# tire sealant fix a flat



## FM3 (Aug 12, 2019)

Slime works well. There are similar products that also work well. Fix a Flat isn't one of them. 

Also, it's a good idea to have a 12v air compressor in the car. That alone might be enough to limp the car to a destination. And a tire usually has to be deflated before using slime type products. And the slime type products can make a mess inside the tire. 

Also nice if you do have a spare tire but never checked the air pressure in years and when you need it you pull it out of the trunk and it's flat.


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## Zulu Kono (Nov 2, 2021)

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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

Make sure its safe to for the pressure sensors.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Fix a Flat has air pressure insertion and will help pump the tire to reasonable state for rolling. Slime will require an independent air source. Fix a Flat also forms little beads of waste inside the carcass which could potentially take the tire out of balance. I have used Fix A Flat, but always take the offending tire by the tire shop to have it dismounted and cleaned out and the booger fixed.


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## JustinRaney (Jun 1, 2018)

So fix a flat will actually works and inflate one full car tire? I think it says 1/4" punctures as well as the slime emergency flat kit.


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## JustinRaney (Jun 1, 2018)

They have runflat tires does anyone use these still and are they just as affordable as a regular tire? I need 2 new 275/40/17 tires eventually and could maybe look into a set for a high performance vehicle.


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## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

chandler48 said:


> I have used Fix A Flat, but always take the offending tire by the tire shop to have it dismounted and cleaned out and the booger fixed.


That’s the proper way.
With the TPMS system on a vette of that vintage, I’d make sure that the TPMS sensor on the valve stem is well cleaned before the tire is re-mounted on the rim.


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## JustinRaney (Jun 1, 2018)

So fix a flat will work if road side stranded? The batteries on my tpms are dead being a 23 year old car. I was going to pick up a set of 44$ ebay 315mhz replacement tpms valve stems for c5/c6 maybe one day as it does allow to monitor a low tire. Someone had mentioned on a c6 the low pressure will cause auto braking or something.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

Justwayne said:


> The batteries on my tpms are dead being a 23 year old car.


Well, that explains why you didn't just buy the run-flats.


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## JustinRaney (Jun 1, 2018)

oh no the front tires are getting old ill need to get new front tires soon. If there is an affordable 275/40/17 set of run flat tires that dont weight anymore then the standard tires in that size. I see runflat tires are 400$+ each vs a 250$ pair of 275/40/17s so your probably right tire slime and a compressor or a can of fix a flat.


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## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

What makes you think anything for a C5 is affordable ?

It was an expensive car designed to do things that most cars will not. 
If you are using less than OEM quality parts, or after market parts not intended for Vettes, you are degrading the vehicle.

It’s not a grocery getter.

If you aren’t in love with them, or not willing to pay what it costs, you probably shouldn’t own one.

JMO


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## JustinRaney (Jun 1, 2018)

Dam man this was simply referring to fixing or repairing flats on the side of the road and fix a flat or tire slime/ tire inflators. I still envy paint watching. Ill sell you some clouds with a 2001 911 escort.

I've done major repairs to the car myself but being from late 2012 i was tied up with things till recently and cars are 10 years older.


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## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

Most tire shops hate messing with tires that have been fixed with fix a flat or slime. It is a mess.


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## JustinRaney (Jun 1, 2018)

Ah i see so no other way to do an emergency roadside tire repair for a flat on the side of the road.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Justwayne said:


> Ah i see so no other way to do an emergency roadside tire repair for a flat on the side of the road.


12-volt compressor and a plug kit.

There are probably run-flat performance tires out there in your size but I'll bet they're spendy.


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## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

Costs me $5 a month roadside service for 3 vehicles added to my insurance. Includes tows, jump starts, tire repairs etc.


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## Zulu Kono (Nov 2, 2021)

rusty baker said:


> Costs me $5 a month roadside service for 3 vehicles added to my insurance. Includes tows, jump starts, tire repairs etc.


Those plans are great if you don't mind sitting
dead in the water for who knows how long.
Some of us would rather fix it on the side of the road and move on.


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## JustinRaney (Jun 1, 2018)

lenaitch said:


> 12-volt compressor and a plug kit.
> 
> There are probably run-flat performance tires out there in your size but I'll bet they're spendy.


Is this what youre suggesting? In that case you would still need to be able to remove the object with pliars and have a jack to raise the vehicle to rotate the tire to the puncture access point? How sturdy are these plugs? I use to do them all the time on 4 wheeler tires tubeless but they dont take much air. Sure 35 psi wont blow them out and is this considered temporary or permanent solution the plug kit that is?


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

rusty baker said:


> Costs me $5 a month roadside service for 3 vehicles added to my insurance. Includes tows, jump starts, tire repairs etc.


Mine, through my car insurance company, is $20 a year.



Zulu Kono said:


> Those plans are great if you don't mind sitting
> dead in the water for who knows how long.
> Some of us would rather fix it on the side of the road and move on.


Even out here in the wide open spaces of the wild west, I've never waited more than 30 minutes for a tow truck to show up. 

I'm a huge DIY guy; do all my own mechanic work, etc., but fixing a tire on the side of the road isn't particularly safe. I'd rather wait in the safety of my vehicle for an hour, than spend 15 or 20 minutes out on the side of the road, with traffic going by in whatever the weather. Also, slow leaks, the kind that can be fixed, usually happen around town or in the driveway, and is noticeable by an observant driver before leaving home. In my experience, tire problems on the road are more often catastrophic than fixable.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

rusty baker said:


> Most tire shops hate messing with tires that have been fixed with fix a flat or slime. It is a mess.


 I have had shops refuse to try to fix a tire that was injected with the stuff.

And as Hotrod says, here in the west, in the -30 degree days, who the heck wants to be outside foolin with this stuff.

AAA is good for that.

ED


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## JustinRaney (Jun 1, 2018)

So what are you saying a can of fix a flat would be the correct way to go or tire slime and a small tire inflator? Theres no room for a spare in the trunk of a base model c5 corvette. It occured to me when i went looking for the luxuries and concluded they didn't have this option. All the other cars ive used had a spare and i usually check the air in them every couple of years. American hero roadside service assisted me one time. They help stranded motorists. Im not sure if they have a compressor or will fix a flat but do carry tanks of gasoline free of charge for stranded motorists. I had replaced the fuel pump assembly with new fuel sending unit in a 2007 g6. Just last year at 1/8 of a tank the car died in the middle of the highway 30 minutes from where im at with no gas gauge warning light working. Had looked at the walmart but gas tanks are 14$ these days for the cheapest kind. Luckily while waiting for 30 minutes they stopped by and put 4 gallons free of charge. Really terrible experience. Now i try to keep the g6 above a 1/8 of a thank before driving to far. Its not bad if you have proper equipment.


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## Zulu Kono (Nov 2, 2021)

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## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

Zulu Kono said:


> Those plans are great if you don't mind sitting
> dead in the water for who knows how long.
> Some of us would rather fix it on the side of the road and move on.


I have never had to sit over 30 minutes.


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

Lest my use of the term "tow truck" conjures up images of your baby being foisted up onto a flatbed and hauled away, I'll relate a story of a friend of mine who also has a car with no spare tire. 

Owing to the rarity of tire failures nowadays, as with quite a few newer vehicles, there was never any provision for a spare tire on his model. He did have a flat though; a puncture due to a sharp piece of metal in the road. He called his roadside assistance, and they showed up 30 minutes later, with a wheel and tire for his vehicle, which the tech quickly put on his vehicle and sent him on his way. The towing company picked up the wheel from my friend's tire shop after he got the punctured tire replaced a few days later. Turns out most towing companies keep a stock of wheels to fit most vehicles, for just such an occasion.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

Oso954 said:


> What makes you think anything for a C5 is affordable ?


I used to have an early C5. 
That was back when Goodyear was the only manufacturer of replacement run-flats for that size rims. And those are some pretty beefy pieces of rubber --- not cheap.

