stevepow

Just a heads up to others who are using their imagination to wonder what having a flat is like; I wanted to document my recent flat and Roadside Assistance "experience"...

3:00pm, gorgeous day (count my blessings: not too hot, and not raining, and not dark, and not Friday - OK)...about 180 miles south of ATL.

Stereo blaring on the Blues XM - sounding great, then...BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP RADAR detector? I just passed a cop - nope, cop is gone and I'm not speeding anyway, just slowed for railroad crossing and then through a speed zone intersection...uh oh...

Big Red Circle flashing on the instrument cluster - I immediately pull over...this is not going to be good I am thinking.

But I am prepared - I have the fix-a-flat, tire repair kit, tools, jack - Owner's Manual...OK.

3:30pm, fix-a-flat is in, tire pump is running, 14PSI holding...10minutes...14PSI... , I'm now on the phone with Roadside Assistance as I can see where this is going...they put me on hold to evaluate options....

4:00pm - RA is suggesting Tallahassee FL or Montgomery AL - each about 2 hours away - 4 hours best case before I arrive there. Even with the time change in Alabama, the dealer will be closed by then - and Tallahassee is two hours further from ATL than Mont'y. Not looking good at all.

4:30pm - RA is now suggesting Albany, GA, an hour away but they cannot locate an approved flatbed nor tire - they find a tire that will fit, but it would be a $400 throw-away as it is not an N4 PS2, just a similar size Michelin.

I talk to Greg @ Porsche in Alabama and they can get the correct tire in the morning - they also try to hook me up with a performance car specialist 100 miles away in GA, but cannot reach him.

5:00pm - Confirm with RA to send flatbed from Montgomery to take me to Jack Ingram Porsche - confirm with Jack Ingram that I'll leave the keys in the lock box and they can put the tire on Friday morning.

I'm bored now looking at a two hour wait, so I decide to find out more about the flat...maybe I can fix it...

OK, 1-inch gash in side-wall that I can put a tire tool right through - or my finger. Caused by some road debris (RR tracks maybe ), I guess, so probably no fix...



Fix-a-flat has run out onto the ground underneath the car...



6:15pm - figure I've still got an hour to go before the truck arrives...I tried stuffing several tire repair plugs into it - got it to hold 36lbs -



Put the wheel back on and lower the car - it holds air for about 30 seconds, and whoosh - flat again... OK, that was a huge long-shot anyway...

7:00pm - RA calls to see if my issue is resolved...no sign of truck - they'll call me back at 7:30

7:26pm - no truck...



I'm whipped - nothing but a small breakfast and two bottles of water...

I had retrieved two Sam Adams from my home down south - they were past the sell date and I figured I should bring them back to ATL...not going to happen; nothing to do now but pop a "what used to be a cold one a few hours ago" and wait....

More dialog with RA, then a call from the sort-of-lost tow truck (I'm at 82 & 27 - 82 is a straight shot to Montgomery ) He used a GPS without checking to see if it made any sense - add an extra 70 miles to his trip.

8:15pm - finally...something...



10:30pm (9:30 in AL) - arrival at Jack Ingram Porsche, Montgomery, AL..



The wrecker driver, we're ol' friends by now, drops me off at a hotel - there were loads around, but I went cheap for the Motel 6, figuring that whatever God was punishing me for, he should get full measure out of it...

Then ASAP to an Outback Steakhouse across the street which was almost closing - burger and MORE Sam Adams

Off to bed after checking some email - yes, Motel 6 had WiFi..

9:00am - call Jack Ingram Porsche - spoke to Greg Stillion - tire was coming, should be there by 10:00am (11:00am in Atlanta )

Off to Waffle House for breakfast - 1 block away...

More email....

11:00am, shuttle from Porsche comes to get me and take me to the dealer - only a mile a way.

Greg Stillion, the Sales Manager, greets me at the door like I had bought the car there. I think my distress had been picked up on.

He's really nice guy and called the Tire and Warranty company, got my replacement tire approved, and we chatted for a while about Porsches...finally, I was calming down after this debacle.

Jack Ingram Porsche was great - really friendly staff and a credit to PCNA for customer service - got my tire on, cleaned up, and I was out of there twenty-two and a half hours after my flat.

Yes, a flat tire can be a 24 hour event - or more. I am so thankful I was not traveling on a Friday - this could have been an all weekend "event".



Things you need when traveling remotely:

1) All contact info for nearby Porsche Dealers.

2) Some sort of flatbed subscription like RA, AAA, etc. - the driver told me my service would have been $800 if I'd have had to pay it!

3) Wheel and tire warranty...in my spare tire story I'll tell you about the nail in the front tire I found while testing out the spare...another new tire coming to me soon...

4) WATER WATER WATER - and snacks would be good, and maybe BEER too

5) Pre-arrangements with possible high performance car tire shops in the areas of travel if Porsche service density is low.

6) Flashlight, pen, paper, good cellphone charge.

7) Tire repair Kit - sure, go ahead and tell yourself that's gonna help...

Oh, and Duh!!! 8) a @#*$%@! Spare Tire!!!!


I thought I was prepared for this...but not really. And it kinda sucked. Planning on being lucky is not a workable plan.


Next up: my Spare Tire solution to hopefully stack the deck more in my favor.

Spectro28

Uhhh, you just took the air outta MY plan on this, the whole "planning on being lucky..." part. I'm still in the thrall of my brand new C2S, 450 miles on the clock, and yes, I did buy the wheel and tire warranty, expecting I'll never use it...

