What do you do if you have a flat tire

[CyberT]

Odd timing of a post…this just happened 20 minutes ago:

Completely flat in about 20 seconds, just enough time to pull over. My solution is a patch kit and carry a compressor, back on the move 10 minutes later. I do carry a sidewall patch kit too, but have only ever had to repair punctures. I’ll carry a full size spare on off-roading trips, but often leave it behind if I’m sticking to populated areas.

Same situation for me last month, but I blew both Right tires. I had just bought a patch kit 3 days before the flat in preparation for a road trip.

I pulled over and found it challenging to get my hand into the space where the hole was to be repaired, so I put the truck into Extract Mode, and BAM! There was more than enough room to patch the tire. Unfortunately, I hit something massive, and the patch didn't work. I called Tesla (free) Roadside assistance from the Truck's screen, and 30 minutes later, a Tow picked me up and took me to the nearest Service center.

The passenger with me is new to the EV game and was shocked by how seamless the patch attempt and the fact that the call to roadside assistance was all done through the touchscreen lol.

Lesson: Always keep a patch kit and compressor in the truck.

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[wshunter]

This is the way.

I bought a 120v compressor when I realized the 12 v one I had was useless for the CT. I carry a Jack and lug wrench in case the puncture is too hard to get to with the plug kit. I have the same equipment for my Y, but also have a spare to use if necessary.

 

[Lasttoy]

If you are concerned.
1. Buy tesla spare kit. 1250
2. Buy jack. Plug kit. Compressor
Everyone has towing their insurance

 

[aeroguy]

I have a patch kit as well for my Model 3 but have always taken the whole wheel off to do the repair. Are you able to raise the suspension all the way and do the repair without taking the wheel off or do you carry a jack as well? I was thinking the CT was too heavy and too tall to jack on the side of the road.

Raising the suspension works great for CT repairs. Extract provides an incredible amount of space to work as CyberT mentioned, but I just used High mode this time. I don’t bother caring a jack unless I pack the spare (which conveniently carries a jack enclosed in the wheel if you get the Tesla spare package).

 

[aeroguy]

Patch kit and compressor 100% is the solution. And you don’t have to have a monster air compressor. $30 air compressor from Amazon is fine to get you back on the road.

Very true, the California air compressor is a bit overkill, but it does fit perfectly in the frunk and is pretty fast. I’ll pack other tools/things around the compressor so it doesn’t actually eat up that much room in the frunk.

 

[Willinak]

Here’s another option, which is what I carry on my RV: A Slime Rescue Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MVH64HL?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_3&th=1, and a Milwaukee Inflator https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-28...id=1748010537&sprefix=inflator,aps,185&sr=8-9.
Of course, I always carry a plug kit as mentioned above.

 

[Docedward]

Very true, the California air compressor is a bit overkill, but it does fit perfectly in the frunk and is pretty fast. I’ll pack other tools/things around the compressor so it doesn’t actually eat up that much room in the frunk.

I do have rechargeable pumps for my other cars but they take Forever with the CT wheels and you have stop half way to let them cool down. Solution for me was OEM patch (well, gooop patch) and pump. I do also have a real patch kit as well.

 

[CyberGus]

I do have rechargeable pumps for my other cars but they take Forever with the CT wheels and you have stop half way to let them cool down.

Here ya go, no batteries required and you probably need the exercise

 

[MikeFromHolland]

I bought the spare wheel and tire package.

New Cybertruck owner of only a week. I hadn't really thought about this until I picked up the Cybertruck and noticed there is no spare.
It's not like you can carry a donut . What does one do if you have a flat? Will AAA do anything? Would you have to get a tow?

 

[pbaker777]

Here ya go, no batteries required and you probably need the exercise

Perfect. Inflate my damaged tire and get rid of my personal spare tire.

 

[Nexus6]

This is my set up. Will get you out of nearly any Tire failure without having to carry the added weight of a jack and full-size Spare. Maybe after the warranty has expired will I go with aftermarket rims and 37s and carry a full size spare but even then I think I’ll stick with this lower weight smaller form factor option. I’ve never had a Tire failure Offroad where I needed a full size spare; just punctures, failed valve stems or sidewall cuts where this kit would have sufficed to get home. I should probably add a can of Starting Fluid to re-seat a Bead during air downed off road situations.

