Nail in tire..can not repair

[postalav8]

At least I had the car for a month. Got a nail in one of the tires. Took it to the base auto hobby shop for repair. I was told it is to close to the side wall for repair. It is in the first groove from the side between treads.

Am I out of luck? Looks like the Dunlops do not have any puncture warranty. Is their anything I can do? Contact Dunlop and see if I can purchase a warranty for the tires? (like you can purchase when you buy when you replace tires.) I am honest and will tell them upfront about the issue. Call the dealer and see if they can work something out? Not putting all my eggs in this basket. Or just eat it and buy a new tire. Any suggestions are welcomed.

 

[Sayantsi]

I think your best bet is just buying a new tire - at least it happened when all the rest are basically new, saving you from having to buy at least two.

 

[BocaDave]

Hmmm. $35K car... $150 tire... $10 repair?

I don't know how to talk them into a new tire.

I suggest these somewhat risky and/or immoral solutions:

1) Take it to another tire repair shop, maybe they will repair it (the guy who decided its "too close" to the sidewall was making a judgment call, someone else may view it differently). The put it back on the car and use it. THE RISK IS THAT THE 1st GUY WAS RIGHT, AND YOU'RE PUTTING YOURSELF AND OTHERS IN DANGER by using a risky tire.

2) Repair the tire somewhere else (as in #1, above), then mark it "spare use only at low speed," then replace it with a new full sized tire.

(This works if it will fit in your trunk, but the spare may not be full sized). You still have to buy a new tire, but this way you end up with a POTENTIALLY RISKY full sized spare that in all probability will never get used.

3) Buy a new tire with a puncture replacement policy (usually costs about $10) and have it mounted. Save the old tire. A month later bring in the old tire, tell them its the new tire, and have them replace it under warranty. That way you end up with two new tires for the price of one. MORALLY QUESTIONABLE, AT BEST, but doesn't put your life at risk.

Good luck, whatever you choose to do.

 

[Richard Ft. Lauderdale]

Same thing happened to me in June. Could not find a new Dunlop in the state of Florida. Had to go with four new Michelins.

 

[rrobbins]

Same thing happened to me except I have 16K on my tires. No replacement in Cleveland area. Conrads had to order a replacement and it is suppose to take two days for delivery.

 

[dtreter]

The same thing happened to me too. I went to the dealer and they ordered a new tire for me. It took about a week for it to come in.

 

[msitter]

3) Buy a new tire with a puncture replacement policy (usually costs about $10) and have it mounted. Save the old tire. A month later bring in the old tire, tell them its the new tire, and have them replace it under warranty. That way you end up with two new tires for the price of one. MORALLY QUESTIONABLE, AT BEST, but doesn't put your life at risk.


Tires have serial numbers and the bad one on your car will not match the warranty slip on the new one. Not worth the embarrassment when the little swindle is exposed. I am sure the tire companies are on to all of these schemes. Best thing is too just bite the bullet and and buy a new tire and when the old one is off, see if a tire shop can patch it from the inside with one of those heavy duty radial patches. From what I have seen if the nail did not penetrate the sidewall, the tire should be useable. Hope this helps.

 

[robthoke]

The person who said it could not be repaired - was he referring to plugging the hole or breaking it down and putting a patch on the hole? If it is not a rip, it should be able to be repaired via a patch. Just my 2 cents.

 

[rrobbins]

The person who said it could not be repaired - was he referring to plugging the hole or breaking it down and putting a patch on the hole? If it is not a rip, it should be able to be repaired via a patch. Just my 2 cents.

That was my feeling, but everyone says no it can't be done. I think that it is easier to sell a new tire than to take the tire off repair it an remount it.

 

[UIUC]

This is a bit off the subject, but I was wondering how many of you with the V6 had any problem with using the spare/emergency tire. I ask because I noticed when I checked (for the first time in 2 1/2 years!) the tire pressure of the spare that its size is T 135 90D 17. I have a V6 with Premium so my wheels are 18."
The spare evidently was sized to match the standard V6 17" wheels. I'm not sure if that disparity would cause handling problems.

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[motorsportsauthority]

Spares are just that. A spare. They're not made to be a replacement for when your tire goes flat. They're made to get you to a tire place to get it replaced. That's about it. You can for a while, but I personally don't.

As to the patch - being that close to the sidewall, it's iffy. You run into liability possibilities which is why they wouldn't change it.

1. Dunlop will not warranty those tires, I know that.
2. Tire manufacturers do not offer an "extended warranty" on tires. Extended warranties on anything are dealt with by third parties. You can purchase a road hazard warranty (most places carry it), but there are stipulations.
1. They will pay for your new tire, but only after they've adjusted the betterment. That basically means they're "buying" your old tire at value depending on the % of tread worn.

 

[bpa5152]

I had a tire fixed a month ago that had a screw 2 inches from the side wall. I was told it could be repaired but the next day the repaired tire was flat again. You are sometimes better off buying a new tire if you want your tire to be dependable. Their is a saying "The Cheap Pay Twice". Sometimes when you try to avoid the cost of a new tire it ends up costing your more especially with the inconvenience.

 

[verycooljdm]

If it is on the side, it is hard to repair~~~

 

[OldSpice]

I was told it is to close to the side wall for repair. It is in the first groove from the side between treads.

Fix it yourself, Walmart sells a plug kit if you can't get it patched from inside the tire

 

[ricrawling]

I bought my 2009 4.6 Tech a few months ago. It was a CPO, and it had about 19,000 miles when I got it. Luckily, the dealer had already put new Kuhmo tires on it when I bought it. I went down to my Discount Tire store, who I had purchased tires from on a few other cars in the past, and had them put lifetime rotation/balance and a road hazard warranty for about $90.00. That also includes free tire repair for the lifetime of the tire at any of their stores in the U.S. When I had them rotate the tires the first time, I had already picked up a nail in one tire. Then a week later on a business trip, I picked up a huge nail/screw. My biggest problem was there was no Discount Tire center within several hours of me. I called the store to ask what to do, and they informed me to just get it fixed at the closest tire store (patched or a new tire if it took that), and they would reimburse me for whatever out of pocket costs that I have. I would highly recommend calling around to stores in your area to see if they offer a similar plan.

 

[postalav8]

It has been close to a year, forgot about starting this thread. Update to OP. Took it to a tire shop out in town and they plugged it from the inside. When I went to pay, was told on the house as a thanks for serving in the Marine Corps. Told them that when I need tires I will be back. Plug has held for a year now.

 

[robthoke]

Doesn't it make you feel warm and fuzzy inside when someone does that for you simply because you made the decision to serve in the military. People like that deserve the business and you should let your military friends know to give him their business. That shop "Supports the Troops". I too thank you for your service.

Robert
USAF Retired