Flat tire anyone?

When was the last time you had a flat?

Have a cell phone?

It's a non-issue.


Kai

 

Fix a flat is good in a pinch. It'll clog up the TPMS sending units and require replacement. On the road, you ought to be able to get Ferrari roadside assistance to tow it to a Ferrari facility. Big PITA, yes.

 

The car is delivered with Tire fix and compressor. If that clogs the TMPS-sensor - so what...
You have roadside assistance by Ferrari, so I wouldn't bother too much.
It's been a long time since I had my last flat on my Porsche. The car was flatbedded to the next maintenance station and I got a replacement car for the time they needed to fix it...

 

gqa: i feel your pain!


kai: actually 2 flats in less than 1 year due to: low profile sidewalls + pothole littered roads
yes I have a cell phone + on star for my DD CTS V Coupe

during the development of the V Series Cadillacs there were countless debates regarding whether or not to include a spare
smartasses like myself kept asking 'when was the last time anyone here had a flat?'
with OnStar & cellphones it's a 'non issue' I said

fast forward to 2012 yours truly is driving on a nice Sunday evening when all of the sudden POW.............. blowout
pull over immediately and there is a hole in the sidewall as big as my fist
so doing what any normal person would do I open the trunk to realize no spare
of course....those Bozos elected not to include one, why didn't I remember that
call OnStar and the perky young lady suggests using my inflator kit, to which i replied 'don't think given the size of the hole,thats not an option'
she says next step is a flatbed will be on its way shortly to haul said immobile car away
45 min later flatbed shows up.....driver takes a look at CTS Coupe and says ' no way that car will be able to get on my flatbed' with the front tire totally deflated,there car now sits too low for it to be able to go up the ramp without seriously scraping the lower front fascia
my response was 'not the right answer' we're going to figure out a way to get it up there
I asked if he had any lumber 2X4 etc
he indicated a positive response
we made a makeshift 'ramp' although he said there was no way he would be driving the car up that ramp so I said you guide me and I'll do it
very carefully got it on the flatbed and asked for a ride to where he was taking the car
before getting in the truck he said ' those damn designers make those front ends so low I always have trouble getting them on the back of my truck'
after biting my tongue i quietly got into the truck for my ride

the 2nd flat happened this last winter in 2 degree F weather at night
hit an unseen pothole with the same results of a sidewall blown out
this time i was close enough to home so I drove the car home on the flat!

the moral of the story is while your car may not have a spare and 'no one gets a flat anymore' .......there are those occasions
I was fortunate enough to have had them happen in a metropolitan area
if I had been out in the middle of nowhere....that's a different story

my 458 doesn't have a spare either.....it's the wave of the future

 

Last year coming home my annual Fcar service the car got a flat. Was able to nurse it home. used fix a flat and compressor but tire would not hold air overnight.

Fcar Roadside assistance picked up the car. Decided to replace the Pzeros with 7k miles and get all new Mich Pilot SS. The rear tires were getting close to replacement.

And yes the TPMS sensor in the effected tire had to be replaced which I paid for.

Best

 

Your "cell phone" may get the car moved from one place to another, but if the tire is destroyed, you (and I have) may wait 24-48 hours to have a tire moved from a warehouse to wherever you are located. Maybe this is a "non issue" to you but was not for me. Best

 

When was the last time you "destroyed" a tire?

For me it's been over ten years that I had catastrophic tire failure.
The odds of it happening don't warrant carrying a spare.

Kai

 

catostrophic tire failure = twice in two years

you're correct in the odds however,hence why car mfg. are leaving them out, but sh*t does happen under the best of circumstances

 

It was 2 years ago.

I rather be prepared as well as minimize inconvenience, if at all possible.

Another, more stark example may make my point. My wife and I have concealed weapons permits. Do we "need" a gun? Only when/ if we do. Best

 

I always carry a plug kit. Used it once in 20 years. It's easier than changing a tire. I ran a gas station in high school changed many tires. If you don't know what you are doing, aren't in a safe place and aren't strong it's dangerous.

 

I carry this in my car
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Wow who makes it?

 

thank goodness he had the 2X4's on his truck!!! makeshift ramps indeed
but my intention was not to scare you or cause concern about the lack of a spare
statistically speaking the odds are in your favor....the chances of having a catostrophic tire failure are very slim and thats why auto mfg are opting to forgo spare tires
the fact that I had 2 tire failures where I wasn't able to use the inflator kit are just bad luck and maybe some payback for dismissing the whole thing back in '08, who knows?
at any rate buy your car and enjoy it and don't worry about flat tires
Ferrari has the ability to pick up your car if necessary and take it where it can be fixed
you will never be able to anticipate every possible negative scenario so just enjoy the car

 

By now, you get the idea. More likely than not you will get a minor puncture that is addressable with a compressor and Fix-a-Flat. But there is always the risk of a catastrophic failure, in which case it is the flat bed for you.

As an aside, I had the option to order run-flats on my FF, which we use for cross country trips and also does not have any kind of spare. I chose not to because:
1. They seriously compromise ride (and some handling)
2. They won't help you in a catastrophic failure (e.g., sidewall).

 

there isn't much of anything thats going to help you when you get a hole the size of a baseball in the sidewall of a tire
then it's time to cool your jets and patiently wait for the handy dandy flatbed truck to make an appearance

 

That's right. It seemed to me that run-flats buy you very little in security and come with a big performance debit.

 

Jim,
You can pick that kit up at any major auto parts store. Its made by Slime products.
Costs about 90 bucks I think.