Got to work this morning and as I got out of the car I heard the unwelcome sound of air escaping from the front driver's side tire...

Patched it up OK with the tire gel (and what a process that is), and pressure seems to be holding OK so far. Question is, can the tire be patched? The nail is right in the middle of the tire so ordinarily it should be OK, but does the use of the tire gel preclude patching?

Any thoughts?

 

I would not trust a patch on a high-performance tire.

Of course, if you drive the car conservatively, then it'll probably hold. I just had my Cayenne tire patched. Holding fine.

 

By tire gel I assume you mean the Porsche sealant that comes with the car?

If that's the case, then yes the stuff doesn't prevent you from patching the tire. It's gonna make a mess when they break the bead on the tire (the stuff stays a liquid), so warn the shop. Here's what the stuff looked like when I used it in my Boxster a few years ago. It looks nasty but it cleans up with water and got me home >100 miles from where I got the puncture.

 

Agree with cviles, patch will be fine but the tire guys will definitely appreciate a warning before they dismount the tire if it's got the goo in it. That stuff's a mess.

I disagree with sws on the patch issue, though. I'd definitely never run a plugged tire hard, but a patch properly affixed to the inside of the tire (especially in the center) will hold up just fine. I have no qualms running a patched tire hard or even tracking one. The newer style "plug patch" patches work great and I have complete confidence in them.

 

Thanks for the quick feedback, guys - much appreciated! It is the Porsche issue sealant, cviles - and it is indeed messy stuff! I'm happy to run with a patched tire. The tires only have 3600 miles on them and the nail seems to be right in the middle so hopefully one they can fix pretty easily. I have a good tire shop and I'm sure they'll do a good job.