They were pretty busy, so my car was parked across their entrance on the street, where they removed the wheel. All I could see from the road was him (at the back of the bay) using some form of T handled tool to fit the plug or whatever - using a fair amount of force. All done in a matter of minutes for 12 quid. And that tyre now holds its pressure.
I've had a series of screws in tyres - all in the same car. Kwik-Fit have each time said the tyre was scrap. At about 250 quid a pop. Hence trying somewhere different, and not so close by. Most of the tyre places that once existed round here have closed down. Now housing.
Those 'after market ones' would certainly seem to be prone to 'gunge' getting in the gubbins but, equally, I assume the gunge doesn't stop the valve from operating as it should so perhaps not.
I did look at those, more out of interest as I always check the tyres as a matter of routine. However, the ones I saw seemed to have quite a wide 'ok' range compared to the numbers specified for the vehicles we have. I didn't see any which gave the actual pressure- the dial must be tiny!
I don't know. I knew one lad years ago who filled a tyre with straw, but this was on an old A40 we used to drive around some nearby waste ground. It always looked happy enough, though.
But filling a tyre with some sort of synthetic foam does not seem completely ridiculous to me. Yet.
They use a tool like that when they remove the tyre, one place I normally use used to let you watch (pre HSE nonsense). They clean the hole, pull the patch from the inside with a tool (also T shaped), press down the inside (which has a patch), there is a plug attached to the patch which they trim off, refit the tyre, inflate, balance, etc. It is all quite quick, assuming they can find the hole!
I was charged £15 yesterday. The last time, which was probably 5 + years back, I think I paid £20 or so, in another place I normally use. I tried this one as it is closer and someone recommended them. They've been around years and seem busy.
Both my Lambretta SX150 and Messerschmitt KR200 had split rims, meaning I just needed to carry a spare tube (although both also carried a spare wheel). ;-)
I'd have to say, not having to deal with most punctures on the move is a real boon, something many take for granted these days with slime filled cycle tyres etc.
I note that the TPMS system was first brought in because several people had died because of tires that were being run under inflated, were than failing catastrophically (tread delaminating / blowout), causing vehicles to overturn etc.
A second issue is the very slow loss of air because of the porosity of the rubber itself. This means un-checked tyres can be run for extended periods at very low (and progressively decreasing) pressures, again, leading to stress of the carcase and premature failure.
As a matter of course I have always glanced over any vehicle I'm due to drive or even passenger in, looking for things like damaged lights, mirrors or tyres that looked 'soft' (or damaged etc).
The trouble is, not everyone does and I have spotted (and warned the driver if possible) of a particularly soft tyre, when I have spotted it on the road.
Again, a pre-emptive sealant that helps reduce such porosity issues has to be a good thing?
Daughter is about to replace the front tyres on her Corsa and I may take advantage of that to video some 'attacks' on the tyres, as they are treated with Puncturseal.
I wonder if that would convince anyone as to the abilities of the likes of PS ... or if they would still prefer to have their (say) daughter or wife stuck at the side of the road (motorway?) because of a basic puncture?
As soon as the new tyres go on, the fresh Punctureseal goes in, why wouldn't you? ;-)
I've not seen that. Most 'run flats' are called such because the tyre stays on the rim and will tolerate being run flat for longer than a std tyre. They still need to be replaced, including the other non-flat tyre on the same axle because of the extra stresses it has had to endure.
Better IMHO not to have the tyre go flat in the first place! ;-)
Quite. Nor would I.
I tend to go for a good (primary) branded as a minimum.
You don't have the choice with many cars these days, that's what's fitted as standard. ;-(
'Gunge' could, for example, 'fill' a hole in the area of a tyre outside the normally permitted area.
Repairs outside the permitted area are possible, with special tools/techniques- they aren't normally offered / available in places we would take our cars. The tools/techniques are more expensive, require special training etc.
An external plug, 'sticks' to the sides of the hole. One fitted from the inside, seals on the inside, the plug part really just fills the hole. The internal patch, which is rather like the patch you would fit to an inner tube, seals and sticks to a large area. An external plug may have 'voids' around it, in an irregular hole, filled with adhesive. As the type flexes etc, it could leak.
That is entirely my thinking, purely based on thinking about the problem and a bit of research. I have no axe to grind for the tyre industry. If anything, I was hoping to find the modern plugs were approved as I would probably carry some, just in case.
Yes, that is the other common type that also pretty well sits in the well of the wheel.
Quite, but I dare say they will get cheaper over time.
Correct.
Well, possibly but not necessarily anywhere near the actual sensing part as such? The point being that many many people have run both TPMS and Punctureseal with no issues at all.
About 10 years from what I've seen.
Not bad if it is 10 years. ;-)
Assuming it works .... and that the indication is very clear or linked to some sort of 'limp-home' function, I think it could be a good idea for all of us! (Even if we don't have them fitted ourselves).
As a motorcyclist, checking for blind spots is built in. ;-)
Yeah, my mate had that on his RR Ghost and I couldn't work out where the view was coming from! I think it was from under the door mirrors?
