I have plugged tires many times over the years on various cars and have been able to continue to use the tire through the end of its life without really any issues.
It's a reamer. It's supposed to go straight in and out, and without WD-40. Adding a lubricant likely prevented the glue from sealing the plug correctly. I've driven tens of thousands of miles on plugged tires.
Yes. Ream and expand the hole DRY. Do not add anything, no wd-40. (The dry friction helps prep the hole surface properly....AND adding lube or anything like wd-40 can inhibit the best possible seal once you so to apply the plug and glue. )
Great video, I have been using those repair kits for past 20 years for weekly 600 miles driving, and never had any issues. All repairers lasted the rest of tires lifetime.
Most honest video that I’ve seen. I’ve replaced 3 tires in only a year of owning my Model 3! $400 for a new tire each time ($1,200 total so far), plus Tesla patched one tire for $77!!! Each time, I had to wait over 75 minutes for a flatbed wrecker to be towed to the Service Center because apparently there are NO loaner tires in Atlanta. If considering a Tesla, be prepared for all the other costs. Go to Amazon and buy the jack pucks for $22 to protect the battery and buy the spare tire kit for $385, especially if you are traveling long range on a trip; but, good to have in the car in case of an emergency around town. Because Tesla reviews the spare kit in another video, and he did a great job. Please watch it.
Great video, and I understand your disclaimer but once the hole is plugged, you can continue until the life of that tire, what I do recommend is to use lots of that rubber glue, it will also seal it better from the inside but the main thing is that it acts like a Lube when you are forcing it into the hole, adding lots of glue would of made your job easier, it will slide right in. Take care. Keep those videos coming.
Nearly the exact same thing recently happened to my wife and her car with 8k miles on it. But I did learn from it. We had to buy a new tire, were able to keep the other ones as they weren't too far warn to match. The coolest thing I learned is discount tire (they are everywhere in Utah) will warranty your tires even if you don't buy from them, so we got all her tires warranted in case this happens again, was like $80 for all four. When my M3 arrives I will be heading to discount to do this, especially with the pot holes and 20" wheels.
Actually the best repair is a hybrid of both. It’s best to plug and patch the tire. This requires special tools to take the tire off of the wheel. Most people don’t have the equipment or time to do this. You can plug the tire, like I did, and then drive it to a tire shop to have them do it properly. I ended up replacing my tires with new ones. The plug got me by for a few months until I replaced all 4 tires.
I have plugged tires for decades and NEVER had ANY issues. Thanks for the video and tips. BTW I have a similar SLIME kit. The problem is where the flat occurs and can you get to a safe place to fix it. A tire on the left side on a busy highway at night in bad weather is the worse case. and for that, if I could air it up and keep enough air in it to get out of harm's way, I'm calling Roadside Assistance. I carry work and latex gloves, a small plastic sheet and a uber bright LED head band.
8k on my model 3 and I sustained a sidewall nail. $365 for a replacement in Charlotte NC. Drove it to the service center and they provided loaner wheel. Took 1hr for that. Ordered the 18inch replacement as they were not in stock and took 5 days.
I got my first nail just before 2k miles. I had mobile service bring me a loaner 18" wheel/tire and replaced it at my workplace parking lot. I had to return the loaner wheel to the service shop the next day and had them put a new tire on my original wheel. I was lucky that they had the tire in stock!
Just did the same about a month ago on my model 3. Tried to get it patched but discount advised me they may hold my car ransom for a new tire if they deemed it necessary. Seemed like a big gamble so I went old school and plugged it with the same kit you used here. I had to ream more than expected with that design of reamer than I did with the rasp design. Looks like it fought you as well. Good video, temporary fix until the tire wears out.
In my opinion, all Tesla owners and owners of vehicles without a spare tire should carry one of these $5 repair kits and a portable inflater. Unless you intend to go to Tesla for all your future tire needs, you should make or buy a set of 4 lift pads/pucks so that a normal tire store can properly lift your vehicle without damaging the battery.
Very true. I'm definitely getting lift pads soon. I bought the patch kit at Walmart, and looked in their sporting department for hockey pucks, but they didn't have any, so I improvised.
Tesla said it wasn’t patchable, even though it was right in the center of the tire. No tire place would lift my Model Y (I just bought pads so I can carry them with me), so said “if I’m going to have to get a new tire, might as well damage this one trying”, and it worked! $11 instead of $250!
I've only ever had two punctures in my entire life and both were on the same tire on my Ford F-150. Plugged both and was fine afterwards. Fingers crossed, touch wood, etc., that I haven't jinxed myself.
I went to a local tire company I used for years with no issues with my Ice cars. So I went to talk to them about Rotating my tires on my Model Y. I asked if they had the Pucks to use? If not they could use mine. "No we don't use them". After my trying to explain to them/Him that It is what Tesla recommends. "Ive done hundreds of Tesla's never used them" (Only 2 Teslas in a 60 mile area) So went home ordered a torque wrench and did the job myself.
"mushroom" or "umbrella" type plugs like stop n go (I use those on my bike) are better IMO than the "strings" and easier to work with. Once you ream out the hole, you just push the tip of the inserter tool in and push the plug in with that and it pops out on the inside. Pull it out and trim the end. The mini lithium battery compressors are brilliant too. Some even have a jump-starter included (might help with a flat 12V battery on a Tesla too) and act as a power bank for USB charging too.
I agree that the mushroom style plugs are superior, but they don’t work on this style of tire due to the acoustic foam glued to the inner lining of the tire. The correct process is to remove the tire from the rim and peel back the section of foam where the hole is and then clean up the area to make good contact with the patch. Once you install the mushroom style plug-patch, you glue the foam back down on top of it, and remount the tire to the rim.
I question whether or not the wd40 would interfere with the glue/cement adhesion. I would not use it. I have done many plugs. I also have a mushroom plug kit with a gun which gives you a nice head inside once inserted. I question the effectiveness of doing this will pressure and load on the tire which will tend to force out the glue while you are waiting it to dry. I usually do this off the car, or at least jack the car up enough to get the load off the tire.
