Nail in Tire

Brought my P car in for service this AM and just got a call from the dealer that I have a nail in one of the rear tires. He said that Porsche doesn't allow him to plug it but that he can put two new ones on for $805. Couple of questions: - Can I continue driving with the nail in (probably not) - Would you recommend me going somewhere else and plug the tire (tire still has enough thread on it to go another 3-5K miles) - If so, any recommendations for where I schould go or should not go (large tire places versus smaller outfits... I live in Charlotte, NC) - If you believe I should change... what do you think about P quoted price (I have P zero's in the back) Thanks.

Buy i kit, plug it yourself. It's not rocket science.

It depends upon where the nail is. The thing about not being able to plug is in general BS. The porsche dealers here will do it. If the nail is in the side where the tread meets the sidewall, they can't plu or patch it. If it is squarely in the tread, it can be plugged or patched. I prefer patches to plugs, but plugging meand the tire doesn't have to be dismounted. You can go to any trie dealer to have it plugged.

I would never plug a tire from a nail in the tire. But that's just me. However, if you are just using your car to drive around town and NEVER NEVER NEVER take it those higher speeds, then plug away. Just remember, it is your safety at issue here and the ONLY thing keeping your car firmly planted on the road is that small piece of rubber we call a contact patch. When it goes, hang on ride it out

I had the same issue a couple of months back. Tires were still pretty good and had 2-3 K left on them but I decided I wasn't too happy driving around with a nail in the tire and wondering if it was going to blow at some point so I got both rears renewed. $600 for the P-Zeros from Tire Rack and then $50 to get them fitted by a local fitter that was recommended from someone here. The P-Zeros are a bit more expensive now so the price from your dealer seems about $50-$100 over the best price - for that difference I would just do it.......

I had a front tyre with a nail plugged for free last month by Discount Tire. I'll run it at highway speeds during the winter, but I'll want to fit a new tyre before I do any DE/Silver State in the spring.

You can definitely plug that tire. The problem is, the tire will no longer have its speed rating. That's why Porsche doesn't want you to do it. I don't want to seem cavalier about your money, but if it was me I'd just replace the tires on that axle. Expensive, but a disintegrating tire at 170kph is not a happy thought for me. You'll meet lots of people who will say they had their tires plugged and drove the car at warp 3 and it was fine. You'll also meet people who jaywalk or don't use condoms making the same claim. Doesn't make it a good idea. My coupla cents.

Price is pretty good. Make sure they don't damage the rims though. These tires were about $350 each last time I checked and $100 for mounting isn't too bad. My local tire shop charges $70 for labor alone and they are not even dealers. Don't bother plugging these. You don't need that extra thing to worry about and your tires are probably worn already if all you got is another 5k mi of life. With the rain season coming, just get a new set.

What's the difference between plugging and patching? Also, do they need to take the tire off the car when plugging and/or patching? Does it have to be aligned and/or balanced again?

If you do not track the car, just plug it and it will be fine as long as the hole is in the tread.

I agree...if you don't drive any faster than what people do on the highway, plugging is fine and I've done it to 3 of my previous cars. Only time I would replace instead of plugging would be if I was going to track the car or if you're the type to go 90-100mph+ on the highway.

Plugging is usually for a nail that goes through the thread. Patching I'd imagine is probably for a tear or something. Car does not need to be aligned but the tire/wheel may need to be balanced again if the tire comes off when they do it.

Yea, that's a bunch of bunk. They most certainly CAN plug it. Here are your choices: 1) Leave the nail in there. Probably pretty annoying since you'll be pumping the tire up all the time. 2) Have someone plug it. Very inexpensive. Tire will lose its Z rating, however. If you're not driving at ludicrous speed (reference SpaceBalls) you'll be fine. I've been driving my C2 around for a year with a plug in the left rear tire. 3) Patch it. This is where they remove the tire from the wheel and patch it from the inside. Once the patch is in place, it'll need to be Road Force balanced again. Tire will retain its Z rating. 4) Replace the tire. You'll have to replace BOTH rear tires and that seems ridiculous to me. None of these options affects your alignment. -Charles

i get the inside patch that is a combination of a patch and a plug. Never had a problem. Get it rebalanced and you will be fine. As others said if you DE or run at very high speeds get a new one.

I recommend patching versus plugging. Plugging involves inserting the material into the hole. A patch required the person to remove the tire, inspect the area inside and then place a patch (rubber material) on the inside of the tire. It should cost about $20. I had it done (patch) on one of my rear tires and it lasted for the rest of the tires' life (another 5,000 miles). I tried to keep it under 110 mph and did not track it.

I wont plug/patch/repair customers tires (porsceh also doesnt "allow" us to) BUT i would never drive a reapired tire further then a place to buy a new undamaged one just my opinion but my life and my friends and familys lifes are worth more then a tire

You might have a look at this: http://www.tirerack.com/tires-techpage-1/77.shtml I had a puncture repaired with the combination plug and patch method. i believe that most tire shops repair this way now. Even Wal Mart did on a tire for my daughter. My opinion (based on nothing but my thinking about it) is that a properly repaired tire with a plug and patch should be fine for anything other than track use, but only if you are sure that you caught the puncture in time to know that you didn't spend any time driving the car with that tire being at low pressure. Low pressure can damage the tire from the extra heat generated.

You seem pretty confident about the speed rating being retained if the tire is patched. Can I ask why? If your information is rock solid, you might save me a bunch of money someday.

As a driver with more than 1.5 million miles under his belt, I have NEVER had a problem with a plugged and patched tire, some of which have lasted 30,000+ miles. If properly done, the repair is as stong as the rest of the tire, in all situatons, including track.

I agree with repairing the tire with a proper plug. I've done this dozens of times over the last 20 years without one issue. The plugs have always outlasted the tires. These days, I use a kit from North Shore Labs - Safety Seal . The tools are first rate and the plugs are easier to set than the traditional cheap-o sets found in automotive parts stores. I just pulled another nail from the front passenger tire on my 993 last week. Cleaned the hole, set the plug and refilled the tire. Perfectly fine for normal driving. That same tire already had a plug from last year Andreas

You had me up until the track part. I have absolutely NO desire having a "patched" tire when tires take the abuse they do over the course of a track weekend. Not even close to "real world" daily driver conditions. Anthing less than perfect--especially the one thing holding me to the track--will not do.

Cool, but, again, how? I understand why a plugged tire loses its speed rating. I've installed plugs. All they do is keep the air in. How is a patch different? (PS I've got about the same number of miles on me, too. Never thought about it until I read your post. Now I feel old... thanks.... )

Most damage from a nail (short of the size of a railroad spike) does not leave a measurable hole in the rubber when it is removed. Using the correct sized plug alone makes most of these repairs perminant and worse case senerio is that the tire may leak air very slowly over time but will never rupture or blowwout in that area, especially with radial tires. In most cases, this does not happen. Patching the tire from the inside is also, by itself, a permanent, leak free repair for the remaining life of the tread. Combining the 2 is just insurance. Most shops insert the plug dry (just lubricant), while the better shops will coat the plug with the same glue used on an internal patch. This again is not necessary but gives piece of mind to some. Be cautious of shops that use too small of a plug. They need to use a large reamer with large plug. The smaller plug is gennerally fine, but a larger one is even better. My 996 is sitting the garage with 12,000 miles on my Bridgestones that got a nail in the right rear tire the day after I put new tires on. Since I was travelling, I put in about 1/4 can of fix-a-flat (which chemically bonds the rubber) and have not leaked since. I often use fix-a-flat first rather than run out to plug and patch. These tires have withstood 140 mph+ and 18 hours of non stop driving as well as the pothole and frost heaves readily locatable here in Chicagoland. . Use only a 1/4 of the fix-a-flat and drive immediately for about 10 minutes and you have absolutely no balance problems. I only recall a few times it did not stop the flat permanently. Remember, that tread rubber is not grainy or directional in construction as the sidewalls sometime are, so a hole would almost be impossible to ever get larger even if untreated. As far as speed rating. I guess if I needed to cover my *** and I sold tires, I would also recommend replacement of the tire. Just my experience.

I just found out I have a nail in my SUV tire so I just ordered two new tires. I drive too fast to be messing around with plugs. Get a patch instead if you don't want to purchase a new tire.

MY worry with repairing a tire is if the object damaged the belts and later down the road at hogh way speeds the belt let go. see http://www.hogantire.com/images/tcTireConstruction.gif for me saving 400$ for a tire isnt worth it, but thats only my opinon

For street driving, get what I call a "mushroom plugpatch". These things are fitted from the inside, leaving the "head" on the inside of the tire while the plug is pulled through the hole. With this method the tire will not leak and the plug can not escape. Ciao, J.

I probably plugged over 1,000 tires during high school while working in a garage. We never received one complaint from a customer. I have also plugged many of my own tires due to nails. That said, patching is better, and only plug if the nail is in or near the middle of the tread. Sidewalls obviously can't be fixed at all, and I would not repair anything that is on the outer part of the tread. But, as many people have said, if you are going "normal" highway speeds, or even speeding a bit, but nothing excessive, you should be fine. If you are going to DE events or a track, both of which obviously put much more stress on your tires, throw the current ones away and get new rubber.

You think I can get a plug or patch for this? Only kidding! I've plugged tires with no issues, as long as the nail/screw was in the main field of the tread. Be warned that your stealership is probably one of the more expensive places to buy new tires.... go figure! The shredded Kuhmo was the rear off of my 986 after it completely failed due to inside shoulder wear. Even with this level of failure, my wife drove 15 miles home at freeway speeds without loosing control or damaging the rim. Absolutely no idea how she managed that! Chris.