Years ago I had one of those, after a some new tyres were fitted. I just returned to the supplier (I wasn't sure what the problem was), they found it, 'reseated' the tyre, problem solved. I assume a but of much or something had got in the way. A bit later, a boy racer drove into the car and it was written off!
I'm not sure where the cameras are. Part of the image is computer generated as the car in the image is silver whereas ours is black. Darn clever though and great when your garage is full of 'gubbins' ;-)
I think you have to understand how the 'gunges' work Brian.
The one you were supplied with the car is probably an expanding vinyl foam and just for getting you home. That is likely to fill the entire void of the tyre and so would likely gunge up your TPMS sensors, if they were susceptible to such.
The pre-emptive gel types are applied into the tyres and then are spread around the inside of the tread *only*, by centripetal force. I have removed several treated tyres now and in *every case* there was not a drop of sealant anywhere other than the inside of the tyre (and why I linked to the picture of the Contiseal tyre).
The same would apply to the valve as it would the TPMS in that the sealant is pulled away from both, away from the rim and even the sidewalls and *only* into the inside of the tread area.
I don't know that the pressure sensing bit is anywhere near the valve bit Brian but it could be. That said, many people have run TPMS and Punctureseal and with no issues whatsoever so I an only assume it isn't really an issue?
But it isn't a one or the other situation is it? All of our vehicles have full sized spare wheels and yet all of our vehicles are also treated with Punctureseal? The *point* of Punctureseal is not having to deal with the puncture *at all*. Now, that has not yet been an issue for me (luckily) but it has been an issue for my daughter and wife. This specifically includes either of them accidentally running on a soft tyre for some period and then suffering a blowout (no TPMS on any of our vehicles).
I bet! ;-)
But you are then talking about a different sort of 'gunge' Brian. OOI, did you say the vehicle come supplied with some 'get you home' gunge? I wonder how well that works with the TPMS and what happens if the gunge they supply gums it up (which is more likely than the pre-emptive type solution).
I'd 'prefer' not to have to make the choice in the first place. ;-)
OK.
Agreed but it's not the if but the when and how 'convinient' is it if / when it does?
As I said elsewhere, I sorta CGAS [1] if people choose not to use such stuff, but I feel I have a duty to at least bring it to peoples attention and dispel any myths they might have re the different types etc. A lot of people haven't tried it and tell me what they think it won't do and I've used it across a wide range of vehicles over many years and I can tell you what it does do. ;-)
Cheers, T i m
[1] As I know and have met you that isn't quite the case and I would hate to hear that you had died whilst changing a puncture on the side of a motorway that you may not have had to, just for the simple and (cheap) addition of something like Punctureseal. ;-(
I emailed Punctureseal earlier re the concept of 'damage' done to the inside of a tyre during the penetration of a sharp object and they suggested, that was only likely if the puncture happened near the sidewall and the object was long enough (to do the damage, to the inside of the sidewall etc). They also mentioned they are looking into getting the relevant recommendations re what constitutes an acceptable repair brought up to date, especially in light of many cars coming with no spare wheel and to an increased likelihood of the use of the liquid sealants.
Quite ... especially when doing 70 down the motorway and having the tyre slowly deflate.
It is suggested that because Punctureseal lubricates the screw in the tyre, it helps it be ejected and therefore minimises the risk of it doing any further damage.
Because I've not (knowingly) had a puncture since installing Punctureseal, I can't comment on that. ;-)
I wonder how many of those tyres were written off because it wasn't deemed 'safe' to repair the tyre using the guidelines around for a 'permanent repair at the time?
eg. If you aren't allowed to fit a patch type plug within (say) 50mm of the sidewall, could that be because a 50mm diameter plug would still only be 25mm from the sidewall and areas of extreme flexing?
By comparison, Punctureseal would only be going down any hole produced by the object and would not extend either side at all, therefore, not creating the proximity issue in the first place?
So, as long as the plug seals the air leak from the inside out and water / dirt ingress from the outside in, then that should be sufficient? eg, a 'hole' though the rubber and not damaging the structure of the carcase in any other way, is just that, a hole in the rubber?
In most instances I've seen of a 'permanent repair' the hole is in fact opened up, filed / drilled out and in my mind that's much more likely to cut / weaken the cords than not doing that?
As you say, and it's not like they don't also have a vested interest in selling you a new tyre and are less likely to want to go 'off piste' slightly by recommending the use of any alternative solutions.
I have seen them cleaning out the hole, using a rat-tail file and / or drill?
Now, imagine you driving along and picking up a screw or nail similarly but with a tyre pre-treated with Punctureseal. The idea is the gel is forced down and around the screw, helping to lubricate it back out (rather being in there for ages clicking and waggling about in the hole etc) and then the gel carries on being forced out with the strands it has within it getting caught up inside the unopened / un enlarged hole and until it reaches the outside, where it reacts with the air a starts to cure, forming a rubber 'plug' back though the tyre to the inside.
Like I said, as daughter is due to replace the front tyres on her Corsa soon and they are treated with Puncturseal, I'm wondering if anyone would like me to do any tests on them before we do?
Would sticking a bradawl into the tyre or hammering a long self tapper into it and then showing it seal itself, convince anyone of anything?
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