Thanks for the comment. So far, I've not had any issues with the plugs (2 different tires now). The glue seems to be working fine. I plugged one tire while still on the car, and the other tire I removed from the car first. I'll be replacing these tires soon anyway, so it won't be an issue. Thanks again for watching!
You can get after market road side hazzard insurance for your tires at Discount Tire or American Tire ( depending if where you live) regardless of where you purchased them. You will pay around $17.00 - $22.00 for each tire but they will replace the useless tire for free, you would only need to purchase the insurance for the new tire. I have the insurance and have had to replace 3 tires that were unrepairable and only paid for the insurance on the new tires. It save me from spending $280.00 for a new tire.
I swear by these plugs... I believe the reason your plug failed was because you twisted the plug T handle in the same as the reamer.... you should twist in the rasp then pull it out and in without twisting to make the hole bigger and round. Then, after putting the glue on the cord in the needle, you push the needle in the hole without twisting it at all (you can rock it back and forward, but do not twist), then you pull the needle out quickly, then trim off the cord ends level with the tire tread, It works every time. Evidently Teslas have a band of foam inside the tire, so best to avoid going full depth, only push needle in as deep as needed to get where the cord doubles back to inside of the tire, so there is only the small lump of bent over cord just inside the opening inside the tire to block the hole and not be able to be forced out by the air pressure. Some Tesla owners don't live anywhere near a Tesla dealer (like here in Australia) haha
I’ve gone 30 years without a flat (but now of course I’ve guaranteed I will get one soon :-). Same was true about a cracked windshield - *never* in 40 years of driving; then I got one 8 months after getting my M3 from a bus well ahead of me (8” crack right across the horizon on my side of the windshield).
The way you go in with that reamer is different than I would've thought. I was very interested in seeing how you would be situated to get the leverage to ream and plug that hole. It doesn't look like you were laying down. On your knees and just bending over? I've only done them off the car and it took some umph to push through. How did you get the leverage? hahaha
Great video. Discount Tire will sell a road hazard policy to new Tesla owners after they pick up their car. I am not sure if this policy was available when you made this video in 2019.
Well at least you had it for a month. I had it for 1 day and got a flat tire. Worst yet it was on a weekend and Tesla service center is closed and Roadside Assistance wasn't a help because there is no flat tire repair service where I live. Only thing they could do is tow it to the closed service center, wait that is my only car and no what?
Ive plugged 100+ tires of all shapes and sizes. In my P3D I carry a compressor, Jack, wrench, pro tire patch kit an 1/2" electric impact fun and a cordless drill with a 1/4" drill bit attached. Drill the hole to 1/4", insert pro plug, remove, inflate to 42psi, and drive away. My plugs will last the life of the tire, with and without foam inside tire. Ive also In an emergency plugged sidewalls, but have replaced tire soon after. You also didn't test tire with a water bottle and like you said, look for more nails. Btw, with the Tesla models, you can summons car forward to see the nail/screw by yourself.
Yes, you can plug and patch a tire with acoustic foam in it. The method I show here, just a plug, is meant to be only temporary until you can replace the tire. However, you can professionally repair one of these tires at a tire shop by removing the tire from the wheel and cutting out the foam over the damaged rubber to plug and patch like a normal tire, and then lay the foam back over the patch. Most reputable tire shops do this all the time. These acoustic foam tires have been around since 2011, so they're new to many new EV drivers, but not so new to tire shops in general.
I didn't see anything on the app. I know you get notified when you have issues with a charger, and you get notified when Sentry mode detects that the alarm has been triggered. Those are about the only notifications that I've seen so far.
I noticed that you keep pressure about 47-48 PSI which is much higher than recommended. Check recommended tire pressure, I believe it is about 42 PSI, and when tires are hot pressure grow, so you should take that into account. The higher pressure is easier to get tire punctured. I would better have tire pressure recommended and lose some miles of range than get my tires punctured too easy.
You're absolutely right about that. The recommended PSI for the 18" aero wheels is 42psi. When my tires are cold, the PSI is around 44. The video showed 47 after driving it around (warming up the air inside). I've had the car for a month, and those air levels are how the car came from the factory; I haven't touched them. Once I got the loaner tire, it came with 42psi from Roadside Assistance. I checked the door jam to see what the level should be, and I deflated the other 3 tires to match it at 42psi. I just didn't mention any of that in my video. Good eye!
I haven't had a flat tire in years...then I buy a new car and I get a nail in it in less than 2 months of ownership. After I replaced the tire with a new one...I got ANOTHER nail in the other rear tire (on the opposite side of the new tire). That one I plugged with the kit from this video, and haven't had any problems with it since. So 2 flats this Summer!
This is a nice video, and I appreciate all creators that take the time to post content. I do want to say though, that injury (screw) is outside of the crown of the tire. Regardless of the debate on whether to or not to plug, this repair is outside of the plug area, even for the supporters of plugs. Honestly, it is so close and such a small screw, I would do the same. Use of WD-40 is also no good (I am sure she said that too, lol). It will interfere with either the self vulcanizing of the plug and/or any cement or vulcanizing compound used. I personally do not like to twist when inserting the plug. This is still a good video, you did state this is not a real fix for a temp solution.
Thanks for the comment. Yep, this is just a plug to get you off the side of the road. The WD-40 tip was given to me by a professional tire shop. It just allows the reamer to go in a bit easier, and the friction pretty much causes it to evaporate/dissolve so it won't interfere with the compound. I've had zero air leaks on any of the tires that I've plugged. By the way, the tire has been replaced with a brand new tire. Thanks for watching!
@@BecauseTesla The WD-40 is very bad advice. There is a "special" lubricant for that purpose that will not interfere. If you just think about it, if you spray WD-40 on something, what happens if you put tar on it? Or glue or anything made to adhere? You got a subscriber from me.
@@brian_youtube Thanks for the sub! I just re-watched my video, and maybe I should have specified that I didn't use a normal WD-40. In fact, I don't even own any regular WD-40. I used a silicone based WD-40...the same stuff I used to lube my door handle pivot pins in a previous video. I just found a video from EricTheCarGuy where he uses the exact same technique. th-cam.com/video/Xq3dDoYRlQg/w-d-xo.html
@@brian_youtube In all seriousness: How about spit? An old chemist taught me to cut rubber hose by lubricating a blade with spit first. There may be better things, but it does help. So, I'm wondering if spit would interfere if I used it as improvised lube.
I just plugged in mine and was wondering how long will it last on the tire? Some say it last the life of a tire but others say only a few miles (10-20miles). My screw was in between the tire gum/teeth (not sure how to call the thing that wears out over time). Basically the screw(now the plug) isnt touching the grown.
I'll give you some information and you can decide what to do with it. I plugged mine, and drove thousands of miles on it. However it was always on the back of my mind, so when it was time to replace all 4 tires, I did so as soon as I could. The proper way to make it last the life of the tire is to do a plug and patch. It's not recommended to just plug or just patch, but if you do both, it can last the life of the tire for sure. The problem is that most people can't patch a tire themself because it requires the removal of the tire from the wheel to patch the inside of the tire. So either you pay a tire shop to plug and patch it if you want to keep that tire (I would if my tires were brand new and I got a nail in one), or just plug it like I did if you plan on replacing the tire in the next few months anyways.
@@BecauseTesla thanks for getting back on this. hopefully my thread wears out faster that way i can replace all the tires without wasting the rest of the tires so soon.
If the wheel is removed from the car first, then yes. If you're plugging the tire while the wheel is still on the car, then I would not recommend it. The reason is that the weight of the car will flatten the tire out and put stress on the sidewalls and potentially weaken them. It can be done, but just not the best thing to do for the health of the tire. But you're right, if you have a jack to remove the wheel, letting the air out may make it easier to insert plug. Then air it back up before you put it back on the car.
agree with Craig M. good video though. I want somebody to show jacking process with a flat...with a compact scissors jack. I don't think a jack will fit
Teslas are different than most other cars in the fact that the entire bottom is a flat rigid battery pack. If you lose all pressure from the rear tire, you can put the scissor jack under the FRONT jacking point. So you jack the car from the front, and due to its rigidity, the rear will also lift off the ground. In fact, this is how I rotate my tires. I only lift from one point and take both wheels on that side of the car off and swap them.
@@BecauseTesla Brilliant!!!! I am going out to my (freezing) garage now and try it! I'll let you know how it goes. I'm going to use my old Sears scissor Jack which is about 4" tall collapsed. This is not the best jack to use because of its weight so I will buy the Modern Tire jack... its probably lighter than the one I have. Thanks again.
Decided to build a 12" wide ×14" long x 4" high platform ramp to roll car up onto with summon. Drive flat tire wheel up onto ramp and fit most any scissors jack with puck easily under car at the lifting point nearest that wheel..pretty standard method. Blocking other wheels etc. Jack up only 1 wheel a little bit (easy and fast), remove ramp, and leave remaining 3 wheels and the jack safely on ground sitting on a 3/4" plywood square for soft ground stability ( much safer.) I did try jacking up at front lift point to lift flat rear tire off ground + allow extra 3" to slide a fully inflated tire on hub. I was uncomfortable with how high I had to extend the scissors jack... plus only leave 2 wheels on the ground. Plus my jack had less chance of failing due to much less loading.
I was given a loner but it was defective, 32PSI at install next day went down to 24, added air back up to 41 and next day down to 22psi. my wheel was sent to service center two days ago but no update on status on the app. I only had the car for two weeks..
Thanks for the question. Tires are not under warranty from Tesla, so using roadside assistance doesn't really save you any money. If you're stranded because the tire is completely flat, then yes, I would give them a call. However, if you have a slow leak and you can still drive the car, I would drive it in to a local tire shop. They may be able to patch it. A new tire isn't cheap.
@@BecauseTesla Thank You for the reply , I have the car booked in at a local tire shop . Apparently 95% of mechanics don't have the knowledge to work on electric cars . It will be nice to drive with no clicking noise again . It's a round head nail , the type a builder would use to join plasterboard , I have a feeling that someone placed it deliberately . In future I'm going to check around the car before I drive . If someone did do it deliberately then karma will catch up with them .
@@-Atmos1 Depending on where the nail is located, they may be able to plug and patch the hole to save your tire. If the nail is located too close to the sidewall, they can't do that and you'll have to replace the tire. I've also heard mechanics talk about not working on EVs, but when it comes to tires/wheels...they're the same as gas cars. Same lug nuts, same wheels, mostly same tires (some EVs have foam padding inside to reduce noise, but that shouldn't keep a tire shop from working on them). Good luck with everything!
Good video. Question: Doesn’t anyone else besides Tesla sell this brand/model of tire? You could still have driven to a tire store for a new tire instead of paying $350.
I have a crazy work schedule this week and don't have time to go to a tire store. Roadside assistance took care of it in my work parking lot while I was on the clock. TireRack sells the tire new for a little over $280, and I would have had to wait for it to be delivered, and then go somewhere out of my way to get it mounted, etc. It would have still cost me around the same amount at the end of the day, so not too big of a deal. There may be other local places that carry the tire, but they're all priced about the same, and like I said I didn't have time this week to do comparative shopping. But you are absolutely correct. If you have the time to spare, you can find the tire for cheaper somewhere else. Just ask them if they work on Teslas first. Many tire shops refuse to work on these cars (due to a lack of training or general knowledge).
That's awful! I'm sorry to hear that. On a positive note, if I were to get a flat that was beyond repair...like a nail in a sidewall...I would rather it be sooner on new tires than later. That way the replacement tire would have similar tread life as the other three tires.
You only reset the sensors after you've changed sensors or if you've rotated your tires so the car can correctly find the correct sensor for the correct wheel. You should NOT reset sensors after you've plugged or filled up air. Just drive it normally and it will read it. Resetting sensors like you did can throw off the calibration. Also, you must make sure you have the correct wheel size and psi in each tire before resetting sensors or else it can pick up the wrong psi as the correctly configured psi and throw everything off.....another thing, dont twist while pushing the plug in. Very nice video. Hope you add the resetting sensor information in notes or something because the video is not 100% correct about learning the new pressure
New tire was over $300. So far I haven't been a big fan of the factory all season tires. When I decide to replace them all, I may look at other options.
Great video, I keep a kit similar to yours in my car just in case because we don’t have a spare tire. Hopefully I never have to use it. Sorry you had to replace your tire.
Thanks! Yeah, a good idea to keep some time of patch kit in the car. I also wanted to show that you don't necessarily have to keep a jack in the car to plug a tire. I did it laying on the ground.
You can also have a tire damaged and have to replace it. I always carry a full spare, floor jack, m18 impact gun, sockets, jack pucks, torque wrench, tesla compressor and slime kit etc. It really does not create a space issue. All the tools and a first aid kit and tool kit fit in the rear well with the charging cables and adapters. The spare sits in the trunk, and on trips when trunk space is needed then it is in the back seat floor which creates no issues as the dogs are on the seat.
Absolutely. My channel is primarily geared towards the Tesla owner, so that is why the video is titled the way it is. I've plugged tires on other cars with the same technique.
just got my first religious tire on my tesla (she is three weeks old). Tesla roadside app gave me an appointment in two weeks and my local shop told me that they are not allowed to plug tesla tires, so they ordered me a new tire and my car has been sitting for 5 days and I have been driving my old diesel since it isn't gone yet. I live in northern Germany.
I had a similar situation, so I plugged the tire myself until I could take the car in for a new tire. In the car next to the VIN should be a phone number for roadside assistance. Call to speak with someone to see if they can fix it sooner. I had them send a tow truck driver to my office at work, and he changed a flat during my lunch break. Here in the US, the tow truck driver had a "loaner" wheel and tire to swap out. Then I drive to Tesla when they are ready for me and they put on my new tire. I'd be curious if they have this in Germany yet.
My repair didn’t fail. I used that plug for several months until I replaced all 4 tires. This technique I got from a professional mechanic and it worked great. No issues.
wow it just boggles my mind that you buy a new car and the tires do not have any warranty on those. I just bought a Tuscon 2022 and I guess I got a bolt in it , too k it to the dealer and they did plug it for free . they told me there was not warranty on the tires but they paid the cost of the plug. But know I am scared of how long it will last. I drive a lot and being a female to get stuck out on the road is not safe for me . Its crazy that they do not have a warranty on the tires. All of the rest car has warranties on it. good luck to all of us driving , I am always getting nails and bolts in my tires . I ll see if I can get a road Hazzard for the tires, I know the new one i will be able to get .
This was the rear tire, so I could not turn it outward. I should have just taken the tire off the car, but I just wanted to show people that it can be done this way.
Oh no! So sorry to hear about that. Hopefully we both have all the bad news behind us now and can keep moving forward. Congrats on the new car though!!!
I think inflation kits with sealant are a better option, the job you did couldn’t be done by most people, particularly if it was at night and bad weather, they all require a professional repair or replacement tyre, good subject to cover.
why do so many people call it "Summons" with an s when its Summon without an s? is that a northern thing? because I am from Texas and I have never heard anyone here call it Summons
I got this tip from "Eric the car guy" on TH-cam. Been following his channel for years. It's been nearly a year since I've plugged the tire, and there have been no leaks! Even during the coldest of Winter when air escapes through the tiniest of spaces, there were no leaks.
@@zegghead you are correct about no one touching the tire if you try to plug it and it fails! I live here in Orlando and had to have two tires patched by Tesla service within in 1 month of each other. Those back tires on my 2021 Y performance cost 527 a piece if I replaced them. The patch work cost 128 each!😥
I have plugged tires many times over the years on various cars and have been able to continue to use the tire through the end of its life without really any issues.
It's a reamer. It's supposed to go straight in and out, and without WD-40. Adding a lubricant likely prevented the glue from sealing the plug correctly. I've driven tens of thousands of miles on plugged tires.
yup
Yes. Ream and expand the hole DRY. Do not add anything, no wd-40.
(The dry friction helps prep the hole surface properly....AND adding lube or anything like wd-40 can inhibit the best possible seal once you so to apply the plug and glue. )
Commercial rope plugs use a lubricant paste on the reamer and they seal up fine and don’t leak
Great video, I have been using those repair kits for past 20 years for weekly 600 miles driving, and never had any issues. All repairers lasted the rest of tires lifetime.
Most honest video that I’ve seen. I’ve replaced 3 tires in only a year of owning my Model 3! $400 for a new tire each time ($1,200 total so far), plus Tesla patched one tire for $77!!! Each time, I had to wait over 75 minutes for a flatbed wrecker to be towed to the Service Center because apparently there are NO loaner tires in Atlanta. If considering a Tesla, be prepared for all the other costs. Go to Amazon and buy the jack pucks for $22 to protect the battery and buy the spare tire kit for $385, especially if you are traveling long range on a trip; but, good to have in the car in case of an emergency around town. Because Tesla reviews the spare kit in another video, and he did a great job. Please watch it.
Great video, and I understand your disclaimer but once the hole is plugged, you can continue until the life of that tire, what I do recommend is to use lots of that rubber glue, it will also seal it better from the inside but the main thing is that it acts like a Lube when you are forcing it into the hole, adding lots of glue would of made your job easier, it will slide right in. Take care. Keep those videos coming.
The first nail you removed was not leaking. It was too small the have penetrated the tread. It was the second nail all this time.
Nearly the exact same thing recently happened to my wife and her car with 8k miles on it. But I did learn from it. We had to buy a new tire, were able to keep the other ones as they weren't too far warn to match. The coolest thing I learned is discount tire (they are everywhere in Utah) will warranty your tires even if you don't buy from them, so we got all her tires warranted in case this happens again, was like $80 for all four. When my M3 arrives I will be heading to discount to do this, especially with the pot holes and 20" wheels.
That graphic @ 11:53 is the most valuable piece of info I've learned today. And I've watch pretty much everything YT has on this topic. Thank you!
I’ve been told that an inside repair is better than an outside repair.
Actually the best repair is a hybrid of both. It’s best to plug and patch the tire. This requires special tools to take the tire off of the wheel. Most people don’t have the equipment or time to do this. You can plug the tire, like I did, and then drive it to a tire shop to have them do it properly. I ended up replacing my tires with new ones. The plug got me by for a few months until I replaced all 4 tires.
I have plugged tires for decades and NEVER had ANY issues. Thanks for the video and tips. BTW I have a similar SLIME kit. The problem is where the flat occurs and can you get to a safe place to fix it. A tire on the left side on a busy highway at night in bad weather is the worse case. and for that, if I could air it up and keep enough air in it to get out of harm's way, I'm calling Roadside Assistance. I carry work and latex gloves, a small plastic sheet and a uber bright LED head band.
8k on my model 3 and I sustained a sidewall nail. $365 for a replacement in Charlotte NC. Drove it to the service center and they provided loaner wheel. Took 1hr for that. Ordered the 18inch replacement as they were not in stock and took 5 days.
I got my first nail just before 2k miles. I had mobile service bring me a loaner 18" wheel/tire and replaced it at my workplace parking lot. I had to return the loaner wheel to the service shop the next day and had them put a new tire on my original wheel. I was lucky that they had the tire in stock!
Just did the same about a month ago on my model 3. Tried to get it patched but discount advised me they may hold my car ransom for a new tire if they deemed it necessary. Seemed like a big gamble so I went old school and plugged it with the same kit you used here. I had to ream more than expected with that design of reamer than I did with the rasp design. Looks like it fought you as well.
Good video, temporary fix until the tire wears out.
In my opinion, all Tesla owners and owners of vehicles without a spare tire should carry one of these $5 repair kits and a portable inflater. Unless you intend to go to Tesla for all your future tire needs, you should make or buy a set of 4 lift pads/pucks so that a normal tire store can properly lift your vehicle without damaging the battery.
Very true. I'm definitely getting lift pads soon. I bought the patch kit at Walmart, and looked in their sporting department for hockey pucks, but they didn't have any, so I improvised.
Tesla said it wasn’t patchable, even though it was right in the center of the tire. No tire place would lift my Model Y (I just bought pads so I can carry them with me), so said “if I’m going to have to get a new tire, might as well damage this one trying”, and it worked! $11 instead of $250!
I just ordered a MYP, but I had a GLC 300 Coupe and had a screw hit the sidewall on day 3 of ownership. I feel your pain.
I've only ever had two punctures in my entire life and both were on the same tire on my Ford F-150. Plugged both and was fine afterwards. Fingers crossed, touch wood, etc., that I haven't jinxed myself.
I went to a local tire company I used for years with no issues with my Ice cars. So I went to talk to them about Rotating my tires on my Model Y. I asked if they had the Pucks to use? If not they could use mine. "No we don't use them". After my trying to explain to them/Him that It is what Tesla recommends. "Ive done hundreds of Tesla's never used them" (Only 2 Teslas in a 60 mile area) So went home ordered a torque wrench and did the job myself.
Spreading nails on the roads seems to be a good investment for BIG TIRE ;)
Agreed! Let’s start a tire company! 😎
"mushroom" or "umbrella" type plugs like stop n go (I use those on my bike) are better IMO than the "strings" and easier to work with.
Once you ream out the hole, you just push the tip of the inserter tool in and push the plug in with that and it pops out on the inside. Pull it out and trim the end.
The mini lithium battery compressors are brilliant too. Some even have a jump-starter included (might help with a flat 12V battery on a Tesla too) and act as a power bank for USB charging too.
I agree that the mushroom style plugs are superior, but they don’t work on this style of tire due to the acoustic foam glued to the inner lining of the tire. The correct process is to remove the tire from the rim and peel back the section of foam where the hole is and then clean up the area to make good contact with the patch. Once you install the mushroom style plug-patch, you glue the foam back down on top of it, and remount the tire to the rim.
I question whether or not the wd40 would interfere with the glue/cement adhesion. I would not use it. I have done many plugs. I also have a mushroom plug kit with a gun which gives you a nice head inside once inserted. I question the effectiveness of doing this will pressure and load on the tire which will tend to force out the glue while you are waiting it to dry. I usually do this off the car, or at least jack the car up enough to get the load off the tire.
Thanks for the comment. So far, I've not had any issues with the plugs (2 different tires now). The glue seems to be working fine. I plugged one tire while still on the car, and the other tire I removed from the car first. I'll be replacing these tires soon anyway, so it won't be an issue. Thanks again for watching!
Never use WD40, it’s used to remove gum, glue or the adhesive part of tape that is left behind.
You can get after market road side hazzard insurance for your tires at Discount Tire or American Tire ( depending if where you live) regardless of where you purchased them. You will pay around $17.00 - $22.00 for each tire but they will replace the useless tire for free, you would only need to purchase the insurance for the new tire.
I have the insurance and have had to replace 3 tires that were unrepairable and only paid for the insurance on the new tires. It save me from spending $280.00 for a new tire.
I'll look into this. Sounds like an amazing deal! Thanks for sharing.