I have my rear michelin Sport CUP plugged and went for 4 track days and 2 Auto X. Fortunately, the nail was 3 inches from the center, not too close to the side wall. I see no problem for plug or patch, just ensure you check you tire pressure regularly.

All interesting, but all anecdotal, I gotta say. If I get a puncture that's deep enough to compromise a belt, I think I'll still replace the tire. I drive too fast too often to leave it to chance.

In high school and college, I probably had my tires plugged 1000 times and I never complained.

That's taking a risk on a tire that is even CHEAPER than the street tires. But to hear you got 4 tracks days and 2 Auto-X days explains it.......you aren't driving very hard! MPSC are heat cycled to death after about 4 hard track days. You can use them longer but they aren't the same tire anymore.

It looks like there are patches that will do the job: http://www.mz3.net/articles/156.html

Problem with that link is that the evidence is anecdotal at best. While I agree that a tire might very well last with a plug/patch I am just not taking that calculated risk. And that is what it boils down to. Do you want to take that calculated risk? Keep in mind this is strictly for city daily driving that I don't find it to be a serious problem where recovery from rapid loss of pressure can be corrected much easier than at 150+mph on the track.

Consider two events: Event A: you drive with good tires, hit a nail or something, and in few seconds or minutes, one tire is empty or almost empty. Event B: you drive with a plugged tire and the plug fails. If you say never to use plug, then you think B has a lot higher probability than A. I don't think so, since A happened to me twice in my lifetime. I also used plug few times, and B never happened to me. If you plug the tire, inspect the plug regularly, and drive slower, you might be safer just because you drive slower.

Your math is all wrong. The probability of A happening is relative to the number of hazzards on the roadway. However, the probability of B happening is much different since the number of plugs is directly related to the tire itself and the number of tires plugged--much smaller number. You would need to aquire the data for both sets and make a decision from there. I would be willing to bet even though I have ZERO empirical data to support my claim, that there has been AT LEAST one case of a plug not holding. So then take yourself back to scenario A and B. Which one would you feel better about.......slow decrease in tire pressure till empty or rapid loss?

and drive slower ....so you are saying it is dangerous? And therefore you should drive your 911 slowly in case it DOES go bang and you plant it in the side of a wall and cause tens of thousands of dollars of damage and.....oh i give up

spider......you hit the nail on the head (pun intended). This debate could very well be just like the oil debate of 0W-40 v. 15W-50. Nobody on either side will be convinced otherwise. As you said...... "oh I give up". With you on that one

AAAARGH! I pulled out of the garage this morning and noticed that the car was REEEALY pulling to the left. Flat tire. This is the fourth one (in three cars) in two months. We have a lot of new construction in the area... We'll see what the dealer says.

damn hamilton! that sucks!!! I am on my 4th tire (2 on the CAB, 1 on the GT3, 1 on the Cayenne) in 3 months in a new construction neighborhood as well. Really chaps my ***

Dutchie, I looked up whether you have PSM, and since you do I will tell you that you MAY have problems with undesired PSM intervention if you replace the rears with a different tire than your front tires. I had that problem with Potenzas in back and Continentals in front. But I have a 4S so it might have also had something to do with the 4wd. Good luck with your problem!

Well, I got my tire patched and balanced... paid $45. I will keep the car at under 100MPH, which I probably should anyhow given the shower of tickets I received in the last couple of months... see this as a preventative thing to me! I do have on emore question... I have some 'junk/sticky stuff' on my rims from where balance weights used to be. Any suggestions on how I take that off?

I use 3M adhesive remover. It is in a aeresol can and is paint friendly.

Thanks Dell, I need some of that as well. Pepboys type product or Homedepot?

I picked it up at AutoZone or PepBoys (can't remember which). Here's a pic of it.......

thanks!

very welcome!

I've never had a tire blow out either while jaywalking or having sex regardless of birth control method.

My dealer found a nail in the back tire as well. So I guess that makes five flats in 2 months... Fortunately, he was willing to plug them and did it for free to make up for the disaster that was my recent attempt to get him to fix the rattle in my Targa roof. Now I just need to take them to the (really good) local tire guy and have him also patch the tires and swap them out for some Pirelli Snow Sports. I also ordered some black rims. Woot!

So it's just me? Man, I'll never forget that day...

Works like a charm... Thanks again!

That was fast! Glad to hear it worked out for you D

Got a can on my way back from work and tried it out...

You sounds as compulsive as I am with the car! Well, off to watch some TV with the wife before she rips my computer out of my hands and chucks it through the window

HUH?? There is no f 'ing way Dutchie is THAT repulsive... er, I mean... compulsive!

Starting a little early Tim?

Well, I figured I hadn't received any direct comments from you in a while, so I thought I'd try to get your attention. I was feeling neglected and afraid you didn't love me anymore!

Group hug

I'll take that as a compliment Tim!