Not Such A Good Morning!

[Neverfuel]

It was a pretty frosty morning today. My wife went out to her car to find the battery was flat, so I prewarmed the PHEV to take her to work. About 10 mins after I had started pre warm, the alarm started, so I switched off the alarm and re locked the car using the remote. This happened 3 more times - can anybody hazard a guess as to what might have caused it?

Anyway, took the wife to work, but on the way I got the "Low Tyre Pressure" warning, so I pulled over and found a nail in the drivers side front. The tyre was still inflated, so dropped off the missus, and drove round the corner to a tyre repair place. I had to wait half an hour for them to open, only to be told that because the nail was in the shoulder of the tyre, they couldn't repair it, but they kindly pumped it up enough for me to drive to my local Mitsubishi dealer about 4 miles away. Mitsubishi have ordered a tyre from Toyo, which will be fitted by the dealer this afternoon at a cost of £137. But at least I am getting it fixed within the day, as I have a 3 day business trip starting tonight. It's the first time I have not just been able to put a spare on, and it makes you feel quite vulnerable. If I had have been on my business trip when it happened, I would have been on the back of a tow truck.

Would an inner tube work with the TPMS, as if it would, it might be worthwhile rescuing the tyre and keeping it as a spare, if I could get hold of one?

 

[Regulo]

Don't think it would. The sender unit (on the inside of the valve) would have to be inside the inner tube. How would you do that?

 

[maby]

Don't think it would. The sender unit (on the inside of the valve) would have to be inside the inner tube. How would you do that?

Is there anything to stop you running without the TPMS for a while? We had a low pressure warning a couple of months ago - no obvious leak, I simply had not checked the pressures for ages - and the car didn't stop running - simply complained.

 

[Neverfuel]

Don't think it would. The sender unit (on the inside of the valve) would have to be inside the inner tube. How would you do that?

Is there anything to stop you running without the TPMS for a while? We had a low pressure warning a couple of months ago - no obvious leak, I simply had not checked the pressures for ages - and the car didn't stop running - simply complained.

It will be sorted this afternoon, I was just wondering whether it was worth keeping the old one as a spare?

 

[maby]

Don't think it would. The sender unit (on the inside of the valve) would have to be inside the inner tube. How would you do that?

Is there anything to stop you running without the TPMS for a while? We had a low pressure warning a couple of months ago - no obvious leak, I simply had not checked the pressures for ages - and the car didn't stop running - simply complained.

It will be sorted this afternoon, I was just wondering whether it was worth keeping the old one as a spare?

and that makes a degree of sense - at least if you don't mind carrying it around in the load space. It would not help us much - when we travel any significant distance, the car is generally pretty close to full without stuffing a rather large wheel in there!

 

[jaapv]

I half-solved this problem by buying a roadside tyre plug kit and tyres with run-flat properties.

Anyway our local AA (ANWB Wegenwacht) told me: never use that spray can if you can avoid it; it will ruin your tyre. Call us and we will do a proper repair by the roadside if at all possible.

I'm pretty happy that I have a pre-TPMS car. I have a valve-cap type of TPMS fitted, which in not as intrusive.

 

[jthspace]

it had to be Monday . . . sorry to hear of your woes today.

In all my other cars that have had no spare wheel, I ran with Ultraseal in them. I never had an issue with this - some people (including me) swear by it, others hate it, there does not seem to be a middle-ground.

I also used it on my motorcycles that had tubeless tyres, although a puncture in a tubeless tyre deflates slower than inner-tube ones, any sort of puncture on a motorbike is NOT fun. I did a tyre check after one long run and found two nails in the tyre, no puncture but Ultraseal had obviously done its job. Maybe saved me a spill, so as far as I am concerned, good stuff.

http://www.ultrasealgb.co.uk/site/index.php?&MMN_position=1:1

Also, if you tell a tyre repair place you have Ultraseal in the tyre, they can simply wash it out before plugging the tyre with a repair. If you use the stuff that comes in the boot, then generally they have to throw the tyre away, so a £10 repair becomes £150.

I am thinking of ordering some for the PHEV, will need to check if it works OK with the type of TPMS that is fitted.

Jeff

 

[Neverfuel]

I half-solved this problem by buying a roadside tyre plug kit and tyres with run-flat properties.

Anyway our local AA (ANWB Wegenwacht) told me: never use that spray can if you can avoid it; it will ruin your tyre. Call us and we will do a proper repair by the roadside if at all possible.

