[nojelly]

I started my car this afternoon and immediately got the red warning that my driver's side rear tire lost pressure, -15 PSI. So it's going to be one of those days. Quick inspection after rolling the car out of the garage revealed a screw head sticking out smack in the middle of the tire. Nowhere near the side walls, fortunately.

Given that the pressure difference was already down to -19PSI after my quick inspection, I carefully drove the car the rather short distance to the nearest mechanic, because I did not want the tire to go so flat that I would have had to call a towing company or something. They repaired the tire immediately, within 15 or 20 minutes or so, and I was on my way back home.

So now my question is... can I keep it like that? Might the at least -20PSI pressure difference once I reached the mechanic possibly have damaged my tire? Is the quick repair likely to be sufficient, or will I have worse problems down the road (no pun intended)?

 

[Gordan Shumway]

I don't know what roughly 13# of air looks like in these tires, so it is hard to say if damage was done. I suspect as long as it was riding on some air for just a short distance it should be OK. Taken in a vacuum, I wouldn't worry about the repair itself at all unless the car was used as a track car.

 

[Jim137a]

There's a few things to consider:

Age and condition of the tires - if the rear tires are near the end of their tread life you'd be better off replacing both rears for piece of mind and for safety reasons.

Did the mechanic just put a plug in the tire or did he remove the tire from the rim and patch the tire from the inside. Patching the tire from the inside is a much better repair and you shouldn't have any long term issues. If he merely ran a plug into the tire I would personally take the car to a competent tire shop and have them internally patch the tire.

When and if you go to a competent tire repair shop have them inspect the tire for sidewall damage - I doubt that you did damage the tire sidewall on your short and careful trip to the tire shop but it can't hurt to be safe.

Porsche dealers will not plug or patch tires.

 

[Budman]

"Porsche dealers will not plug or patch tires."

Not true. I have had two Porsche dealers patch flat tires. As long as the cause is closer to the middle of the tread than the shoulder and you haven't driven on it while flat, my experience is that two out of two dealers will patch.

To the OP, the internal patch is the best. In my case, both dealers put in a plug AND an internal patch and the tires were fine for another 15,000 miles before I wore them out.:cheers:

 

[nojelly]

Age and condition of the tires - if the rear tires are near the end of their tread life you'd be better off replacing both rears for piece of mind and for safety reasons.

They are still relatively new, which is why I'm reluctant to have them swapped. I already had to get a new front pair a while ago because I had a sidewall bulge (something I know is not repairable).

Did the mechanic just put a plug in the tire or did he remove the tire from the rim and patch the tire from the inside. Patching the tire from the inside is a much better repair and you shouldn't have any long term issues. If he merely ran a plug into the tire I would personally take the car to a competent tire shop and have them internally patch the tire.

That's the problem, I don't really know what exactly they did. But I know that they did "remove and open up" the tire. Does that sound like they patched it?

 

[fast1]

Because of liability concerns, tire dealers are very conservative in determining what tires can be safely repaired. So if they repaired it, I'm certain you'll be fine.

 

[nojelly]

Are 15-20 minutes even enough time for that procedure?

 

[nojelly]

Because of liability concerns, tire dealers are very conservative in determining what tires can be safely repaired. So if they repaired it, I'm certain you'll be fine.

Was not a dealer, was just the nearest mechanic (good review on Yelp at least).

 

[Croc'ed]

If the tire was patched from the inside, the technician should have inspected the carcass for internal damage. I doubt he would have effected a repair if it was unsafe to do so.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[Jim137a]

I'd simply go back to the auto shop where you had the tire repaired and ask them if the patched the tire from the inside - if it was patched from the inside you should be fine.

As others have posted no competent shop will repair a tire that they feel is unsafe as they don't want the liability.

They are still relatively new, which is why I'm reluctant to have them swapped. I already had to get a new front pair a while ago because I had a sidewall bulge (something I know is not repairable).



That's the problem, I don't really know what exactly they did. But I know that they did "remove and open up" the tire. Does that sound like they patched it?

 

[Jim137a]

"Porsche dealers will not plug or patch tires."

Not true. I have had two Porsche dealers patch flat tires. As long as the cause is closer to the middle of the tread than the shoulder and you haven't driven on it while flat, my experience is that two out of two dealers will patch.

To the OP, the internal patch is the best. In my case, both dealers put in a plug AND an internal patch and the tires were fine for another 15,000 miles before I wore them out.:cheers:

I stand corrected - my dealer will not patch a tire but note that's the only Porsche dealer I asked to patch a tire.

 

[Noah Fect]

You should be fine. Since they bothered to take the tire off, that suggests that they patched it.

You can expect this particular annoyance to crop up every 10K miles or so.