You have foam inserts. Patching is a big pain. Plug better
I swear by these plugs... I believe the reason your plug failed was because you twisted the plug T handle in the same as the reamer.... you should twist in the rasp then pull it out and in without twisting to make the hole bigger and round. Then, after putting the glue on the cord in the needle, you push the needle in the hole without twisting it at all (you can rock it back and forward, but do not twist), then you pull the needle out quickly, then trim off the cord ends level with the tire tread, It works every time. Evidently Teslas have a band of foam inside the tire, so best to avoid going full depth, only push needle in as deep as needed to get where the cord doubles back to inside of the tire, so there is only the small lump of bent over cord just inside the opening inside the tire to block the hole and not be able to be forced out by the air pressure. Some Tesla owners don't live anywhere near a Tesla dealer (like here in Australia) haha
Thanks for sharing your experience!
I’ve gone 30 years without a flat (but now of course I’ve guaranteed I will get one soon :-). Same was true about a cracked windshield - *never* in 40 years of driving; then I got one 8 months after getting my M3 from a bus well ahead of me (8” crack right across the horizon on my side of the windshield).
Very helpful video, thanks!
The way you go in with that reamer is different than I would've thought. I was very interested in seeing how you would be situated to get the leverage to ream and plug that hole. It doesn't look like you were laying down. On your knees and just bending over? I've only done them off the car and it took some umph to push through. How did you get the leverage? hahaha
Great video. Discount Tire will sell a road hazard policy to new Tesla owners after they pick up their car. I am not sure if this policy was available when you made this video in 2019.
I used the same plug and it lasted me 4 years. In one case 2 years then it started leaking again, I had it patched after that..
Well at least you had it for a month. I had it for 1 day and got a flat tire. Worst yet it was on a weekend and Tesla service center is closed and Roadside Assistance wasn't a help because there is no flat tire repair service where I live. Only thing they could do is tow it to the closed service center, wait that is my only car and no what?
This is why I wanted a spare tire kit. Check out my other video to see what I'm talking about: th-cam.com/video/BFj9U1h82hs/w-d-xo.html
Ive plugged 100+ tires of all shapes and sizes. In my P3D I carry a compressor, Jack, wrench, pro tire patch kit an 1/2" electric impact fun and a cordless drill with a 1/4" drill bit attached. Drill the hole to 1/4", insert pro plug, remove, inflate to 42psi, and drive away. My plugs will last the life of the tire, with and without foam inside tire. Ive also In an emergency plugged sidewalls, but have replaced tire soon after. You also didn't test tire with a water bottle and like you said, look for more nails. Btw, with the Tesla models, you can summons car forward to see the nail/screw by yourself.
Are there tires have foam in them, can you plug a foam tire?
Yes, you can plug and patch a tire with acoustic foam in it. The method I show here, just a plug, is meant to be only temporary until you can replace the tire. However, you can professionally repair one of these tires at a tire shop by removing the tire from the wheel and cutting out the foam over the damaged rubber to plug and patch like a normal tire, and then lay the foam back over the patch. Most reputable tire shops do this all the time. These acoustic foam tires have been around since 2011, so they're new to many new EV drivers, but not so new to tire shops in general.
while a plug can last the lifetime of the tire, go get it patched as soon as you can some tire shops do it for free.
Ouch! The Sidewall puncture on a fresh tire is a real bummer. Does the Tesla app also alert you when there are issues like this one with the car?
I didn't see anything on the app. I know you get notified when you have issues with a charger, and you get notified when Sentry mode detects that the alarm has been triggered. Those are about the only notifications that I've seen so far.
I noticed that you keep pressure about 47-48 PSI which is much higher than recommended. Check recommended tire pressure, I believe it is about 42 PSI, and when tires are hot pressure grow, so you should take that into account. The higher pressure is easier to get tire punctured. I would better have tire pressure recommended and lose some miles of range than get my tires punctured too easy.
You're absolutely right about that. The recommended PSI for the 18" aero wheels is 42psi. When my tires are cold, the PSI is around 44. The video showed 47 after driving it around (warming up the air inside). I've had the car for a month, and those air levels are how the car came from the factory; I haven't touched them. Once I got the loaner tire, it came with 42psi from Roadside Assistance. I checked the door jam to see what the level should be, and I deflated the other 3 tires to match it at 42psi. I just didn't mention any of that in my video. Good eye!
Dont fell bad man. I had they same thing happen to me. It sucked because these tires are expensive around $300
I haven't had a flat tire in years...then I buy a new car and I get a nail in it in less than 2 months of ownership. After I replaced the tire with a new one...I got ANOTHER nail in the other rear tire (on the opposite side of the new tire). That one I plugged with the kit from this video, and haven't had any problems with it since. So 2 flats this Summer!
This is a nice video, and I appreciate all creators that take the time to post content. I do want to say though, that injury (screw) is outside of the crown of the tire. Regardless of the debate on whether to or not to plug, this repair is outside of the plug area, even for the supporters of plugs. Honestly, it is so close and such a small screw, I would do the same. Use of WD-40 is also no good (I am sure she said that too, lol). It will interfere with either the self vulcanizing of the plug and/or any cement or vulcanizing compound used. I personally do not like to twist when inserting the plug. This is still a good video, you did state this is not a real fix for a temp solution.
Thanks for the comment. Yep, this is just a plug to get you off the side of the road. The WD-40 tip was given to me by a professional tire shop. It just allows the reamer to go in a bit easier, and the friction pretty much causes it to evaporate/dissolve so it won't interfere with the compound. I've had zero air leaks on any of the tires that I've plugged. By the way, the tire has been replaced with a brand new tire. Thanks for watching!
@@BecauseTesla The WD-40 is very bad advice. There is a "special" lubricant for that purpose that will not interfere. If you just think about it, if you spray WD-40 on something, what happens if you put tar on it? Or glue or anything made to adhere? You got a subscriber from me.
