I just returned from a 200 mile drive. Air temp was about 85 degrees. Road temp higher because it was sunny. Most miles were at high speed in traffic on crowded Interstates at 70-80 mph.
The next day I drove about a mile from home when the tire warning light came on. Thinking it was just the slow leak left rear tire I've been adding air to every few weeks because of a hard to locate slow leak, I continued another mile until I found a good spot to pull off and look. The right rear looked pretty low. So I turned back to home, driving slowly. Jumped in another car and went to the meeting late.
Later, back in my garage it was obvious the tire was flat but on a quick glance nothing apparent. I added air with a compressor (love having one in the garage). It went from 50 to 35 psi pretty fast, so I figured I'd picked up a nail. I then drove a mile to my nearby Independent garage repair place hoping to have them plug it.
They found a 3" drill bit (about a 1/16") in the tire tread. But worse, the inside 30% of the tread width for about 2-3 inches (only) was badly worn, down to the inner casing threads showed (NO rubber covering them) for about 8 inches or more. The 3 other tires were worn normally and perfectly safe with at least 50% tread depth remaining.
They plugged the flat tire so I could limp home from the shop. They had difficulty removing the buried drill bit, which would have been difficult for a person on the highway under stress in heat or darkness etc. Be sure to carry the right pliers and other pulling tools if you want to try this yourself...a drill bit or similar object has no head like a nail.)
The plug is holding air OK for now but it or the tire is still leaking slowly elsewhere. The car sits in the garage while I shop for a new set of tires.
The car guys first said "you need an alignment the camber is way off" (all of a sudden? the tires were rotated 3k miles ago and looked fine as do the others...maybe I hit a pothole or something breaking the suspension...to be checked). I'm wondering when this happened and if/how long I drove on this tire during my long drive. I don't recall the tire warning being on but...? I recall visiting near a house construction site etc, but hundreds of miles before this failure was noticed. Did I pick this up there and drive on it for hundreds of miles?
In any case, we're fortunate the tire didn't blow out at speed somewhere. Had I known the situation I'd have probably limped to a tire dealer in a strange city and/or mounted the blow up spare...BUTT
it was Sunday of Labor Day Weekend and 100 miles from home, so what are the odds of any quick/real success other than mounting a spare?
The car is an AWD 'performance' type with 255/35 19" high perf tires...not easily found in stock at the local gas station on a Sunday on Labor Day weekend 30 miles from any small city. (Does anyone recall when local gas stations actually carried tires that might fit many cars that were on the road?).
Cars today come with all kinds and sizes of tires and wheels. I care about the wheels and tires being a particular type/brand and properly mounted and torqued too. Had I discovered the problem on the trip, I might have tried to mount the mini spare myself but think some others would have offered to help depending on where it happened. If this failed, I'd have tried emergency service..but it was Sunday on Labor Day weekend...lots of travelers and probably few road service guys, let alone tire dealers with the kind of tires I want.
This is the 2nd time I have lost a tire on a similar trip. The 1st time, I was years younger and had a real spare (snow tire IIRC) which I mounted on the side of the highway at the toll booth on the Garden State Parkway. I'm older now and this would be more difficult for me, let alone my wife traveling alone.
Butt...I will never travel without at least a mini spare. (Note: many mini spares either come with a fill-up tire can/kit, check yours...if not, buy one).
One other anecdote. I know an owner of a high end Mercedes who broke two (rare and expensive factory option) wheels on pot holes or similar road hazards. The tires went flat. Broken wheels don't easily inflate with canned air. He was miles from home and had to be towed. He was on his way to speak at a seminar in a distat city. He ended up renting cars (to get to his seminar), eventually towing his, and looking for a replacement tire/wheel while miles away...etc etc. If you drive 'special' cars getting them repaired quickly can be very difficult and inconvenient when you travel, especially during busy times, weekends, off hours etc .
"Road service" alone is far from a complete solution to all situations. Think carefully.
After my recent experience, I may replace the mini spare(s) with a dormant snow tire as I once did. (Yes, I have mounted snow tires/wheels too...and all 3 of my cars have wells large enough to hold a tire...check if yours do.)
Note also,
a good service center/dealer will check the spare tire air along with the other 4 at oil/service time...ask them!. Get a n air pressure guage and check them yourself if you don't have or trust the cars air system alone.
In fact I think mini-spares or better
should be required on all cars as standard equipment and, the absence of this, should be a listed as "delete" option (NOT the 'standard equipment') specified on the vehicle order form and shown on the window sticker (prominently). Spare tire equipment should be listed prominently in the spec sheets. This costs nothing but helps to avoid surprises. Yes, I know this won't happen...
Long story, I know but reflecting on what was a scary recent event and sharing a bit. GTG..thanks for listening Doctor
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