 

[wanderingwheelz]

Are 15-20 minutes even enough time for that procedure?

I doubt a patch repair could be done in that amount of time. Probably the most obvious way to know what was done is how much he charged you for the repair. A plug should have been @ $20. A patch from the inside would be at least twice that due to the additional time needed for that procedure.

Either way, it's highly unlikely that you'll ever have a problem. I once ran over a large nail set, large side first, in my truck (that's the tool used to set finishing nails) and my mechanic had to use two plugs since the hole was so large. I never had a problem with the tire.

I've wondered in the past if a Porsche dealer takes off all 4 tires to inspect the insides to confirm the tires are all free of repairs, before they CPO a car. I would never drive at high speeds on a tire that was compromised even if it was patched properly. No way.

 

[CGH3]

why is this a problem. Porsche provides a handy spare (usually Pilot Super Sports,) an easy-to-use jack and a full tool kit.

What? They don't?

Oh...

 

[wanderingwheelz]

why is this a problem. Porsche provides a handy spare (usually Pilot Super Sports,) an easy-to-use jack and a full tool kit.

What? They don't?

Oh...

This is precisely why I don't like for my wife to take the car too far from home. (She insists it's because I'd rather have the miles put on one of the SUVs though.)

 

[fast1]

I've wondered in the past if a Porsche dealer takes off all 4 tires to inspect the insides to confirm the tires are all free of repairs, before they CPOicon a car. I would never drive at high speeds on a tire that was compromised even if it was patched properly. No way.

LOL No way that any dealer would take off 4 tires to inspect for a tire repair. They will however check tread wear and depth.
As far as driving with a repaired tire on the track where you'll be travelling at speeds well in excess of 100 MPH for prolonged periods of time, I agree with your concern. OTOH if you are talking about driving on public roads, I disagree. A repaired tire is perfectly safe at highway speeds. If they weren't we would be bombarded with lawyer ads about class action suits brought against tire dealers. If there is even the smallest chance of a tire being compromised, no reputable dealer will make the repair. Why would anyone take the risk of incurring a huge law suit for a $30 repair? They would much rather sell you a new replacement tire for a couple hundred dollars with no risk.

 

[HBD]

The best of all worlds is an inside patch and plug. But an outside plug, if properly applied, is fine. However, in either case the tire is compromised and should never be used on a track or sustained high speed driving. Normal driving or even spirited road driving should be okay.

Porsche dealers, as a general rule, will not patch a tire for two reasons: 1) liability and 2) they really want to sell you a new tire (or two). I tried to have a tire repaired at the dealer and was initially told - NO. After some heated discussion, they begrudgingly agreed if I'd sign a waiver and the cost would be ~$100. At this point, I said - NO. The local tire store did the job (inside patch) in less than 1/2 hour, with no back talk for ~$15. The tire is still good after ~8k miles.

 

[1028Caymn]

I started my car this afternoon and immediately got the red warning that my driver's side rear tire lost pressure, -15 PSI. So it's going to be one of those days. Quick inspection after rolling the car out of the garage revealed a screw head sticking out smack in the middle of the tire. Nowhere near the side walls, fortunately.

Given that the pressure difference was already down to -19PSI after my quick inspection, I carefully drove the car the rather short distance to the nearest mechanic, because I did not want the tire to go so flat that I would have had to call a towing company or something. They repaired the tire immediately, within 15 or 20 minutes or so, and I was on my way back home.

So now my question is... can I keep it like that? Might the at least -20PSI pressure difference once I reached the mechanic possibly have damaged my tire? Is the quick repair likely to be sufficient, or will I have worse problems down the road (no pun intended)?

Presuming you have no visible external damage to the tire or rim, it seems that your question is whether internal damage (particularly side wall) might have occurred during the short drive and -19 to -20 drop.
I'm not sure anyone can tell you for sure over the internet, so a check by tire experts is probably best. OTOH, you might take your other rear tire, drop pressure to -20, and look at the sidewall to see and decided informally for yourself.

 

[algiorda]

I carry a plug kit in my cars. I've plugged my own tires. They will last just fine, however, in cold weather you will start losing air as the plug/tire contracts. Once the tire warms up it seals itself better. This may give you enough time to think about replacing the tire with new.

If the screw is on the sidewall, most recommend you do NOT plug.

 

[ronaldvetteron]

This is personal choice. For me, I have gotten new tires (I have replaced 4 tires on various Caymans I have owned due to punctures). More than likely the steel belt gets compromised when punctured. I travel fast enough that I prefer not to have that worry. I ocassionally take my car on the track and the speeds are high enough and enough side load stress put on the tire that I personally feel better about it. I have gotten enough punctures that I always carry the tire/wheel insurance which makes the decision a lot easier (i.e., I assume I will have punctures during the life of the car...).