downhill with the wheelbarrow empty will create a dangerous blowout condition.

stray15 · stray15's Garage

The problem with that is that "fix a flat" does NOT fix all leaks. What if you have a 3/8 " hole in your tire from a nail or rock or anything for that matter? The "fix a flat" won't work then. I would say that 50% of the tires that had "fix a flat" in them still leak air.

Also, it is still not good for the rims either!

tight as a bull's ass · tight as a bull's ass's Garage

I have needed to use Fix-a-flat in the past and it works.

Would you rather inject this stuff into your tire and go on your merry way or sit there on the highway trying to put on the spare tire that requires a pump.....

The product is only meant to be used in an emergency where you dont want to deal with the hassle of jacking up the car while other cars are wwhizing by at 90MPH....

In all 3 cases, I've replaced the tire afterwards with a new tire.

stray15 · stray15's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Kurt V

Which brings up an interesting question, has anyone ever used the inflatable spare? The one in my '86 looks like it has never been inflated. Can you inflate one to test it and then deflate it back to its original size? And what about the fact that it is now 16 years old? Will the damn thing even work? Perhaps we would all be better off tossing this type of spare and going with the fix a flat or like I have used before a tire puncture repair kit and a compressor.

In the summer I used my 20 year old inflatable spare while I was working on refinishing my wheels. I used it for a couple weeks straight without any problems, except that I couldn't really have fun driving.

You can inflate and then deflate the tire. I think it would be a very good idea to do so you don't find out that it doesn't hold air when you actually need to use it.

Jordan made a great suggestion, it would be better to get one of those home plug kits to fix your tires temporarily than to use fix a flat.

Carnut, maybe it is time to invest in a cell phone for your wife so she can give you a call when she gets a flat. Or she can call AAA.

Superman · 01-02-2002, 02:07 PM

The trouble with wheel barrow tires is that they are thin and tubeless. Any thorn flattens them. The fix is to install an inner tube. Just don't exceed 120 mph. If Porsche made wheel barrows, they wouldn't have this problem.

I too have used the tire plug method. Of course, it is not for high performance applications and you still would need to inflate the tire once repaired. And you still would need to replace the tire at the next opportunity.

stray15 · stray15's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by les paul guy
I have needed to use Fix-a-flat in the past and it works.

Would you rather inject this stuff into your tire and go on your merry way or sit there on the highway trying to put on the spare tire that requires a pump.....

The product is only meant to be used in an emergency where you dont want to deal with the hassle of jacking up the car while other cars are wwhizing by at 90MPH....

In all 3 cases, I've replaced the tire afterwards with a new tire.

Just one quick question, did you tell the tire shop that you had "fix a flat" in the tire?

Planter91C2 · 01-02-2002, 02:10 PM

i agree with stray, one drop of that stuff on a rim and your in trouble. i had that experience on another car and it stained the aluminum. also, it caked up the valve and i had a hard time filling the tire with air.

kurt V, i wonder the same thing. my car was raped of the original air pump so i bought a cheapy at walmart just to carry for emergrncies. hope that day never comes.

reminder: the inflatable spare can only be used in the front, so if you get a flat in the rear you have to swap wheels with the front.

rscupper · 01-02-2002, 02:52 PM

Used fix-a-flat once. It was very convenient. Next day to get a new tire, told the tire guy about it and he says, "thanks for letting me know. No problem." No wheel-staining issues.

My streetable racer is VERY well gutted and has no place for a spare, but I do have AAA. I'm just not sure if I would opt for a less-than-delicate tow or the temporary fix-a-flat solution. I think I would lean toward using the goo and dealing with the fallout ASAP.

tight as a bull's ass · tight as a bull's ass's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by stray15

Just one quick question, did you tell the tire shop that you had "fix a flat" in the tire?

they took off the punctured tire (with the fix-a-flat), disposed of it properly and installed the new tire. What's the problem ?

when you're stranded on the side of the road, you want to get going as soon as possible. The factory jack is dangerous, especially when you're not on level ground and on the side of the road with cars whizzing past you....too many accidents

With Fix-a-Flat, you just inject it, get on your merry way and worry about the tire when you get home.....I always carry 2 large cans up front, they're cheap.....

no offense, but when I'm stranded with flat tire, the last thing I worry about is my local tire shop and whether I'm doing anything that will inconvenience them....I JUST WANT TO GET GOING!