birdog1960 Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 my wife hit a massive pothole the other day and the hit was hard enought to worry her. took it in to the buick dealer who told her everything was fine. next morning the front tire's flat. i go to put on the spare and there isn't one. there's an electric pump with sealant. turns out she bent two rims and both tires had sidewall bubbles. all are now replaced but i was unhappy about the safety issue of no spare and sending her home on bent rims and sent my concerns via email to gm. they replied immediately and told me they'd supply a free spare. the dealer had previously quoted $580 for a spare. now they tell me there is no spare that fits the 19 inch wheels, goes over the brembo calipers and fits in the trunk tire space. they gave her oil changes, routine maintanence and tire rotation free for 2 years at any buick dealer, instead. still, no available spare seems unbelievable. the whole idea of no spare seems ridiculous. i've heard some companies are putting on oe run flats in leiu of spares. i'd rather have a spare in any case. a pump and sealant isn't gonna help with a low profile tire sidewall blowout out in the middle of nowhere and on star isn't a great solution in the mountains. anybody else unexpectantly discovered they don't have a spare? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 tell 'em to give you a full size spare & keep it in your garage, keep sealant in the car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Avenger Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 The Toyota Sienna does not come with a spare if you have AWD - no room for it with the extra mechanics. Instead, they equip the van with OE run flats. I like the idea of run flats, particularly because the person driving the van 95% of the time is my wife and she usually has the kids with her - not crazy about seeing her on the side of the road with a flat - glad that in most cases she could at least drive to get some help. The downside is that the tires are super expensive and very limited - the cheapest I can find for a run flat is about $250 a tire for the size I need and the choices I have are a decent snow tire or 2 all season tires - neither of the all seasons has very good reviews and they have short tread life. In addition, not all shops can work with the run flats - we've been a couple of places that don't have the right equipment to put them on/off the rims - we've had to go to dedicated tire shops. Many Sienna owner have given up on the run flats and just switched to carrying a spare in the back - in fact, I got 3 free run flats this way when a guy had to get a new tire and decided to get rid of his run flats - $750 in free tires - sweet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 (edited) Most cars now don't have spares, just the sealant thing. I guess it saves on space and weight? Anyway, I shouldn't say this... I never got caught on the road where I needed the spare, still have them anyway. I do check my tires all the time and can't tell you how many times I found stuff sticking out of them. If it is me, I carry a plug kit and plug it right on the car! Of course if it is on the tread part. One time with my wife's car, I was using it and found a 4 inch deck screw sticking out of the side wall... Screw changing it w/the spare... It was still holding air, so I drove slowly to the tire place I normally go to... About 3 miles away. Anyway, nice having a spare... BUT I can't tell you if I ever used it. Now, what I normally do is when I get another set of tires... I keep one good tire from the old set... Put that in the garage. I used that one w/the deck screw incident (was a sidewall, so tire was puked). NOTE: If AWD, make sure all 4 tires are within the worn tread range! Don't buy the hooey that you need all 4 new ones! That is true to an extent... BUT there is a manufacturerers tread range spec. Car companies know? How often do you really use the donut spare? And the full size is just added weight/space... It is nice having it though. Which leads me to... Why didn't the Buick dealer discover that the rims were bent. She went in after hitting a pot hole and they checked it out and sent her on her way. They missed the damage? HuH? That something a spare won't help with. Stevie Wonder working @ the Buick dealership? I had 19" OEM rims on my 2006 Chrysler... Wife banged them to hell! So many bends, especially on the inside. Note that later in my post I say how I switched to 17's. Oh... And the most inportant thing. Like a ski instructor told me many years ago when people complain about ice on the slopes: "Just don't turn on the ice patch, turn somewhere else." Don't drive over pot holes! Just being funny, there are times when you can't avoid them due to safety and other traffic... BUT, you can slow down before hitting them. Which leads me to my pet peeve about newer cars... Low profile tires... When I got my next set, I changed from 19" rims to 17" rims and tires... I kept the metric