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.

:icon107:

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.