Just wondering, has anyone ever use these and do they work well? TIA.
one time when i was a teenager and very poor i had a camaro with air shocks on it... one of them went out... slow leak... i used fix a flat in the air shock and it held for 8 months...wow... kc
I agree with the others. It doesn't perform a repair its just a bandaid to get you to a place where you can change the tire. Just imagine what your wheel balance will be like with a half can of that goo sloshing around inside your tire. Its not nice.
I agree it makes it a nightmare to work on the tires.....back in high school i worked on cars and when a tire was brought in for repair i would charge extra if fix a flat was used.
In the 355s tool kit, isn't that essentially a "fix-a-flat" in lieu of a spare tire (I think a spare tire was an "option" on 355s). I don't know, but I would just call AAA and flat-bed it if I had a tire issue, but in an emergency... (and if it's a bad cut/sideway type damage, fix-a-flat doesn't work). my $.02
On 575 and later cars with the tire pressure monitoring system, the sensor inside the wheel has a pressure transducer that is rendered inoperative if the spare tire in a can is used. A new sensor, when 575's were new was on the order of $500. Additionally it is Ferrari policy that whenever the can is used that the tire should be replaced. It all makes for a very expensive flat.
I have seen that stuff on rims that people didnt bring right away to the tire shop.....nasty stuff man, much of the rim has like "eaten" almost. It tried to adhere itself to the metal or somethin. I would rather pay for tripple A..... PS If you can afford a ferrari.....you can get AAA hahaha cameron
It's always made a helluva lot more sense to me to carry in your toolkit a tire plug kit and a small 12vDC air compressor. If you're really stranded, you won't mind taking the wheel off the car, plugging it yourself (it's not rocket science), reinflating it, and getting going again. Fix-A-Flat screws up whatever it touches (like, as has been said, $500 pressure sensors), and I've never known a can of it to actually inflate the tire to a safe pressure anyway. With high-performance tires, it's best to replace the tire than continue to run with the plug in place, but on a standard-use automobile, I've run for the rest of the life of the tire with plugs in with no problems.
I have never heard of Fix-a-Flat causing a fire, I'd like to see some actual proof instead of urban legen evidence. I've used fix-a-flat at least a dozen times, it has never ruined a tire, never ruined a rim, never caused a fire, etc...please share your experiences, not what you've heard.
The "flammable" part WAS true, but not any more. http://www.theautochannel.com/news/press/date/19990218/press003968.html The old style was withdrawn/recalled and a new safer formula introduced. Can't address wheel sensors since I only drive old school cars... I actually check my tire pressure routinely. ;-) I have seen some ancient alloy rims corroded internally from the stuff... but not in a long time. I have no idea how magnesium would react. As far as the tire being trashed, once you plug a tire you lose the speed rating anyway and many folks replace the tire anyway. In most of my cars I carry a small compressor, a plug kit, and a couple cans of Fixaflat... and no spare.... along with a AAA card. It's worked for me so far. Bill
"In rare instances, an explosion may occur if a tire repaired with the Fix-A-Flat(R) tire inflator product is subjected to extreme heat by welding on, or applying a flame to, the wheel rim with the tire still on the rim. " I'm sorry, but when was the last time you applied a flame to a tire you were changing? The only thing I could see as a possible fire hazard would be if the machine used to spin the old tire off the rim somehow released a spark. I would also hope that a tire technician would take the care to check the deflated tire for the presence of a flammible fluid prior to working on such a wheel. I suspect most fires were the result of the technician smoking while working. I realize it is easy to say "call a tow truck" or "use the spare" but sometimes you are in a bad area and getting out is your #1 priority, ask Bill Cosby's son. Changing a tire takes at least 20 minutes, you can fix-a-flat a tire in two.
Just my $.02, but the majority of the anti-fix a flat comments are total b.s. / urban legend. If you're stuck in the middle of nowhere I would sure as hell use it before calling local hack tow job. Wheel sensors, well that's what you rich fancy pants guys get (wink, j/k). Jokes aside, I seriously doubt it permanently destroys the sensor. I've used the stuff before for a flat in the 308 (mag rims). Absolutely no damage, left it in there for a couple months actually, was right before winter. It forms a thin, latex-like layer on the tire/rim. What doesn't adhere stays liquid, so there are no balancing issues (urban legend once again). Fire, gonna have to call total b.s. I cut that tire off myself (with a grinder) after the winter so I could check the rim for hairline cracks. There was no huge mess, no spontaneous combustion. And, I saw firsthand what the stuff does inside there (forms a very thing rubber layer, which easily rubs off by hand). Eats rims? When was the last time you saw a rubber glove eat a piece of steel, aluminum, or magnesium? I used to have the joy of changing tires for a living. I could definitely understand charging someone extra, especially if they didn't tell you beforehand. FaF has a purpose, it works well at that. It would hold air permanently if you left it in, but there are obvious points against doing that in a high-performance situation.
I used Prestone Tire Jack instead of Fix-a-Flat brand. When I bought it years ago, the reason for choosing Prestone was that Fix-a-Flat warned against use in z-rated tires. I don't know why, since I would never consider running at z-rated speeds with a damaged tire, but nonetheless that was their warning. I had only one occassion to use the stuff. Had a slightly bent rim that leaked and had made the tire completely flat overnite. The can inflated the tire enough to make the car drivable (slowly) to the nearest gas station. There I added more air to bring it up to the pressure recommended on the can. After that, I drove the car 10hrs to my next destination with no problems. It saved me days of downtime.
Actually you are quite wrong it does destroy the sensor. If you doubt me call 201-816-2600 and ask for Enzo Francesconi at Ferrari of North America and he will be able to set you straight. Or you can just read section F5.02 of the 575 shop manual.
Please explain how 6 - 8 ounces of fluid running around inside the tire is good for your wheel balance. From personal experience on my daily driver I can tell you that the "repaired" wheel vibrated at speed once FaF had been put in. It stained my rim as well. I wouldn't go near the stuff again.
I used fix a flat on my motorcycle a couple of times. I would NEVER EVER use it on my Ferrari. Yes, it is lattex, designed to adhere to the internal side of the tyre thus forming a film preventing the air to exit. The problem is that it becomes really sticky and removing it is a nightmare. In addition to that, gas and chemical additives WILL damage the rim in the medium, not long run. If you are forced to use it, my only suggestion is to go to a tyre shop ASAP, have the tyre removed and the rim properly cleaned. Just my .02. Ciao Eugenio
Ferrari, FNA in particular, is hardly the benchmark for automotive knowledge. They tend to be way behind all the major players in the industry (BMW, Porsche, GM, etc.) in regards to system design. Although I have no experience with the 575's sensors, I'd bet 9:1 it's not proprietary to Ferrari, and thus not subject to the magic "rules" that apply to certain parts they make. ie, it's a wheel sensor like any other and there are definitely less expensive sources than FNA to get them from. The point of my post was not to debate the damage to the sensor (there's definitely a risk - not a certainty- that will occur, you are subjecting it to situations it was not designed for), but merely to lay some common sense in that there are certainly cases where FaF is a wise choice, and one should recognize its usefulness as a tool (while keeping in mind its potential drawbacks)... If you get a flat in your driveway, pull the rims and throw on new tires. Get a flat at 3am, middle of nowhere or a bad area, it'll get you home.