 

[PungoteagueDave]

New Cybertruck owner of only a week. I hadn't really thought about this until I picked up the Cybertruck and noticed there is no spare.
It's not like you can carry a donut . What does one do if you have a flat? Will AAA do anything? Would you have to get a tow?

I the world has changed. With Teslas self-help with flats is near impossible. The torque requirements for the wheel bolts are greater than a normal human can exert - at 129 ft-lbs, you can’t get the tire off by yourself using a normal wrench. Nor can you torque it enough to put it back on without special tools.

The answer is you must call for assistance, like any other auto repair. This is why it is reasonable to exclude a spare from modern auto designs, as many marques have done for about 20 years. The second reason is that tires have become so large since the era where flats were a constant experience, that there is simply no place for a full size spare in a normal vehicle. They are also too heavy for many people to handle given the new, larger formats.

The third major reason is rarity of occurrence. In the days of narrow bias ply tires, flats happened all the time and self-help was both reasonable and expected. This is because tire construction was much more subject to both wear and damage, and roads had many more hazards - so flat tires were a normal phenomenon. Due to vastly improved road construction standards and huge advances in tire construction, flats now happen a tiny fraction of the frequency seen in, say the 1950s or 60s.

With that said, they do occur. I have had two flats in 13 years and about 500k miles driving Teslas. Towing a Tesla is not a “thing” - they are generally flat-bedded, or one axle put on dollies and the other elevated behind the lead truck. Tesla provides roadside assistance most anywhere in the U.S. In urban areas this is done with their own trucks and staff. In other areas, they use contractors. At my Delray Beach, FL house, they sent their truck, which has a full tire-changing rig, to my spot where I had pulled over by the side of the road. In that case, they try to have a (red-painted) spare wheel that is installed temporarily and you go on your way. With proliferating models and sizes, this is increasingly hard for them to do, but it is still a thing. In my case, with a MX, that worked - I had a ted-painted loaner wheel. The next day the same Tesla guy and truck came to my house with a new tire, and swapped it in my driveway, including balancing the tire. The other time I was on a road trip. Using the tesla app, I called for roadside assistance. A Tesla rep called nearly instantly and sent a local wrecker. They flatbedded the vehicle to the closest Tesla Service Center. I had to get a motel room and go the next day to the center, which did not have the tire. They scrambled, found one somewhere close enough to courier, and had me back on the road that afternoon.

Which leads to the real issue with modern EV tires. They are different and often custom to the model, not available, or difficult to find. For example, my wife took delivery of a new ‘26 MY on March 31 of this year. The very next day she hit an object on our street, which is a home construction zone (new neighborhood near Annapolis, MD), and took a chunk out of the sidewall on her under-100-mile passenger side rear tire. It was still inflated, but clearly not safe to drive very far, so she came home and parked it.

I contacted Tesla through the app, they called immediately. They informed me there were no replacement tire available anywhere on the east coast for the new Model Y. It has a special Hancook tire made exclusively for Tesla, with a foam liner to minimize road sound, and a special size and tread compound. I drove it carefully to a local “Mr. Tire” and was told the same thing - we cannot supply a tire for that car yet.

I then went to the Tire Warehouse website, and found two “options” but they were different tires and the website said all four should be replaced. I then called their 800 number and found a knowledgeable rep who said they had just received a few of the Hancook EV-specific tires in the same size and model as the ones on the new MY, but that they were NOT the Tesla-specific version with the Tesla-specific rubber compound. They did, however, have the required foam liner and were the same size and weight, tire model. They gave me the option to purchase one at my own risk, which I did ($465), had it shipped to the local Mr. Tire, which installed it three days later for $50. That, unfortunately, is how tire repairs work these days.

 

[PungoteagueDave]

I've considered signing up for AAA if I ever needed roadside assistance.

