Tyre Inflator kit ... when to use?

[HarpingOn]

My wife has limped home with a flat. Screw poking out of front tyre.

In the past I've changed to spare or space saver, but this car has a gunk inflator kit.

It won't hold enough air to get me to the tyre place which is 6 miles away, and the car is booked in for Monday.

So ... Do I gunk and inflate it now?

Leave it flat and squashed for 2 days and then gunk it on Monday morning?

Remove the screw (seems like a bad idea). Try and screw the screw in more? (Also, seems like that would be dodgy).

Never used one of these silly inflator gunge kits before, and the instructions on the kit are useless.

Thanks!

 

[JohnD]

if you patch it with gloop it will be irrepairable.

If you have another vehicle, take the wheel off and drive it to the repair shop.

Although one of my cars has a space-saver wheel, I keep a full-size matching alloy wheel with tyre in the garage (it won't fit in the boot). They're cheaper than you'd think, in the scrapyards. Another car came with a space-saver, but has room under the floor for a full-size, so I got one.

Also useful if you have a wheel damaged and need to leave it for repair.

Note that if you have alloy wheels, a steel wheel will not (usually) fit the standard wheelnuts (and vice-versa)

 

[HarpingOn]

No second vehicle sadly. I'm resigned to getting new tyre, but I need to know when to inflate and put the gunk in

 

[DIYspanner]

If the puncture is not is the central 3/4 of tread width, it can't be repaired.

If that's the case, its a new tyre so no issue using the inflating aerosol to limp to the tyre centre.

 

[ETAF]

EDIT , just seen a reply, so specified its the 3/4 tread thats the area

My wife has limped home with a flat.

did she drive very far on the rims, the tyre will be damaged if so , and possible the wheel rim as well.
its not guaranteed the gunk will inflate the tyre if its sealed to the rim and the screw is removed
Where abouts is the screw, almost all nails/screws i have had have been on the edge (not sure what area exactly - but not much) and cannot be repaired and new tyre is needed

 

[Diver Fred]

Is the tyre still on he rim? If not then there is no point in using the repair kit as the supplied compressor cannot deliver enough air to initiate the seal.
ALSO - you WILL RUIN the wheel if you drive with the tyre off the rim.
Looks like you may need to get the wheel off and get the tyre people to collect and deliver the repair.

 

[JohnD]

this car

tell us what car it is, and what tyre size.

 

[HarpingOn]

It's a Fiesta, 195/50/16

I put the gunk in and inflated it back up, took it for a 2 mile drive.

I'll continue to check the pressures until Monday when I can drive it to the tyre shop.

If you're supposed to be able to drive 150 miles at 50mph with this stuff in, I'm hoping it'll stand being left on a drive not moving for 2 and a bit days.

Most information I could find online said to not let the car sit on a totally flat tyre (it hadn't come off the rim). I'll see each morning and evening how it's doing pressure wise.

I hate these inflation kits

 

[Burnerman]

Are you able to jack the car up and remove the wheel?
How about AA home recovery or similar?
John

 

[HarpingOn]

Funny that. There's no jack in the car. We do have RAC but not within X miles of home.

I think they didn't supply a jack, as there's no spare wheel, so like, why would the customer need a jack?

Back when we had 2 cars, I'd probably have had a jack in the other one [ maybe ]. Don't have another jack. *sigh* . I remember when I used to change my own plugs and points and now I'm stressing over a stupid wheel.

 

[Burnerman]

Sadly that’s correct......no jack or brace but you do have the luxury of a locking wheel nut key
Time to sweetheart a helpful neighbour or gunk in and head off straight away. Some modern tyre sealants don’t harm the rubber but they are awful to clean away.
There’s a good chance the tyre could be full of rubber dust in which case its really a goner.
John

 

[JohnD]

Sort to "nearest" and look for one like yours.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/179681/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=ford+fiesta+16++wheel&LH_TitleDesc=0&_sop=15

If you buy a spare from a scrapper, it will often be unused like new, but the rubber ages over time.

 

[mattylad]

Get a space saver, jack and wheel brace for it.
Keep them in the car with replacement gunk and the pump.

Show the wife how to change the wheel and inflate the tyre.

I find my pump quite useful for keeping the pressures up, the gunk I chucked in the cellar as I bought a full sized spare wheel.

 

[JohnD]

like this
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENIUINE-FORD-FIESTA-MK9-2017-ONWARDS-SPACE-SAVER-15-SPARE-WHEEL-JACK-KIT/162570986598?fits=Car+Make:Ford|Model:Fiesta|Cars+Year:2016&hash=item25d9fc6466:g:OsUAAOSwwFNd2DWD
i don't think I paid as much for mine. I just went to my local "salvage" yard and asked the price. But it was a pug and there is a plastic box that fits in the rim with the tools in, including a chock.

I have an electric tyre inflator rather than a pump.

 

[Mottie]

if you patch it with gloop it will be irrepairable.

That’s not true anymore. Assuming the tyre can be repaired, most gloop nowdays is water based and will wash out very easily with cold water. We’ve ridden motorbikes all the way home from the South of France on two separate occasions with gloop sealing the punctures and both could be washed out and repaired. 'Slime' is what we use.

@HarpingOn Why can’t you get it repaired today or tomorrow?