Answer

1. 

   253

   

   11-23-11

   MrFF says:

   

   Drat: A flat

   Tires never go flat at convenient times, on streets with no traffic, in perfect weather. It’s always on the side of the freeway, during rush hour, in the rain. Dragging out the jack, tire iron, and spare in these conditions is never fun, or sometimes even particularly safe — and that’s assuming all three of those items are actually present in your car and in working condition. After all, when was the last time you looked? Or checked to see if your spare has any air in it?

   The folks who came up with Fix-A-Flat (and other similar products under different brand names, including Slime Quick Spair and Prestone Tire Jack) know this, and have marketed themselves towards the non-mechanically inclined, and those who just don’t feel safe changing a flat. But how does this stuff work? Does it even work? Also important: Are there any consequences from using it? Keep reading.

   Magic in a can?

   While the actual ingredients of these emergency inflators are something of a trade secret, the principle behind them is the same across the board. A liquid and a propellant, shoot out of a can, into your tire. The liquid “finds” the hole and seals it while the propellant inflates the tire. Seems simple enough.

   Wait… how does liquid seal a hole? The liquid reacts upon contact with the air — it changes chemically and hardens and seals off the hole, preventing air from escaping. Pretty neat trick. So what could possibly be bad about this?

   There’s always a catch

   Here’s the thing. The liquid “finds” the hole by coating the entire inside of your tire with itself, so it ends up all over the place. Some research shows that as the stuff hardens to fill the hole, it also hardens all over the inside of your tire. This causes the balance of the tire to go off and causes vibrations and uneven tire wear.

   It doesn’t stop there, as left in the tire for a long period of time, it will eventually begin eating away at the tire itself, causing irreparable damage to the tire. If you really leave it in there for a long period of time, it will eventually start to eat away at the finish on the wheel, the Tire Pressure Monitor Sensors (TPMS), and the material of the wheel itself. This can get very expensive.

   So why would you use this stuff?

   Here’s the thing — flat repairers like this are a temporary solution. They are meant to be used long enough to get your car out of a dangerous area and to a tire shop where the bad tire can be repaired or replaced. Do not drive on a tire you have used this sort of product on for months, weeks, or even days.

   Also very important — when you have used one of these products and then take your car immediately to the tire shop like you’re supposed to, please do the shop a favor and let them know that you used a flat repair can. The propellant used in some of these products is flammable, and no tire shop tech likes getting his eyebrows singed off — or worse. For the record, the actual Fix-A-Flat® brand is non-flammable, but off brands may still use butane or propane as a propellant. They’re also going to want to know so they aren’t surprised by the mess that this stuff will leave all over the inside of the wheel and tire. Some shops may charge you a “cleaning fee” to remove it.

   Use it wisely

   Of course, also keep in mind that these products are designed for small holes in the middle of the tread. If you have a hole the size of a quarter, you’re out of luck. If the hole is in the sidewall of the tire, you’re out of luck. If the tire is completely flat and has separated from the bead (the lip or edge of the wheel), you’re out of luck. And sometimes the use of a flat repair product will prevent the tire from being able to be patched.

   Final thoughts

   If it’s the heart of rush hour, in the dead of winter, at night, with snow/rain/frogs falling and you’ve got 18 inches separating you and an endless stream of metal moving at 65mph, spending a few short minutes with a can of this stuff is a great idea — provided you go straight to a tire shop afterwards. It’s certainly a better alternative than getting clobbered by a semi while futzing with a jack, and keeping a can of this stuff in your trunk isn’t a horrible idea.

   But if you’ve got safety on your side, take a few extra minutes to break out the jack and put the spare on. It might save you a lot of money, time, and hassle down the road — so to speak.

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