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Check your spare!

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:18 pm
by jimincalif
Helped my son preflight his Vibe before a road trip. Checked the spare, pressure was just 25 psi - supposed to be 60. Would not have worked well if it was needed. I don't know when the spare was last checked.

Re: Check your spare! (jimincalif)

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:30 pm
by chadhgraves
Good point!

Re: Check your spare! (jimincalif)

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 10:52 pm
by 06pvibe
Ran into exactly the same thing a few months back when the wife had a flat. Enough to get home on... slowly, but checking the spare is now part of the regiment.The funny thing is that it "feels" hard even with so little air in it. They should install nitrogen in these from the factory. It would be less likely to bleed off over time, and keep it from internal rot.

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 11:07 pm
by ligion
BUMP, I actually had the same thing a week ago! I checked my spare and it had 19psi!!!

Re: (ligion)

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 12:57 am
by KNINE
I keep a mini air compressor in my car. Good thing too, because I've used my spare twice and it needed air both times.

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 12:43 pm
by ColonelPanic
Haven't checked the spares in our cars since last year... Need to do that!I do have an air compressor / jump starter thingy that could save me but it's usually not in the car since it's so bulky. Sometimes goes with me on trips though, cargo space permitting.

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 1:04 pm
by journeyforce
I have a $24 compact air compressor I got from Target. It is stored in the compartment on the right side of the spare and fits nice under the floor

Re: (journeyforce)

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 1:48 pm
by chadhgraves
I got a jump start battery pack that has an air compressor built into it a couple christmas ago. I've only needed it a couple times, but I wouldn't go anywhere without it. It's saved me from being stranded a few times and for that, it's worth it's weight in gold. It's also easier to give someone a jump, which I've done about the same amount of times that I've personally needed it. It's fairly cheap for peace of mind.

Re: Check your spare! (jimincalif)

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 2:47 pm
by tpollauf
Quote, originally posted by jimincalif »Checked the spareSpare ???? What's that You just had to know that somebody was going to make that remark. I don't even know what mine looks like as I've never had the compartment where is it stored opened up. Better do it soon before I end up needing it. When I damaged my tire/rim last fall, I knew it was destroyed so instead of changing out the flat at the time, I drove it home as is .... 13 miles !!!!!!Thanks for this important reminder & safety tip

Re: Check your spare! (jimincalif)

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:16 pm
by Canker
I was on the way home from an autox event in the miata and ran over some road debris and my spare was flat. I was lucky I take an air tank with me to events and also lucky that several other autoxers saw me and stopped with another air tank to top my spare tire off.

Re: Check your spare! (Canker)

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 8:43 am
by vibenvy
I check our spares every time I check the other tires. Our spares have never gotten below about 58 PSI.

Re: Check your spare! (tpollauf)

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 9:10 am
by ColonelPanic
Quote, originally posted by tpollauf »Spare ???? What's that Unfortunately, following the recent trends in automotive genius from the manufacturers, that is a valid question is asked quite frequently! A spare is now a luxury, usually you get a can of goo and a compressor. That will work spendidly for a sidewall puncture. They say it's for weight savings and fuel economy, but it's probably more so the accountants can pad their bottom line.