@@brian_youtube Thanks for the sub! I just re-watched my video, and maybe I should have specified that I didn't use a normal WD-40. In fact, I don't even own any regular WD-40. I used a silicone based WD-40...the same stuff I used to lube my door handle pivot pins in a previous video. I just found a video from EricTheCarGuy where he uses the exact same technique. th-cam.com/video/Xq3dDoYRlQg/w-d-xo.html
@@brian_youtube In all seriousness: How about spit? An old chemist taught me to cut rubber hose by lubricating a blade with spit first. There may be better things, but it does help. So, I'm wondering if spit would interfere if I used it as improvised lube.
20yrs....never had to lube the reamer. Push and Wiggle it in DRY. I never struggled to point of defeat.
Great work!
Thank you!!
Very helpful, thank you!
I just plugged in mine and was wondering how long will it last on the tire? Some say it last the life of a tire but others say only a few miles (10-20miles). My screw was in between the tire gum/teeth (not sure how to call the thing that wears out over time). Basically the screw(now the plug) isnt touching the grown.
I'll give you some information and you can decide what to do with it. I plugged mine, and drove thousands of miles on it. However it was always on the back of my mind, so when it was time to replace all 4 tires, I did so as soon as I could. The proper way to make it last the life of the tire is to do a plug and patch. It's not recommended to just plug or just patch, but if you do both, it can last the life of the tire for sure. The problem is that most people can't patch a tire themself because it requires the removal of the tire from the wheel to patch the inside of the tire. So either you pay a tire shop to plug and patch it if you want to keep that tire (I would if my tires were brand new and I got a nail in one), or just plug it like I did if you plan on replacing the tire in the next few months anyways.
@@BecauseTesla thanks for getting back on this. hopefully my thread wears out faster that way i can replace all the tires without wasting the rest of the tires so soon.
Very informative video.
Would it be easier to insert the plug if you let all the air out then refill with compressor?
If the wheel is removed from the car first, then yes. If you're plugging the tire while the wheel is still on the car, then I would not recommend it. The reason is that the weight of the car will flatten the tire out and put stress on the sidewalls and potentially weaken them. It can be done, but just not the best thing to do for the health of the tire. But you're right, if you have a jack to remove the wheel, letting the air out may make it easier to insert plug. Then air it back up before you put it back on the car.
agree with Craig M. good video though. I want somebody to show jacking process with a flat...with a compact scissors jack. I don't think a jack will fit
Teslas are different than most other cars in the fact that the entire bottom is a flat rigid battery pack. If you lose all pressure from the rear tire, you can put the scissor jack under the FRONT jacking point. So you jack the car from the front, and due to its rigidity, the rear will also lift off the ground. In fact, this is how I rotate my tires. I only lift from one point and take both wheels on that side of the car off and swap them.
@@BecauseTesla Brilliant!!!!
I am going out to my (freezing) garage now and try it! I'll let you know how it goes. I'm going to use my old Sears scissor Jack which is about 4" tall collapsed. This is not the best jack to use because of its weight so I will buy the Modern Tire jack... its probably lighter than the one I have.
Thanks again.
Decided to build a 12" wide ×14" long x 4" high platform ramp to roll car up onto with summon.
Drive flat tire wheel up onto ramp and fit most any scissors jack with puck easily under car at the lifting point nearest that wheel..pretty standard method. Blocking other wheels etc.
Jack up only 1 wheel a little bit (easy and fast), remove ramp, and leave remaining 3 wheels and the jack safely on ground sitting on a 3/4" plywood square for soft ground stability ( much safer.)
I did try jacking up at front lift point to lift flat rear tire off ground + allow extra 3" to slide a fully inflated tire on hub. I was uncomfortable with how high I had to extend the scissors jack... plus only leave 2 wheels on the ground. Plus my jack had less chance of failing due to much less loading.
I was given a loner but it was defective, 32PSI at install next day went down to 24, added air back up to 41 and next day down to 22psi. my wheel was sent to service center two days ago but no update on status on the app. I only had the car for two weeks..
Hopefully it’s just a nail and not a bent rim. That sucks though! Good luck with everything.
How many times is he going to ream it out.....
11:30 - How does a nail get into the sidewall half way between the rim and the belt? Stranger things have happened.
Is it the best option to call Tesla roadside assistance when you find a nail in your tire ?
Thanks for the question. Tires are not under warranty from Tesla, so using roadside assistance doesn't really save you any money. If you're stranded because the tire is completely flat, then yes, I would give them a call. However, if you have a slow leak and you can still drive the car, I would drive it in to a local tire shop. They may be able to patch it. A new tire isn't cheap.
@@BecauseTesla Thank You for the reply , I have the car booked in at a local tire shop . Apparently 95% of mechanics don't have the knowledge to work on electric cars . It will be nice to drive with no clicking noise again . It's a round head nail , the type a builder would use to join plasterboard , I have a feeling that someone placed it deliberately . In future I'm going to check around the car before I drive . If someone did do it deliberately then karma will catch up with them .
@@-Atmos1 Depending on where the nail is located, they may be able to plug and patch the hole to save your tire. If the nail is located too close to the sidewall, they can't do that and you'll have to replace the tire. I've also heard mechanics talk about not working on EVs, but when it comes to tires/wheels...they're the same as gas cars. Same lug nuts, same wheels, mostly same tires (some EVs have foam padding inside to reduce noise, but that shouldn't keep a tire shop from working on them). Good luck with everything!
Helpful Hint: Pluging can be done with the tire on the car but I find it's easier with it off.
Good video. Question: Doesn’t anyone else besides Tesla sell this brand/model of tire? You could still have driven to a tire store for a new tire instead of paying $350.
I have a crazy work schedule this week and don't have time to go to a tire store. Roadside assistance took care of it in my work parking lot while I was on the clock. TireRack sells the tire new for a little over $280, and I would have had to wait for it to be delivered, and then go somewhere out of my way to get it mounted, etc. It would have still cost me around the same amount at the end of the day, so not too big of a deal. There may be other local places that carry the tire, but they're all priced about the same, and like I said I didn't have time this week to do comparative shopping. But you are absolutely correct. If you have the time to spare, you can find the tire for cheaper somewhere else. Just ask them if they work on Teslas first. Many tire shops refuse to work on these cars (due to a lack of training or general knowledge).
