Yard Dog

I discovered I had a flat tire on my 2015 GTS with almost 3K miles on it today and I wonder how to best fix it. I can use the manufacturer supplied tire sealant to provide a temporary solution so the car can be driven to a repair shop, but doesn't pumping that goo into the tire add weight and compromise the tire's performance down the line? I get it that this procedure is what Porsche recommends, but would I be better off getting a flat-bed tow?

What do you think?

991carreradriver

No respectable Porsche dealer will repair a tire, its gone. Replace with new.

Gary JR

Tire Rack

LexVan

Plug and patch. Where is the leak? Hopefully not in an area like the shoulder. The challenge will be finding a shop that handle the center locks. Can you remove and hand carry?

hlvg

+1 on the difficulty of finding a tire shop that can handle CL.
That's why I bought a breaker bar combo so I could bring the wheel to any shop.
If you don't track the car and the leak is far enough from the shoulder, you can drive with a (properly) patched tire without a problem.

subshooter

I've had two flats on my 2014 Porsche 981 in 31k miles.

1. Screw in rear tire at 6k miles which was too close to the sidewall (slow leak so still driveable to a shop). I took it to three Indy's to get it plugged. The first two wouldn't do it because the screw was too close to the sidewall and they saw it was a Porsche. The last one plugged it but would only take cash so that the transaction wasn't traceable - he didn't want liability. Tire lasted just fine until replacement at 18,500 miles. I drive the car hard too.

2. Second one had another screw in a front tire at 20k miles. It was a bigger leaker so I couldn't drive it. I removed the wheel and took it to an Indy for a plug. Brought the wheel back and replaced it and then brought the car back to get it properly torqued to 118 ft lbs. (1 mile away) I don't have a torque wrench. The car is now at 31k miles with the original OEM tire with this plug and no issues.

I wouldn't put the goop in the tire if you can help it. If I did, I would replace it. Plugs are fine unless you are racing the car or tracking it. Most of us are not made out of money so we need to make these kind of choices. It works.

I'm still trying to figure out why the F$%@ there are so many loose screws on the road in Delaware! lol

randr

as per Lex Van - plug and patch (as long as the damaged section is not close to the side wall and is a "clean" puncture e.g. nail)

hlvg

Trust me it's not much better in the SF Bay Area!

Yard Dog

Good advice. I opted for lug nuts so the CL is not an issue. Haven't found the leak yet but I will pull the tire tomorrow and look for it. It wouldn't take air. If I replace one tire, doesn't the other side need to be replaced as well? That would be a drag. The tire has less than 5K miles on it.

LexVan

Unlikely with that low mileage. Front or rear?

FYI. It's a bitch to break the torque on the wheel bolts. 118 ft.lbs. is a lot. Eat a big breakfast.

hlvg

I had a rear tire damaged (sidewall bulge) at slightly over 7k mi and was strongly advised to change both tires. Ouch...

Mumbles

Get a plastic spray bottle and put soapy water in it. Soak the wheel tread with water or wet sponge then spray soapy water. Bubble will appear where air is leaking

The Fat Kid

The tire can't be legally patched/plugged if the puncture is within 1" or 2" of the shoulder. I went through this a couple years ago, so I forget exactly how close. I was told someone died after their tire blew out and the patch/plug location was blamed.

Tire Rack will shave a new tire for you, if necessary.

rkwfxd

Don't forget to squirt some water around the valve stem. Your leak might be right there.

SDaddy

I plugged a leak in the center of the tread without removing the wheel with the Stop and Go tool. It worked perfectly for ~7K miles with absolutely no leak.