Major Flat tire

[fusionTX]

Not sure how much worse my day can get, but i was driving home tonight after a long day at work, when suddenly the low tire pressure warning came up. I was a mile or so from home, so i figured it was a slow leak and it would be fine.

 

As I exit the freeway and am close to turning to a street in my neighborhood, the car suddenly takes off on me. Very weird and frightening. I immediately stopped and heard air blowing out of one of my tires.

 

I was two blocks from home at this point so I went ahead and pulled into my garage.

 

What now? No jack. I certainly don't want to fill it up with the emergency kit.

 

Do we have free towing?

 

Appreciate any input.

[GrySql]

From page 232 in the Owner's Manual.

Roadside Assistance:

0. Roadside assistance will cover:

   • a flat tire change with a good spare (except vehicles that have been supplied with a tire inflation kit).

   • battery jump start.

   • lock-out assistance (key replacement cost is the customer's responsibility).

   • fuel delivery — Independent Service Contractors, if not prohibited by state, local or municipal law shall deliver up to 2.0 gallons (7.5 liters) of gasoline or 5.0 gallons (18.9 liters) of diesel fuel to a disabled vehicle. Fuel delivery service is limited to two no-charge occurrences within a 12-month period.

   • winch out — available within 100 feet (30.5 meters) of a paved or county maintained road, no recoveries.

   • towing — Ford and Lincoln eligible vehicles towed to an authorized dealer within 35 miles (56 kilometers) of the disablement location or to the nearest authorized dealer. If a member requests to be towed to an authorized dealer more than 35 miles (56 kilometers) from the disablement location, the member shall be responsible for any mileage costs in excess of 35 miles (56 kilometers).

Trailers shall be covered up to $200 if the disabled eligible vehicle requires service at the nearest authorized dealer. If the trailer is disabled, but the towing vehicle is operational, the trailer does not qualify for any roadside services.

--

You'll notice that the towing is only to a Dealer, not a tire store.

Roadside Assistance at 800-241-3673 is for Ford products.

 

[fusionTX]

Thanks Gry. I had just found the same thing. I could try and remove the tire with another car's jack and see if it can be repaired. But the air was gushing out, I wonder if it's even fixable. These things always happen when you have a ton of other stuff to take care of.

 

The scary part was that the car lunged for no reason as I was slowing down to turn into my neighborhood.

 

I Should be grateful it didn't happen on a road trip to florida or in the middle of the highway. At least I made it home.

[djminfll]

That is my nightmare - I have never driven a car without a spare tire, and it does freak me out a little that I don't have one.

[SteveB_TX]

Well, at least us MKZrs have lifetime Roadside Assistance. There's that. :)

[hybridbear]

The scary part was that the car lunged for no reason as I was slowing down to turn into my neighborhood.

Could what you felt have been a strange sensation because of driving with a flat? If the sidewall suddenly gave way it would feel very strange. I'm glad you got home safely, but it is very odd that you felt the car lunge forward.

[terryb]

I think I'm going to gather up the spare tire as described elsewhere.

[murphy]

The scary part was that the car lunged for no reason as I was slowing down to turn into my neighborhood.

 

 

If the tire was mostly flat, applying the brakes would instantly stop the wheel from turning but the tire could continue to rotate on the wheel. This might feel like a lunge but is actually the lack of any brake action from that wheel.

[kuzzi]

My insurance covers towing to wherever I want. I don't know if yours does the same, but maybe see if they can take it to a tire store. Or just use the other vehicles jack and take off the damaged wheel. I had to use insurance towing once when I realized the Harley Davidson service people were inept and tow the bike to my house for what should have been a warranty repair. Thankfully the aftermarket clutch I got was a billion times better than the stock one.

[fusionTX]

Could what you felt have been a strange sensation because of driving with a flat? If the sidewall suddenly gave way it would feel very strange. I'm glad you got home safely, but it is very odd that you felt the car lunge forward.

The tire had lost air but was not flat. Even after I pulled into my garage, the deflating went on for another 15 minutes or so.

It was very strange and happened very fast. I tapped the brakes slightly to slow down and turn and that's when it lunged.

This is the same turn I do almost every day, so it's kindof auto pitlot with car in EV+

[fusionTX]

If the tire was mostly flat, applying the brakes would instantly stop the wheel from turning but the tire could continue to rotate on the wheel. This might feel like a lunge but is actually the lack of any brake action from that wheel.