Great job!!
my first screw in my tire was at 66 miles!
That's awful! I'm sorry to hear that. On a positive note, if I were to get a flat that was beyond repair...like a nail in a sidewall...I would rather it be sooner on new tires than later. That way the replacement tire would have similar tread life as the other three tires.
You only reset the sensors after you've changed sensors or if you've rotated your tires so the car can correctly find the correct sensor for the correct wheel. You should NOT reset sensors after you've plugged or filled up air. Just drive it normally and it will read it. Resetting sensors like you did can throw off the calibration. Also, you must make sure you have the correct wheel size and psi in each tire before resetting sensors or else it can pick up the wrong psi as the correctly configured psi and throw everything off.....another thing, dont twist while pushing the plug in. Very nice video. Hope you add the resetting sensor information in notes or something because the video is not 100% correct about learning the new pressure
Discount tire fixed my tire for free
I learned not to plug a tire and instead buy your recommended temporary tire replacement kit! How much did The new Tire cost?
New tire was over $300. So far I haven't been a big fan of the factory all season tires. When I decide to replace them all, I may look at other options.
I paid $962 for 4 of those tires with warranty in Georgia
Show us the invoice.
That’s awesome. Where did you find them that cheap?
Great video, I keep a kit similar to yours in my car just in case because we don’t have a spare tire. Hopefully I never have to use it.
Sorry you had to replace your tire.
Thanks! Yeah, a good idea to keep some time of patch kit in the car. I also wanted to show that you don't necessarily have to keep a jack in the car to plug a tire. I did it laying on the ground.
You can also have a tire damaged and have to replace it. I always carry a full spare, floor jack, m18 impact gun, sockets, jack pucks, torque wrench, tesla compressor and slime kit etc. It really does not create a space issue. All the tools and a first aid kit and tool kit fit in the rear well with the charging cables and adapters. The spare sits in the trunk, and on trips when trunk space is needed then it is in the back seat floor which creates no issues as the dogs are on the seat.
Surely this could work on any tire, not just tires fitted to the Tesla?
Absolutely. My channel is primarily geared towards the Tesla owner, so that is why the video is titled the way it is. I've plugged tires on other cars with the same technique.
Believe it or not that exactly happened to me😂😂
just got my first religious tire on my tesla (she is three weeks old). Tesla roadside app gave me an appointment in two weeks and my local shop told me that they are not allowed to plug tesla tires, so they ordered me a new tire and my car has been sitting for 5 days and I have been driving my old diesel since it isn't gone yet. I live in northern Germany.
I had a similar situation, so I plugged the tire myself until I could take the car in for a new tire. In the car next to the VIN should be a phone number for roadside assistance. Call to speak with someone to see if they can fix it sooner. I had them send a tow truck driver to my office at work, and he changed a flat during my lunch break. Here in the US, the tow truck driver had a "loaner" wheel and tire to swap out. Then I drive to Tesla when they are ready for me and they put on my new tire. I'd be curious if they have this in Germany yet.
They ordered the wrong tire, now another two days with a flat.
Those tools are for going straight in and out, not to be turned like a screwdriver.
That along with the WD40 is likely why your repair failed.
My repair didn’t fail. I used that plug for several months until I replaced all 4 tires. This technique I got from a professional mechanic and it worked great. No issues.
wow it just boggles my mind that you buy a new car and the tires do not have any warranty on those. I just bought a Tuscon 2022 and I guess I got a bolt in it , too k it to the dealer and they did plug it for free . they told me there was not warranty on the tires but they paid the cost of the plug. But know I am scared of how long it will last. I drive a lot and being a female to get stuck out on the road is not safe for me . Its crazy that they do not have a warranty on the tires. All of the rest car has warranties on it. good luck to all of us driving , I am always getting nails and bolts in my tires . I ll see if I can get a road Hazzard for the tires, I know the new one i will be able to get .
Should have turned the tire outward prior to patching.
This was the rear tire, so I could not turn it outward. I should have just taken the tire off the car, but I just wanted to show people that it can be done this way.
Not true I did this 3 years ago still no problems. Unless I got lucky. Thanks
I just paid for my new tire $269 after $100 discount and I also got my Tesla model 3 for only a week :/
Oh no! So sorry to hear about that. Hopefully we both have all the bad news behind us now and can keep moving forward. Congrats on the new car though!!!
I think inflation kits with sealant are a better option, the job you did couldn’t be done by most people, particularly if it was at night and bad weather, they all require a professional repair or replacement tyre, good subject to cover.
Easier if you put the hole near the top and turn the wheel out . Less bending over
rear tire...can't turn it out.
Hell, all of his air'll be out of his tire by now
why do so many people call it "Summons" with an s when its Summon without an s? is that a northern thing? because I am from Texas and I have never heard anyone here call it Summons
Plural? To summon more than once? 🤷🏻♂️
WD40 sounds like a bad idea.
I got this tip from "Eric the car guy" on TH-cam. Been following his channel for years. It's been nearly a year since I've plugged the tire, and there have been no leaks! Even during the coldest of Winter when air escapes through the tiniest of spaces, there were no leaks.
@@BecauseTesla fair play, if it works, it works.
Do not try this get it fixed correctly and safely
I have used this method many times. However in Florida once you plug a tire no one will patch it (the correct way). I was told it was against the law.
@@zegghead you are correct about no one touching the tire if you try to plug it and it fails! I live here in Orlando and had to have two tires patched by Tesla service within in 1 month of each other. Those back tires on my 2021 Y performance cost 527 a piece if I replaced them. The patch work cost 128 each!😥
Thanks! Very informative!
Thanks for watching!