I'm pretty happy that I have a pre-TPMS car. I have a valve-cap type of TPMS fitted, which in not as intrusive.

Nice one Jaapv, I will be keeping the tyre and plugging it myself with a mushroom type plug. I will also be keeping a kit in the boot. I don't want to use the gunk, if I can avoid it as it can wreck the TPMS.

 

[maby]

it had to be Monday . . . sorry to hear of your woes today.

In all my other cars that have had no spare wheel, I ran with Ultraseal in them. I never had an issue with this - some people (including me) swear by it, others hate it, there does not seem to be a middle-ground.

I also used it on my motorcycles that had tubeless tyres, although a puncture in a tubeless tyre deflates slower than inner-tube ones, any sort of puncture on a motorbike is NOT fun. I did a tyre check after one long run and found two nails in the tyre, no puncture but Ultraseal had obviously done its job. Maybe saved me a spill, so as far as I am concerned, good stuff.

http://www.ultrasealgb.co.uk/site/index.php?&MMN_position=1:1

Also, if you tell a tyre repair place you have Ultraseal in the tyre, they can simply wash it out before plugging the tyre with a repair. If you use the stuff that comes in the boot, then generally they have to throw the tyre away, so a £10 repair becomes £150.

I am thinking of ordering some for the PHEV, will need to check if it works OK with the type of TPMS that is fitted.

Jeff

That stuff looks interesting - let us know how you get on.

 

[raymie]

While I also have a tyre plug kit my understanding is that it is not road legal to now do this yourself (I have only actually used it once and that was for the lawnmower).

 

[greendwarf]

Would an inner tube work with the TPMS, as if it would, it might be worthwhile rescuing the tyre and keeping it as a spare, if I could get hold of one?

Not mentioned in other replies is that the car has capacity for only 2 sets of 4 TPMS codes. So your "spare's" TPMS would not be recorded in the car and so give rise to a warning anyway - so no point in worrying about it

I'm sure you could get the tyre repaired by either a "back street" fitter (I did :twisted: ) or do it your self as described with a plug - after all you are only going to use it in an emergency

Finally, how many miles had the tyre done - there have been other posts (supported by looking it up on Google) that the difference in diameter/weight between a new and worn tyre can not only generate a warning but can actually damage the 4WD mechanism It seems recommended practice is to replace both tyres at a time on the same axle and for the new ones to be on the back.

 

[Bilbo59]

I have carried a spare for a year now although thankfully I have never needed it. The load space is compromised but it has never been an issue except for a couple of tip runs where I left the spare at home.

 

[Neverfuel]

Would an inner tube work with the TPMS, as if it would, it might be worthwhile rescuing the tyre and keeping it as a spare, if I could get hold of one?

Not mentioned in other replies is that the car has capacity for only 2 sets of 4 TPMS codes. So your "spare's" TPMS would not be recorded in the car and so give rise to a warning anyway - so no point in worrying about it

I'm sure you could get the tyre repaired by either a "back street" fitter (I did :twisted: ) or do it your self as described with a plug - after all you are only going to use it in an emergency

Finally, how many miles had the tyre done - there have been other posts (supported by looking it up on Google) that the difference in diameter/weight between a new and worn tyre can not only generate a warning but can actually damage the 4WD mechanism It seems recommended practice is to replace both tyres at a time on the same axle and for the new ones to be on the back.

Hi Greendwarf

I had a new tyre fitted - it cost me £165 but as it had only done 5500 miles! I kept the old tyre (so TPMS isn't an issue) and the nail is JUST inside the tread on the shoulder of the tyre. There are no split wires inside, so I will be doing a "mushroom" repair myself. I don't intend carrying the tyre unless I am doing a long journey, where I may be stranded away from home until a new tyre could be ordered and fitted. I will be carrying a tyre plugging kit with me at all times in the future and this will be my first port of call if I get another puncture, hopefully that will get me back onto home turf so that I can either have a professional repair done or get a new one. The repaired spare will be my backup in case the I manage to shred a tyre - again just to get me home, and save the hotel costs

When I was checking pressures on the other 3 tyres after getting the new one, I was using my old compressor which I have had for 15 years, and it promptly gave up the ghost. So I got the supplied one out of the bag in the boot of the PHEV and used that for the first time. I was more than impressed with the speed of inflation, compared to my old model. The only trouble is that it has no rubber feet on it, so it seems best to hold it in your hand whilst inflating, and the car bingles and bongles as you move round the outside of it with the key in your pocket. :lol: