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Tire Pump

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Good to hear. I bought it as insurance, but have had my doubts on how effective it is. Did it fully inflate and seal a problem tire for you? Havins 21"ers, I am know that I will be faced with a flat on a dark mountain road in the pouring rain, possibly cursing the idea of no spare!
 
Good to hear. I bought it as insurance, but have had my doubts on how effective it is. Did it fully inflate and seal a problem tire for you? Havins 21"ers, I am know that I will be faced with a flat on a dark mountain road in the pouring rain, possibly cursing the idea of no spare!

Per my SC, the fix-a-flat should only be used as an absolute last resort. If you're in an area where you can call roadside assistance, that's by far the preferred solution. I was told that using that stuff pretty much guarantees that you will need to buy a new tire, and at up to $500 a pop, it's less than ideal.

Of course, on a dark and desolate mountain road at night, it might be worth the expense.
 
Per my SC, the fix-a-flat should only be used as an absolute last resort. If you're in an area where you can call roadside assistance, that's by far the preferred solution. I was told that using that stuff pretty much guarantees that you will need to buy a new tire, and at up to $500 a pop, it's less than ideal.

I bought a Slime-brand kit which claims to be tire and TPMS sensor safe, but I do agree with the "last resort" sentiment.
 
Per my SC, the fix-a-flat should only be used as an absolute last resort. If you're in an area where you can call roadside assistance, that's by far the preferred solution. I was told that using that stuff pretty much guarantees that you will need to buy a new tire, and at up to $500 a pop, it's less than ideal.

Of course, on a dark and desolate mountain road at night, it might be worth the expense.

I was told by the SC that if you use the fix a flat can, it will ruin the tire pressure sensors. They also told me that Tesla has already arranged with select tow companies to carry spare tires for the MS
 
They also told me that Tesla has already arranged with select tow companies to carry spare tires for the MS

That's a great idea. I remember suggesting it quite some time ago somewhere on these forums. It seems like such a waste to flatbed a car away for a flat tire. Just swap out with a spare, then the owner can come by Tesla Service or a designated tire shop later on, settle up, and get your fixed or replaced tire back.
 
I bought the Tire Repair Kit, stuck it in the trunk and haven't looked at it since. I am glad you guys checked it out and find that it works okay. I should pull it out in a nice, dry, warm, well lit garage and check it out before I need it on a dark rainy mountain road!
 
Per my SC, the fix-a-flat should only be used as an absolute last resort. If you're in an area where you can call roadside assistance, that's by far the preferred solution. I was told that using that stuff pretty much guarantees that you will need to buy a new tire, and at up to $500 a pop, it's less than ideal.

Of course, on a dark and desolate mountain road at night, it might be worth the expense.

Oh you bet. But talk about totally inconvenient to wait for a tow 40 mi from an approved tow company in the dark and rainy and scary and beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains (life is just so hard). I think Tesla should have run flats. At least for the 21"ers....If they exist and they should!
 
Oh you bet. But talk about totally inconvenient to wait for a tow 40 mi from an approved tow company in the dark and rainy and scary and beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains (life is just so hard). I think Tesla should have run flats. At least for the 21"ers....If they exist and they should!

Does anyone still use run flats, though? All the major brands abandoned them because they're so expensive and perform so badly. Many (most?) new luxury vehicles come the same way the Model S does: sans spare on regular tires.

I like the way they did it. I'm not saddled with a poorly-performing run flat, and have the additional storage that would have gone to a spare to use as I like. If I want a spare, I can throw one in the Frunk and be done with it (unless I have a D). If not, I can keep the compressor and goop for emergencies. And it saved me money and weight. Lots of advantages.
 
Oh you bet. But talk about totally inconvenient to wait for a tow 40 mi from an approved tow company in the dark and rainy and scary and beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains (life is just so hard). I think Tesla should have run flats. At least for the 21"ers....If they exist and they should!

Runflats are not the answer--especially for a Tesla where they will reduce range dramatically. And runflats won't help (and may hurt) damaged wheels from potholes. The real answers are: 1) Use 19" tires. or 2) Be sure to keep lots of air in your 21" tires. Use the vehicle placard pressure as the minimum that you never want to go below except in special circumstances (track day, for example).
 