The rears would last 1 year, the fronts would last 2. I was basically budgeting $C1000 per year just for rubber. 
After a few years, Firestone came out with a tire that would fit, at a lower price.
Finally some competition to drive down the price.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Justwayne said:


> Is this what youre suggesting? In that case you would still need to be able to remove the object with pliars and have a jack to raise the vehicle to rotate the tire to the puncture access point? How sturdy are these plugs? I use to do them all the time on 4 wheeler tires tubeless but they dont take much air. Sure 35 psi wont blow them out and is this considered temporary or permanent solution the plug kit that is?


Not suggesting anything. My response was to your "no other way" statement. I carry a compressor and plug kit on my bike. I haven't had to use it on mine but have used it to help another rider. Personally, my go to would be roadside assistance. If you're going down the highway and get a flat, most of the time, by the time you get over to shoulder the tire is pooched anyway.

Our Miata came with a factory-provided aerosol kit.


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## Pishta (11 mo ago)

Those puncture seal kits wont help with a sidewall or a blow out, and if you do pick up a nail, you have to drill out the hole to 3/8"-ish to get the rope seal to insert if your lucky. Id recommend one day buying 4 stems and remove every one of those TPM stems and put the old style in. Then you can weigh each TPM and then chip out the CR123 (example, you wont know what they are until you chip them out) battery and replace it. Silicone it back up to original weight and put it back into the tire. you can do this with hand tools. Place the jack on top of the tire bead of the removed tire at the valve and then jack up the car on top of it, the cars weight on the jacks foot will unseat the bead. push the bead down to expose the TPM and unscrew the TPM stem. Those batteries are 2 for a buck (1.25 now) at Dollar tree. The aerosol fix a flat has its purpose but its always safe to just bring a foot pump (small box can fit anywhere) just in case as they only put about 15 psi into the tire.


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## JustinRaney (Jun 1, 2018)

Pishta said:


> Those puncture seal kits wont help with a sidewall or a blow out, and if you do pick up a nail, you have to drill out the hole to 3/8"-ish to get the rope seal to insert if your lucky. Id recommend one day buying 4 stems and remove every one of those TPM stems and put the old style in. Then you can weigh each TPM and then chip out the CR123 (example, you wont know what they are until you chip them out) battery and replace it. Silicone it back up to original weight and put it back into the tire. you can do this with hand tools. Place the jack on top of the tire bead of the removed tire at the valve and then jack up the car on top of it, the cars weight on the jacks foot will unseat the bead. push the bead down to expose the TPM and unscrew the TPM stem. Those batteries are 2 for a buck (1.25 now) at Dollar tree. The aerosol fix a flat has its purpose but its always safe to just bring a foot pump (small box can fit anywhere) just in case as they only put about 15 psi into the tire.


Yes I got the car dynotuned properly for the cam/headers/balancer swap a few days ago. On the Dyno the car was ran up to 6k multiple times the last few days since I got the key back from the dynotuner the power steering started working again I guess it bled the air out of the power steering system the cars had that problem since I've owned it hard steering I think air was in the system. The next thing would be fix the tire pressure sensors to know if the car was suddenly low on air. So you would have to chip away the epoxy from the original tire sensors and install new batteries and silicone seal them?

What foot pump are you talking about that can inflate a tire to 15psi without burning out like a bicycle pump? These slime or small tire inflators take 8 minutes to full inflate a tire. When you pick up a 1/4" piece that goes in and out the tire starts to deflate pretty quickly.


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## Pishta (11 mo ago)

Yes solder the new battery tabs in and silicone them up to original weight. Just a small Harbor freight foot pump, box is about 12x6x6. if your willing to break the bead, pack an innertube! I mean I've been on roads that Ive not seen another car in 30 minutes, desperate times require desperate measures.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

When I had my sensors replaced the tire shop said they tried two different programmers and could not initialize the sensors. I had supplied the sensors so I guess the tire shop didn't consider it their problem.

When I got home, my trusty big magnet initialized them without much trouble.

C5's were some of the first cars to have tire sensors, so maybe they work a little different from others. So if you have trouble getting them initialized, find a Youtube video on how to do it with a magnet.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

True that a plug kit won't help with a sidewall puncture and if you get a blowout, well, nothing short of another tire is going to work. For my bike kit, I took the 12-compressor out of its plastic case and put it in a carrying case for an old point-and-shoot camera I had kicking around - it takes up about half the space it originally did. They're not fast but neither is a foot pump on a car-sized tire.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

I have a "jump start" battery, with a built-in compressor, and emergency work light.

It rides nicely in a box in the rear of my S U V. 

It charges two ways, workbench, or through the lighter socket.

ED


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## JustinRaney (Jun 1, 2018)

SPS-1 said:


> When I had my sensors replaced the tire shop said they tried two different programmers and could not initialize the sensors. I had supplied the sensors so I guess the tire shop didn't consider it their problem.
> 
> When I got home, my trusty big magnet initialized them without much trouble.
> 
> C5's were some of the first cars to have tire sensors, so maybe they work a little different from others. So if you have trouble getting them initialized, find a Youtube video on how to do it with a magnet.


Yes i tried thru the fob training and tpms relearn procedure with the round 5/16" thick magnet apparently the stock 99 batteries in the sensors are dead. Somone else told me theirs still worked but most said a 5-10 year battery range.

Ebay has 315mhz sensors new with batteries that arent gm that should work but i cant confirm this for 40$. Now looking into spares someone told me the gto spares from 04-06 will fit on a corvette 17" but the hub centric ring had to be honed out to fit or 1/8" spacers. I may look into finding a spare from one of those vehicles to throw in the trunk.


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## dudeman (Nov 14, 2011)

last time i uses fix a flat, it ruined my tire sensors... i now have AAA and have them tow me to a repair shop


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## JustinRaney (Jun 1, 2018)

Someone told me the fix a flat or slime will ruin the inside of a automobile tire so id prefer not to. I guess ill be looking into spares. I can try to find a 04-06 gto spare they are 17x4 and fit with 1/8" spacer or the center hub slightly honed.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Justwayne said:


> Someone told me the fix a flat or slime will ruin the inside of a automobile tire so id prefer not to. I guess ill be looking into spares. I can try to find a 04-06 gto spare they are 17x4 and fit with 1/8" spacer or the center hub slightly honed.


 I have bought entire sets of used wheels on e-bay, to use as a seasonal swap-out.

Winter tires / Summer tires.

You may find a perfect Vette wheel there.

Surely someone has wrecked one, and it now is a donor car at a scrap yard.

ED


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## wigginsr181 (Nov 18, 2021)

For sealing a lo or flat tire that's been punctured with a nail or some type of thorn in the tread area, a pan head sheet metal screw is about as effective as it gets until a tire repair is available .

A local tire shop once told me they have removed several screws from holes in tires before the owner would allow them to remove the inside dual for repair . Yes i've been there done that at turnpike speeds but usually 1 hole with screw is where i make the decision for a patch sooner rather than later . I don't drive a dually . A Thorny Chittum tree sometimes changes my schedule on lawn tractor tires and may have multiple screws .

Story:
A salesman visited the remote location where i was working and driving a new pickup truck with less than 100 miles . Yes sir, already had a lo tire . He couldn't believe it and had reservations when i came out of the shop with a screw to replace the nail . Aired the tire and he reluctantly went on his way with doubts expressed all over his face . I saw him a few weeks later and his reply was , "_ that's unbelievable_ ! " .


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## JustinRaney (Jun 1, 2018)

Well i may try to find one of the gto 17x4.5 spares from an 04-06. They run about 150$ on ebay. They have to be 17" to clear the brake calipers on a c5 corvette. Could keep it in the trunk with a small scissor jack. But other then that a big can of fix a flat. Maybe try replacing the tire pressure sensors.


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