all the same as the original tires/rims (AWD, you have to). That gives you more rubber sidewall. Always cracks me up seeing people in off road vehicles w/16", 17", 18"+ rims and tire combos... No sidewall, how the heck are they gonna go wheelin'? A nice 15" rim and whatever tire that floats your boat will give you the best protection! Same with cars... More sidewall, you will get better fuel milage, you get better wear... BUT it won't look as sexy as the 22's, 20's, or 19's (which is an odd size that is becoming more popular and easier to find tires for) AND won't give you the best handling. Who drives like Mario Andretti anyway? Gotta go, I am rambling! ;-) Edited January 9, 2014 by ExiledInIllinois Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdog1960 Posted January 9, 2014 Author Share Posted January 9, 2014 Most cars now don't have spares, just the sealant thing. I guess it saves on space and weight? Anyway, I shouldn't say this... I never got caught on the road where I needed the spare, still have them anyway. I do check my tires all the time and can't tell you how many times I found stuff sticking out of them. If it is me, I carry a plug kit and plug it right on the car! Of course if it is on the tread part. One time with my wife's car, I was using it and found a 4 inch deck screw sticking out of the side wall... Screw changing it w/the spare... It was still holding air, so I drove slowly to the tire place I normally go to... About 3 miles away. Anyway, nice having a spare... BUT I can't tell you if I ever used it. Now, what I normally do is when I get another set of tires... I keep one good tire from the old set... Put that in the garage. I used that one w/the deck screw incident (was a sidewall, so tire was puked). NOTE: If AWD, make sure all 4 tires are within the worn tread range! Don't buy the hooey that you need all 4 new ones! That is true to an extent... BUT there is a manufacturerers tread range spec. Car companies know? How often do you really use the donut spare? And the full size is just added weight/space... It is nice having it though. Which leads me to... Why didn't the Buick dealer discover that the rims were bent. She went in after hitting a pot hole and they checked it out and sent her on her way. They missed the damage? HuH? That something a spare won't help with. Stevie Wonder working @ the Buick dealership? I had 19" OEM rims on my 2006 Chrysler... Wife banged them to hell! So many bends, especially on the inside. Note that later in my post I say how I switched to 17's. Oh... And the most inportant thing. Like a ski instructor told me many years ago when people complain about ice on the slopes: "Just don't turn on the ice patch, turn somewhere else." Don't drive over pot holes! Just being funny, there are times when you can't avoid them due to safety and other traffic... BUT, you can slow down before hitting them. Which leads me to my pet peeve about newer cars... Low profile tires... When I got my next set, I changed from 19" rims to 17" rims and tires... I kept the metric all the same as the original tires/rims (AWD, you have to). That gives you more rubber sidewall. Always cracks me up seeing people in off road vehicles w/16", 17", 18"+ rims and tire combos... No sidewall, how the heck are they gonna go wheelin'? A nice 15" rim and whatever tire that floats your boat will give you the best protection! Same with cars... More sidewall, you will get better fuel milage, you get better wear... BUT it won't look as sexy as the 22's, 20's, or 19's (which is an odd size that is becoming more popular and easier to find tires for) AND won't give you the best handling. Who drives like Mario Andretti anyway? Gotta go, I am rambling! ;-) yes, i sgree there's no excuse for missing 2 bent rims and impending sidewall blowouts. pretty sure that's why they offered a free spare initially and we ended up with 2 years free service. that dealer's in the next town over. we won't be returning.i also agree that low profile tires have many disadvantages. the problem is my wife thinks she's danica patrick. she likes cornering fast and furious. so you're might ask what she's doing in a buick. it's a gs with a six speed and top speed of almost 170. i'm amazed my safety argument got any traction at all from gm...i've read that the car makers save like 40 bucks by not placing spares. it also improves weight and mileage. but i think it at least should be an option at reasonable cost (like $40). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 yes, i sgree there's no excuse for missing 2 bent rims and impending sidewall blowouts. pretty sure that's why they offered a free spare initially and we ended up with 2 years free service. that dealer's in the next town over. we won't be returning.i also agree that low profile tires have many disadvantages. the problem is my wife thinks she's danica patrick. she likes cornering fast and furious. so you're might ask what she's doing in a buick. it's a gs with a six speed and top speed of almost 170. i'm amazed my safety argument got any traction at all from gm...i've read that the car makers save like 40 bucks by not placing spares. it also improves weight and mileage. but i think it at least should be an option at reasonable cost (like $40). LoL... I think we are getting to the problem... Aye, is Danica is in the house! LoL... My father's argument against wearing seat belts was always: "I am gonna drive faster now, I feel like Mario Andretti!" LoL... Oh really dad... ?? Maybe he has a point with all these race-inspired/tuned cars they are hawking now! Make her drive a POS Yugo, it will wipe the whole Danica urge outta here! ;-P ;-P It won't be 40 bucks when you buy... Probably like 300... They can save 40 bucks over the whole line of cars they are making... Do the math, that's a bundle. Now, if they gotta get the option to the dealer, etc.. etc... the price goes up. Good thing this isn't in PPP Bird. You'd take a beating on this point! ;-P ;-P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eSJayDee Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Have you tried to replace a tire w/ the equipment provided w/ a car? I haven't, but have serious doubts I'd be able to. (That's ignoring the fact that I'm not too comfortable w/ a car supported only by a flimsy scissors jack & w/o a jack stand). Wheel bolts installed w/ an impact wrench, w/o anti-seize compound that have been on for a yr or more are difficult to loosen w/ a 16" breaker bar, let alone those 8" wrenches typically supplied w/ the car. For that matter, most tire problems are slow, better to provide w/ a small compressor (& pressure gauge), so you can get the car somewhere it can be safely & easily repaired or replaced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Now THIS is a spare tire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 (edited) Have you tried to replace a tire w/ the equipment provided w/ a car? I haven't, but have serious doubts I'd be able to. (That's ignoring the fact that I'm not too comfortable w/ a car supported only by a flimsy scissors jack & w/o a jack stand). Wheel bolts installed w/ an impact wrench, w/o anti-seize compound that have been on for a yr or more are difficult to loosen w/ a 16" breaker bar, let alone those 8" wrenches typically supplied w/ the car. For that matter, most tire problems are slow, better to provide w/ a small compressor (& pressure gauge), so you can get the car somewhere it can be safely & easily repaired or replaced. Exactly! The car companies had to study it? Even w/my deck screw going right through the sidewall... I was able to limp toward the shop! Anytime I have caught it bad, it is usually @ home or @ work where there is a floor jack. Again, I carry a plug kit in my car and have plugged tires through the years many times... I don't buy what the tire places say about having to break it down and patch... I understand they have to CYA... No big deal, I never had a plug fail, then again, I never run my tires bald. I even told a guy @ a service station (yes still able to find them) up in Michigan to just plug it on the car (had wife's car, no kit)... It was Sunday and he obliged... Gave him 20 bucks for 5 minutes work. Even easier to plug on the Jeep... Clear of bumpers, front, just turn the wheel! On-board compressor is a handy thing too! I never looked into run flat... I suppose they are a good way to go? Edited January 9, 2014 by ExiledInIllinois Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Adams Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Run flats are super expensive to replace and in my experience, blow out more often. I had a run flat tire car and blew two out hitting potholes. Never had that happen with normal tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 (edited) Run flats are super expensive to replace and in my experience, blow out more often. I had a run flat tire car and blew two out hitting potholes. Never had that happen with normal tires. Interesting, I never looked into them. This season is going to brutal w/potholes. Godd luck out there. Still, low profile are hideous. My 19" wheels looked like hell after the first set of tires. Train tracks are a terrible cause for bends, especially on the inside bead. What heck was my wife doing, flying 45 mph over them? Edited January 9, 2014 by ExiledInIllinois Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Won't be long before we have George Jetson type cars No need for tires Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUFFALOKIE Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 I've never seen a pot hole wide enough to catch both wheels. Maybe Danica curbed it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdog1960 Posted January 10, 2014 Author Share Posted January 10, 2014 I've never seen a pot hole wide enough to catch both wheels. Maybe Danica curbed it? umm no, they were on the front and back passenger side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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