Nice day for a flat tire
11-14-2011, 08:52 PM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Nice day for a flat tire
If you're going to have a flat, today was a great day to do it. The weather was cool and clear and for once I wasn't rushing off to a meeting or something.
I was cruising at highway speeds for about 2 hours and I started to smell a bit of tire smoke. I was just thinking that someone must be having a burnt tire when I noticed a bit of smoke from the driver's side front tire. I pulled over two lanes but by then the tire was totally trashed. The tires were bridgestone RE960as and they had about 20k miles on them with plenty of tread on the fronts. they were inflated to spec. No damage to the tread so I have to assume that I picked something up in the sidewall that caused the tire to deflate fast.
The rims are still perfect. I inflated my 996 collapsible spare and used my 996 jack. The 997 air pump is garbage. It worked intermitently (does in have an internal circuit breaker?) and the gauge on it is off by about 30PSI. Luckily I had a guage. I had large garbage bags to put the trashed tire in the car but it fit in the trunk since it was so trashed it was in 2 pieces.
I did call porsche roadside assistance when my pump was intermitently working. They wanted to flat-bed the car but agreed to provide air but they would not put the trashed tire in the car and mount a spare as a matter of course (as they said it was a risk because it wasn't meant to go into the car). No problem, I was able to manage on my own. I wasn't looking forward to a flat bed since I'm 2 hours away from my house.
It's time to put the winter tires on anyway.
I was cruising at highway speeds for about 2 hours and I started to smell a bit of tire smoke. I was just thinking that someone must be having a burnt tire when I noticed a bit of smoke from the driver's side front tire. I pulled over two lanes but by then the tire was totally trashed. The tires were bridgestone RE960as and they had about 20k miles on them with plenty of tread on the fronts. they were inflated to spec. No damage to the tread so I have to assume that I picked something up in the sidewall that caused the tire to deflate fast.
The rims are still perfect. I inflated my 996 collapsible spare and used my 996 jack. The 997 air pump is garbage. It worked intermitently (does in have an internal circuit breaker?) and the gauge on it is off by about 30PSI. Luckily I had a guage. I had large garbage bags to put the trashed tire in the car but it fit in the trunk since it was so trashed it was in 2 pieces.
I did call porsche roadside assistance when my pump was intermitently working. They wanted to flat-bed the car but agreed to provide air but they would not put the trashed tire in the car and mount a spare as a matter of course (as they said it was a risk because it wasn't meant to go into the car). No problem, I was able to manage on my own. I wasn't looking forward to a flat bed since I'm 2 hours away from my house.
It's time to put the winter tires on anyway.
11-14-2011, 09:24 PM
#3
Poseur
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Incredible! What a total loss of a tire.
What year is your car? The reason I ask is because it sounds like you don't have TPMS. That system warns me in PLENTY of time.
Glad you were a boyscout--prepared!
The 12V compressor works fine--which outlet did you use? You should be using the one INSIDE the central console. (I added another 12V outlet inside my trunk and would be using that for things in the front of the car.)
What year is your car? The reason I ask is because it sounds like you don't have TPMS. That system warns me in PLENTY of time.
Glad you were a boyscout--prepared!
The 12V compressor works fine--which outlet did you use? You should be using the one INSIDE the central console. (I added another 12V outlet inside my trunk and would be using that for things in the front of the car.)
11-14-2011, 11:12 PM
#4
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
It's a late '05 so no TPMS. I was actually surprised how stable the vehicle was from the start of the tire dying to the roadside. At no time was the car careening out of control.
My pump must be broken then- I was using the right lighter socket and the car was running. The pump ran for about a minute then died. I unplugged it, tried it again, nothing, waited 5, tried it again, nothing. Called porsche roadside service, waited 20, plugged it in again and it work. Ran it for 20 minutes but the gauge never got to 40psi (the required for the collaspable spare). Then I checked the tire with my digital gauge and it was at 65psi. The gauge on the pump was way off.
Anyway, I'm in the market for a good pump... maybe even the porsche pump if it's been updated.
My pump must be broken then- I was using the right lighter socket and the car was running. The pump ran for about a minute then died. I unplugged it, tried it again, nothing, waited 5, tried it again, nothing. Called porsche roadside service, waited 20, plugged it in again and it work. Ran it for 20 minutes but the gauge never got to 40psi (the required for the collaspable spare). Then I checked the tire with my digital gauge and it was at 65psi. The gauge on the pump was way off.
Anyway, I'm in the market for a good pump... maybe even the porsche pump if it's been updated.
11-15-2011, 01:09 AM
#5
Poseur
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Over the decades that Porsche has been supplying air pumps with these cars the quality comes and goes. Some designs are first rate, and some are horrible. Of course, price has everything to do with it.
11-15-2011, 02:24 AM
#6
Racer
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viair compressor
http://www.viaircorp.com/
viair are hands-down the best 12v compressors available. I have been off-roading for 35 years. I air up-and down 40 inch tires all of the time, and my viair compressors have never let me down. I keep a small one in the p-car. (cut off the cheesy cig. plug adapter and put on battery clamps though)
viair are hands-down the best 12v compressors available. I have been off-roading for 35 years. I air up-and down 40 inch tires all of the time, and my viair compressors have never let me down. I keep a small one in the p-car. (cut off the cheesy cig. plug adapter and put on battery clamps though)
11-15-2011, 11:19 AM
#7
Thanks, that was interesting and informative....
i did go out to the car and put a large black bag with my spare .... I put together a spare and tools but forgot the bag,,,, thanks for the reminder....
i did go out to the car and put a large black bag with my spare .... I put together a spare and tools but forgot the bag,,,, thanks for the reminder....
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11-15-2011, 11:30 AM
#9
Rennlist Member
Do you want the best or the cheapest? Cheap you can get at any Walmart. I use these to air up the tires on our Xterra, and it works just fine on the GTS too. 
Doh, looks like I was beaten by a few hours.
http://www.viaircorp.com/
viair are hands-down the best 12v compressors available. I have been off-roading for 35 years. I air up-and down 40 inch tires all of the time, and my viair compressors have never let me down. I keep a small one in the p-car. (cut off the cheesy cig. plug adapter and put on battery clamps though)
viair are hands-down the best 12v compressors available. I have been off-roading for 35 years. I air up-and down 40 inch tires all of the time, and my viair compressors have never let me down. I keep a small one in the p-car. (cut off the cheesy cig. plug adapter and put on battery clamps though)
11-15-2011, 01:41 PM
#11
Rennlist Member
http://www.viaircorp.com/
viair are hands-down the best 12v compressors available. I have been off-roading for 35 years. I air up-and down 40 inch tires all of the time, and my viair compressors have never let me down. I keep a small one in the p-car. (cut off the cheesy cig. plug adapter and put on battery clamps though)
viair are hands-down the best 12v compressors available. I have been off-roading for 35 years. I air up-and down 40 inch tires all of the time, and my viair compressors have never let me down. I keep a small one in the p-car. (cut off the cheesy cig. plug adapter and put on battery clamps though)