Thanks to both Gizmotoy and Jerry33. I really do not know that much about run flats, as I have never needed them with an SUV. So I am learning from your comments.

But I am in a quandary on what the right pressure is for 21"ers. I watch it every week to ensure they are to spec. The car says 38/40. Feels low to me based on the aspect ratio and from what I have read here. I will say that after 3K mi (only) I have perfectly even wear across all tires, which surprised me. On very rough mountain roads, almost no highway driving. 8mm front and 7mm rear is left on the Michelins. Right, center and left. Perfectly even. I expected, at a minimum, uneven wear in the rears. I wonder if they have changed the camber.

Thanks guys.
 
A good but somewhat expensive alternate for a tire pump is a small scuba tank with regulator, plus quick attach tire inflator for the hose. I ended up running across it since I scuba dive and ended up buying a tire inflator attachment on a whim.

To my surprise, it works fantastic and far better than any of those cheap little electric pumps or even gas station pumps that don't work half the time or have a ton of moisture in the air which is horrible for the rims. Scuba air is super dry, plus if you keep the small tank in the car, it is very reliable with little to break and no worries about if that little cheap electric pump will work when you need it most. Best of all, it is super quick and can pump up a tire in a minute or two max.

If anyone is curious, you can put it together for under $200, just get a 6 or 13 cu Ft tank, little argon or pony regulator, hose, and tire inflator attachment:
http://www.piranhadivemfg.com/item/...num-Cylinder-Brush-No-Coat-Color-3-LEFT-12601
http://www.piranhadivemfg.com/item/Dry-Suit--Pony-Bottle-Valve--Nitrox-Ready-11739
http://www.piranhadivemfg.com/item/Key-Ring-Tire-Inflator-RED-832
http://www.piranhadivemfg.com/item/12-Double-Braided-BC-Hose-11858
 
Oh you bet. But talk about totally inconvenient to wait for a tow 40 mi from an approved tow company in the dark and rainy and scary and beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains (life is just so hard). I think Tesla should have run flats. At least for the 21"ers....If they exist and they should!

Run flats are definitely not the way to go! It makes the tires 50% more expensive, the treads don't last as long (from my personal experience ~7k less miles), and they don't perform as well as non RFT's. I'm glad they don't come standard like it does with BMW's
 
But I am in a quandary on what the right pressure is for 21"ers. I watch it every week to ensure they are to spec. The car says 38/40. Feels low to me based on the aspect ratio and from what I have read here. I will say that after 3K mi (only) I have perfectly even wear across all tires, which surprised me. On very rough mountain roads, almost no highway driving. 8mm front and 7mm rear is left on the Michelins. Right, center and left. Perfectly even. I expected, at a minimum, uneven wear in the rears. I wonder if they have changed the camber.

If the toe in is correct, the camber won't really do much as camber is considered a non-wearing angle. However, like speed in an accident, it amplifies whatever else is going wrong.

As to pressures, Every pressure recommendation is based on a set of assumptions. Change the assumptions and the pressure needs to change. The two big ones are: 65 F (18 C) ambient temperature and a pressure check before each driving day. I generally look at the vehicle placard pressures as the pressure you never want to go below.
 
Instead of injecting slime into the tire, why not just carry one of these kits... Amazon.com: Victor 22-5-00106-8 Heavy Duty Tubeless Tire Repair Kit: Automotive
How To Plug A Tire and Check For Leaks - EricTheCarGuy - YouTube

They have been used for years and seem to be able to fix most punctures... it's not supposed to be a permanent solution but lots of people report running tires for thousands of miles on these plugs. At least you could use it to avoid waiting for a tow truck.
Those patch kits are great, I carry one of those kits and a compressor. In the last 15 years I have never once changed a flat tire, but I have patched 5 or 6 on the side of the road. If you want, that would be plenty to get you to a tire shop to either do a permanent repair, or replace the tire. However I personally have never bothered, the patches have always lasted as long as the rest of the tire.
There are limitations to what they can patch, but I suspect the slime kits are likely even more limited.