Unless Tesla's roadside service is cheap.

It’s free while under warranty. Owning a Tesla that’s out of warranty is insanity anyway.

 

[PungoteagueDave]

Patch kit and compressor 100% is the solution. And you don’t have to have a monster air compressor. $30 air compressor from Amazon is fine to get you back on the road.

I also carry one (the Tesla accessory kit is fine), but that will not work for most flats - only punctures, and then only in the tread. Striking an object, curb, etc. is far more common, and neither slime nor a compressor is of any use. Both of my Tesla flat situations were behind a tire repair kit - the tires were trashed. That is the standard case these days.

 

[Willinak]

I the world has changed. With Teslas self-help with flats is near impossible. The torque requirements for the wheel bolts are greater than a normal human can exert - at 129 ft-lbs, you can’t get the tire off by yourself using a normal wrench. Nor can you torque it enough to put it back on without special tools.

The answer is you must call for assistance, like any other auto repair. This is why it is reasonable to exclude a spare from modern auto designs, as many marques have done for about 20 years. The second reason is that tires have become so large since the era where flats were a constant experience, that there is simply no place for a full size spare in a normal vehicle. They are also too heavy for many people to handle given the new, larger formats.

The third major reason is rarity of occurrence. In the days of narrow bias ply tires, flats happened all the time and self-help was both reasonable and expected. This is because tire construction was much more subject to both wear and damage, and teh roads had many more hazards - so fla tires were a normal phenomenon. Due to vastly improved road construction standards and huge advances in tire construction, flats happened a tiny fraction of the frequency seen in, say the 1950s or 60s.

With that said, they do occur. I have had tw flats in 13 years and about 500k miles driving Teslas. Towing a Tesla is not a “thing” - they are generally flat-bedded, or one axle put on dollies and the other elevated behind the lead truck. Tesla provides roadside assistance most anywhere in the U.S. In urban areas this is done with their own trucks and staff. In other areas, they use contractors. At my Delray Beach, FL house, they sent their truck, which has a full tire-changing rig, to my spot by the side of the road. In that case, they try to have a (red-painted) spare wheel that is installed temporarily and you go on your way. With proliferating models and sizes, this is increasingly hard for them to do, but it is still a thing. In my case, with a MX, that worked. The next day the same Tesla guy and truck came to my house with a new tire, and swapped it in my driveway, including balancing the tire. Th either time I was on a road trip. Using teh tesla app, I called for roadside assistance. A Tesla rep called nearly instantly and sent a local wrecker company out. They flatbedded the vehicle to the closest Tesla Service Center. I had to get a motel room and go the next day to teh center, which did not have the tire. They scrambled, found one somewhere close enough to courier, and had me back on teh road that afternoon.

Which leads to the real issue with modern EV tires. They are different and often custom to the model, not available, or difficult to find. For example, my wife took delivery of a new ‘26 MY on March 31 of this year. The very next day she hit an object on our street, which is a home construction zone (new neighborhood), and took a chunk out of the sidewall on her under-100-mile passenger side rear tire. It was still inflated, but clearly not safe to drive very far, so she came home and parked it.

I contacted Tesla through the app, they called immediately. They informed me there were no replacement tire available anywhere on the east coast for the new Model Y. It has a special Hancook tire made exclusively for Tesla, with a foam liner to minimize road sound, and a special size and tread compound. I drove it carefully to a local “Mr. Tire” and was told the same thing - we cannot supply a tire for that car yet.

I then went to the Tire Warehouse website, and found two “options” but they were different tires and the website said all four should be replaced. I then called their 800 number and found a knowledgeable rep who said they had just received a few of the Hancook EV-specific tires in the same size and model as the ones on my wife’s new MY, but that they were NOT the Tesla-specific version with the Tesla-specific rubber compound. They did, however, have the required foam liner and were the same size and weight, tire model. They gave me the option to purchase one at my own risk, which I did, had it shipped to the local Mr. Tire, which installed it three days later for $50. That, unfortunately, is how tire repairs work these days.

Great response, and detail. Thanks you!

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