Reminds me that "Hope is not a strategy."

Thanks for the story, and you're pretty darned gracious attitude! Maaybe I can remember that if it happens to me!

ADias

Sorry for the mishap. That tire looks bold... Did you replace a pair or just that one?
Are you sure the tire was damaged by road debris? Examining the tire one can ascertain if it was perforated from the outside or inside.

stevepow

"Hope is not a strategy" - I love that one. Believe it.

Gracious - oh sure, a week and a half later, but at the time I went through all the stages of grief between 3pm and 5pm: denial (I can fix it), anger (I can't fix it), bargaining (can't you guys flatbed me to Atlanta?), depression (I have to spend the night in Montgomery???), acceptance (I can spend the night in Montgomery, be patient, get a proper tire installed by Porsche people...).

And even with all that "coverage", I'm still out $100 for expenses including hotel, new can of fix-a-flat, and dinner. Of course better that than $1200 for a tire and tow.

stevepow

They only replaced the one tire - that is all that is covered. The tire was at 8500 miles with decent tread, maybe 1/2 done. I know - not what PAG recommends - I'll see what my dealer says about it. If I have to, I'll replace the other one. It is a pretty weak coverage, but if it replaces also the front tire I have now with the nail in it, I'm ahead $100 and have 3.5 years left of coverage.

Edgy01

Thanks for sharing. That ordeal once again demonstrates that Porsche AG in Germany is not really tuned into the wild world of America. (I would venture to say that the ordeal would have been even worse in the wild west where line of sight to a cell tower would be a big factor).

When Porsche elected to start dropping real spares from their cars (911s, Caymans, Boxsters, and Panameras) they really created a bit of a mess. There truly is no simple solution.

Several of us have resorted to traveling in packs to provide a bit of mutual support in the event of a car problem. Certainly that is not viable for most daily drives, but it can be useful on longer road trips.

You have proven that you are further prepared as a bit of a boyscout with a scissors jack and the tools to actually REMOVE a wheel from that car (and compliments for the use of two bolt hangers!) That is the only truly viable way to discover a tire problem and at least make a good college try of resolving the problem on your own. Unfortunately, if you suffer a severe enough tire problem all the goop and tire plugs in the world just won't solve your problem. The only solution is to have quick access to a tire shop who can at least patch a tire well enough to hold air to get you home.

The only thing I can add is that this scenario is rather the exception than the rule. Luck is a big part of this. Several years ago on a Saturday morning I endured a similar (albeit lesser) ordeal on California Rt 101, passing through Montecito. My TPMS went off declaring "Flat Tyre" (sic) and I had about 2 seconds to commit to an exit off the freeway and get to the nearest service station that I happened to know was not too far away. Having tire plugs and a radial tire repair kit kept me on the road (as well as the compressor) and wheel/tire insurance covered the replacment tire. I was delayed about 20 minutes, well aware that the alternative, 1 800 PORSCHE, was going to be a several hour delay--on a good day.

I think the scouting analogy is a good one. Anticipate the worst, and be prepared.

brt3

Europeans seem to have no concept of the realities of driving in the US. Not only do we have far less population density, especially out West, but we also have this slightly batty pioneer attitude. In my case, this means jumping into a car and driving cross-country with very little provocation. Because its fun. Because it's there. Because I can. Because I was raised on a diet of American cars that were largely indestructible -- and (perhaps) never learned to fully appreciate what might go wrong...

FlatSix911

Thanks for posting your story ... 22 hours of fun! (Makes me thankful for the spare in the front boot)
The moral ... always travel with Sam Adams

buckwheat987

Thanks for taking the time to detail of what we are up against.

Sorry for the troubles.

wwilliams88

Thanks for posting! At least you have your spare now! Based on all of the advice in this forum and others, I hope that I am prepared for the eventual flat on mine.

gravedgr

One quick question - did you ever call your original dealer to see if they could help? My first call might be to the 800 number, but my second would be to Hennessy. I would expect them to go out of their way to get involved and make this as painless as possible and to their credit, I think they would consider that the right thing to do too.

No HTwo O

Sad story. You have a great attitude. Awesome pictures.

tooloud10

Wow, after hour one I'd have ignored Porsche and just solved the problem.

No HTwo O

And that would have been............?

LlBr

Very sad is beautiful cars like ours at the side of the road - all frickin' day and that's just the beginning - just for a flat.

Very sorry to hear your story. Glad you told it so well. This thread should be a sticky thread when it's done: permanently attached to this forum.

No spare? I have two responses from different parts of the brain.

1. Frontal lobe:

Carry a spare since not having one makes the car unreliable. "Porsche Roadside Assistance" is too vague (you had a five hour wait!). They should call it what it really is, in marketing terms of course, "Porsche Roadside Vacation."

2. Amygdala:

EFF YOO PORSCHE AG!!

Sorry. I know that sounds ignorant and crude. Just saying what I'm thinking. Oh! The Motel 6 thing? Very classy! Right up there with "Porsche Selection" merchandise? I hear M6 is a great place to start a crack habit. Gotta check "Porsche Selection" catalog for crack pipe offerings. Thanks "Porsche Roadside Vacation!"


FOUND IT!!!! (not that I would ever condone it's use!)

Oh Sorry about the Motel 6 comments. I'm sure the OP didn't have much of a choice. If you're stuck outside the city you take what you can get. That's part of the "vacation" fun.