Terry Adams

Out on a very remote CA Sierras back country drive with 10 Porsche buds today.

Just after a break when I swapped my no. 2 position for a spot near the back, the leader (993) ran over a cantaloupe size boulder that rolled down the hill in front of him. He crushed it pretty well with his undercarriage skid plate, no damage to leader.

The new #2 guy, in a 2011 TT, ran over the crushed pieces and got a 3/8" long shred in his sidewall, about 1" from the tread. Deep but not a wide gash. He saw the psi drop on his gauge, and tire went flat in about 1 minute after he pulled over.

Against the prevailing wisdom of the group, I got my patch kit out and put 3 plugs in it. Nothing to lose. It looked like it would hold, and did for the first 3 psi we put in, but then leaked as evidenced by the bubbles.

The owner was reluctant to put the goop bottle on it, so I drove him 25 very windy miles to the next town where he arranged for a flat bed to take him back 25 miles up the very windy road. Les Schwab tire guy in town was very helpful, but of course no 19" tires.

I offered to drive to Reno (150 miles RT), where there is a Tire Rack warehouse, and bring him back one the right size and brand to match. They were closed.

QUESTIONS:

a. Was there anything else that could have been done?
b. Would you have put the goop bottle on it?
c. Would the goop have held for 25 windy miles at a slow pace?
d. WTF can't Porsche put some kind of spare in these cars?

Please, no suggestions like my son ('07 TT) offered

speednme

a. sounds like you did everything possible.

b. I believe the goop makes quite a mess...since he was not alone..you guys made the best decision.

c. might have held...but who knows

d. Porsche like other manufacturers have become CHEAP...Sure they can try to convince us that it has everything to to with lightness...It's a load of crap. It is all abot the logistics(money). This is why my heart belong to older porsche(and other sports cars)...Most had a spare tire...as a real road car should..

p.s. I like your son's idea though...

Macster

Since tire shot I'd have tried the goop. It might not have held but it might have held too.

If it does hold great. If not a new can of goop not expensive. I hate to arrange to have my car flatbedded. But you gotta do what you gotta do.

First car lucky. I've seen rocks the size of 21" tv lying in the road where the road runs along side a rocky sheer cliff from which the rocks come from.

Rocks can be present at any time but most likely after a good rain storm cause the rain loosens the rocks.

Just a rock about the size of a large orange cost me a tire on my 06 GTO. Clipped the rock with the right front tire and tire side wall split. Thankfully I had a space saver spare. Underinflated. I was on the back side of Mt. Hamilton Rd. the section that heads east over to I-5. At night. Dark as all get out. Night just ate the flashlight's piddly beam. Took me what seemed like forever to change tire. Kept stopping to swing around to look around behind me cause I thought I kept hearing a mountain lion sneaking up on me. Just my imagination but try telling that to your primal fears.

Got the tire changed ok and slowly made me way down the mountain to nearest gas station and filled spare up to correct pressure.

Anyhow, given the circumstances you and your buddy did nothing wrong.

I sure do hate the fact the new cars don't even have a space saver spare.

Porsche and other car makers just being cheap and at the same time seeking to improve fleet gas economy and lower CO2 emissions be removing as much weight as can be removed.

I've not used one very often -- never with my Turbo, thank goodness -- but when you need one you need one. I don't know if I could own a newer model Porsche without at least a space saver spare tire. I venture out on long trips and absent a repairable flat -- and they seldom are repairable is my experience (dammit!) -- I'm facing a long ride in a tow truck and possibly a miserable end to a week's vacation if no suitable replacement tire available.

The absence of a viable spare tire and the movement to ever more exotic and specialized tires makes these cars less suitable for long distance high speed touring and more just boulevard cruisers.

Sincerely,

Macster.

pdxjim

Wondering on an outing like that if someone should take along a token space saver? Butt, not sure whether there is room for one.

Terry Adams

To compound matters re the spare suggestion, he had center lock wheels.

hansw

If you go on a week-long trip as a couple, you typically use up the trunk space in front and most of the space behind the seats with luggage. Assume you have just enough room left for a space-saver spare and mount the spare after a puncture in your regular tire, then where do you place the regular tire-wheel unit? It's so much bigger than the space-saver and you have the choice to leave either the wheel with the deflated tire or your companion behind by the side of the road. Not a happy set of alternatives.

I learned that some 20 years ago and have since made do without any spare but always pack some puncture-repair tools. I also have found the Porsche sealant to work well as long as you don't drive so fast that the nail or screw is ejected by the centripetal force of the rotating wheel. Happened to me at about 70 mph. Was OK below that and I shouldn't have pushed my luck.

DLJ

I'm sure they see a lot of those in the boonies...

DLJ

And tires make boring companions...

Edgy01

There is no simple solution to such a scenario. Even if you did find the room for a spare in your car you certainly can't bring along the bad tire--but you do retain mobility. (Perhaps 1800PORSCHE can haul it to the dealership for you?)

I carry a radial tire repair kit along with a ground cloth just in case I am faced with this situation. It has helped me a couple of times. Plugging a tire is not easy work and most just can't do it without having experimented with it in the past. But, it gives me some degree of security knowing that I have that kit in the trunk. BTW, I have since added a serpentine belt and a large 24mm combination wrench to install it to the kit.

https://rennlist.com/forums/997-foru...-tire-kit.html

Terry Adams

I would not be without my



but I would still rather have a spare.

slawus

Main is with the PCCB breaks, so thee is no spear wheel available from Porsche.The tire repair kit is a must in the car.

carcommander

I carry a plug kit in all my cars whether they have a spare or not. Saved me many times. A skill that is not very hard to learn. You can buy them at any auto parts store. I would have put the plugs in then shot it with the goop. Might have worked enough to get you home.

uzj100

I went through this flat situation too. Not fun. (See photo below). Called 1 800 Porsche. Nearest dealer closed. Had to do some talking, as tow is supposed to go to dealer only. Was able to get dropped off at my house with the car. Called in the AM to get flatbedded to tire shop, but 1 800 Porsche said nope. Only to dealership. Used AAA to get car to tire place. Later called 1 800 Porsche back to ask about logistics of situation as this happened locally, but I needed my car at the house because I didn't have keys to the house, only garage opener via home link. 1 800 Porsche said they would have put me up at hotel close to dealer pending tire repair. Tire goop (obviously) wouldn't work in this situation.

Seems "best" insurance for long road trips is the buddy system?

BlackBear

You are missing the cement - or glue.

turbo8

plugs have glue\cement on them already, very sticky

I would have tired to plug it and gooped it too.