Maybe that explains it. The tire was not mostly flat, but was losing air rapidly. And i was braking to turn.

[fusionTX]

My insurance covers towing to wherever I want. I don't know if yours does the same, but maybe see if they can take it to a tire store. Or just use the other vehicles jack and take off the damaged wheel. I had to use insurance towing once when I realized the Harley Davidson service people were inept and tow the bike to my house for what should have been a warranty repair. Thankfully the aftermarket clutch I got was a billion times better than the stock one.

I do have towing with my insurance. Just don't know if the tire will be repairable since it leaked so quickly. I did not feel anything on the road for it to happen.

[acdii]

A tire that is almost out of air will make the car feel funky. Especially when turning and braking. It will feel like the car is pushing through the turn, especially if the low tire is on the outside of the turn and on the front. The tire is going one way, the car another.

 

 

 

Oh, also if you drove on a low tire, even if the tire could have been repaired, chances are the sidewall would be damaged. It doesn't take much at all to destroy the sidewalls when they are nearly flat.

Edited September 27, 2013 by acdii

[Waldo]

The scary part was that the car lunged for no reason as I was slowing down to turn into my neighborhood.

 

It didn't lunge for no reason, it lunged because your tire was low on air. That's why the government made TPMS mandatory, to warn you that your car is not going to brake and corner like it normally would.

[fusionTX]

[fusionTX]

There is a local shop very close to my house and the guy was nice enough to come to my house and fill the tire so we could drive it there.

Tire will need to be replaced. You can see the incident in picture above. Bad luck, i guess.

[smr2112]

Far too many of us have had flats in the Goodyear tires in the 1st year - or so it seems.

More that would be statistically probable if you'd ask me.

And yes, free tow, Ford Roadside had to take me to the dealer on a flatbed.

Now I have the Frankenspare and a jack and a set of wheel chocks in the trunk.

 

[GrySql]

Far too many of us have had flats in the Goodyear tires in the 1st year - or so it seems.

More that would be statistically probable if you'd ask me.

And yes, free tow, Ford Roadside had to take me to the dealer on a flatbed.

Now I have the Frankenspare and a jack and a set of wheel chocks in the trunk.

What is really hard to take is replacing a single tire on a car that has a partly worn (10-20,000 miles) set of tires. Now you have one new tire with 3 worn tires, swell.

 

Looking at the pictures that have been provided and the punctures, cuts and slashes from the road debris involved I don't think any normal tire could have escaped undamaged.

Maybe it's partly the GY tire construction, maybe not - there are lots of flats every day, everywhere.

My friend who owns a small non-chain Auto Repair and Tire store says they fix about 30 flats a week, I just called him and asked.

 

I join you in feeling somewhat safer with my Frankenspare and a jack in the trunk.

Edited September 27, 2013 by GrySql

[terryb]

I went to Ford, Discount Tire, Nissan and NTB and NOBODY can locate the tire. Discount is still searching for a option that will fit the spare well. There first alt. was too wide to go in the well.

[GrySql]

terryb,

Come over to the Spare Tire Thread and we'll help you look.

Like this: look here, here or here.

Edited September 27, 2013 by GrySql

[fusionTX]

A couple of hundred bucks and I'm back in my car! Just glad to have it resolved.

Luckily, I only have 6000 miles on my car, so the other tires are still pretty new.

[hybridbear]

A couple of hundred bucks and I'm back in my car! Just glad to have it resolved.

Luckily, I only have 6000 miles on my car, so the other tires are still pretty new.

Did they just have to replace one tire?

[fusionTX]

Did they just have to replace one tire?

Yes.

[terryb]

terryb,

Come over to the Spare Tire Thread and we'll help you look.

Like this: look here, here or here.

Sorry, the 5 year old slightly used 2008 Altima spare does not inspire much more confidence than the TMK.

[lolder]

The lurch you felt may have been the traction control or ABS sensing the flat. The lights only come on for a second and you may have missed it. When you are deccelerating and there is a brief reduction of decceleration you might sense at as a forward lurch. The 2010 Prii had a situation with the ABS when going over certain road sufaces and things like grated culverts that was reported as surges but was in fact a reduction in braking. They did a software fix.

Can't they do a sandwich patch on that tire?

Edited September 28, 2013 by lolder