# Best course with slow leaking tire **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 16, 2024, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310 "2024-11-16T00:57:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310/101 "2024-12-04T15:29:50Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > > [@Coriolanus](#): > > > > From what I’ve seen on youtube and heard, using Fix-a-flat leaves so much gunk inside the tire that nobody may want to touch it for repair. > > From personal experience: > Discount Tire will patch it > Firestone Tires will not touch it due to company policy. The OP lives in England. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310/102 "2024-12-04T16:13:59Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The OP lives in England. I know but I figured since the OP had his tyre fixed that now this was more of a general purpose thread. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310/103 "2024-12-04T16:14:25Z")
Indeed, yet I reckon it’s the same stuff. Same name anyways. Even when I lived in the USA, I seem to recall using the stuff was kaput for the tire. You might think starting the name of your product with “Fix” means just that. Over the years maybe the lawyer language changed enough to say that’s it’s only supposed to get you to the nearest mechanic - yet even there I’ve heard mechanics aren’t happy to service a tire that you’ve used that stuff in. I think I’ve even heard the stuff kind of explodes out. Yet I’ve never been asked, “have you used Fix-a-Flat” so I kind of wonder if Firestone asks first, or they see the gunky cream after lifting your car, yanking the tire and opening it. So dunno if the lawyer-eze on the back of the can says “only temporary - get ye to a mechanic” and adds, “tell them you’ve used this product. And, BTW, your tire is toast.” ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310/104 "2024-12-04T16:28:38Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > So dunno if the lawyer-eze on the back of the can says “only temporary - get ye to a mechanic” and adds, “tell them you’ve used this product. And, BTW, your tire is toast.” I’ve resorted to Fix-a-Flat a few times in my life. Notably, at least a couple cars I’ve owned (BMW, Acura) have had instead of a spare and jack, an electric pump with an integrated tank of the goop. And when I’ve had to use it, I still haven’t had a problem getting the tire patched and plugged. Although I’ll slip the tech that does the work a $20 just because I know it’s a mess. My Lotus came with a UK brand version of the spray can, with the price tag still on it. I imagined a factory intern being sent out to all the local auto parts places buying a couple dozen cans at a time. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310/105 "2024-12-04T16:32:35Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I suspect a rim leak. Take it off the rim and put it back on. But they won’t do it. (this should be in the Get the Government off my Back thread). Unlike me. I’d never _heard_ of a rim leak till folks in this thread told me to hit the rim with suds. You’ve got plow truck and had to go 40 miles to be told “Nope. Government says 10 (or however many years) is too long”, so I’m with you on the Govt angle. I guess all I can suggest is passing along what I’ve learned here: Suds up the rim and see if it blows bubbles. Other than that, keep a good pump handy and a bit low PSI in a plow doesn’t seem so bad to me. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310/106 "2024-12-04T16:38:46Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > It literally relied on fitting into the lift point or it couldn’t be used for any other purpose at all This doesn’t seem to be a reasonable issue. A tire changing jack is strictly for changing a tire. You buy more appropriate jacks for general-purpose jacking; it’s literally unsafe otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310/107 "2024-12-04T16:45:13Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > I guess all I can suggest is passing along what I’ve learned here: Suds up the rim and see if it blows bubbles. Other than that, keep a good pump handy and a bit low PSI in a plow doesn’t seem so bad to me. Yeah, I’ve done that on Natural/Propane gas lies. The suds. This truck is chained up on all four. It’s the way it must be. Yes, that’s how bad the snow can be. Driving it into town is really not an option. Not that the tire place would do anything, and it takes hours to take the chains off and put them back on. > [@gnoitall](#): > > This doesn’t seem to be a reasonable issue. A tire changing jack is strictly for changing a tire. You buy more appropriate jacks for general-purpose jacking; it’s literally unsafe otherwise. I use two hydraulic jacks and a jack stand for this beast (The truck is named William). I do not want to get crushed. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310/108 "2024-12-04T16:47:40Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Okay. I have the dumb kind but was imagining PSI monitors that report the numerical PSI for each tire separately. My 2023 Bolt has just that in a display you can call up on the dash and is relayed to an app on the phone. Unfortunately, unlike charge completion or interruption, it does not send an SMS if something is amiss. On Sunday I was using the app to find out if the charging session I had started the night before was close to completion and just happened to bring up the vehicle status page. The left front tire was flat due to a nail picked up apparently close to home. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310/109 "2024-12-04T16:52:43Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > (The truck is named William) Heh, If I had a big truck I’d call it Willem (as in Dafoe). ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310/110 "2024-12-04T16:56:08Z")
Absolutely. Which is why I put a multi-purpose jack in the car. It can be used for many purposes, including changing the tire. It is also useful if I need to assist with some other person’s car. Cars have multiple safe lifting points, otherwise a tire shop would need to use the jack that came with the car when they change or rotate your tires. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310/111 "2024-12-04T17:02:02Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Firestone Tires will not touch it due to company policy. Firestone (& Tires Plus, same owners) area f@#$%in’ a$$#)!es; don’t _ever_ go to them! They wouldn’t put a plug in my tire, w/o looking at it, because they’re unsafe. They also, again w/o looking at my car, told me I needed four new tires because when I replace one I need them all to have even tread depth otherwise the AWD sensors won’t work properly. Hmmm, learn something new every day; I didn’t realize that could be an issue on my _front-wheel drive_ car. 🙄 Drove around the corner to the local tire place; they plugged it & it lasted for over a year, until I otherwise replaced the tires for tread wear where it cost me ≈$20-25 instead of ≈$700-800. Firestone tried to jerk me around for an extra $300 for new tires after they put them on my car. They took 'em back off & remounted my old tires; ended up going with Goodyears instead ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310/112 "2024-12-04T17:03:17Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > > [@enipla](#): > > > > (The truck is named William) > > Heh, If I had a big truck I’d call it Willem (as in Dafoe). What would you name a friendly truck; one that isn’t da foe? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310/113 "2024-12-04T17:17:01Z")
> ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310/114 "2024-12-04T17:25:48Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > A tire changing jack is strictly for changing a tire. You buy more appropriate jacks for general-purpose jacking; it’s literally unsafe otherwise. I would agree for the jacks that come with cars. But a [general purpose scissor jack](https://www.amazon.com/RED-Wide-Base-Cross-Scissor/dp/B0DHCGDML8/) _can_ come in handy when doing work & maintenance on cars. I do a lot of work on cars, and own eight hydraulic jacks of various shapes & sizes. But I also have a couple scissor jacks (see link above) that I occasionally use. Some of my hydraulic jacks are simply too tall or too wide for what I need to do, and the scissor jack is the perfect tool for it. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310/115 "2024-12-04T17:56:21Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I would agree for the jacks that come with cars. But a [general purpose scissor jack](https://www.amazon.com/RED-Wide-Base-Cross-Scissor/dp/B0DHCGDML8/) _can_ come in handy when doing work & maintenance on cars. I can see that for sure. Bottle jacks can be too high. > [@Spiderman](#): > > What would you name a friendly truck; one that isn’t da foe? William is very friendly, although I beat on that truck a lot. His name came from when I initially got it home, I had yet to rig it up with the plow, winch, tires and chains (it had stupid wide street tires on it 🙄) It took a lot of ‘Will’ power to not drive the new truck around. So, hence the name William. My previous plow truck was named Puddles, cause, well it leaked a little bit ('76 Chevy). I ended up donating it to the [Keystone Science School](https://www.keystonescienceschool.org/). My tractor is named ‘Button’. It’s orange. What else is orange, well, Navel Oranges. What is a navel? It’s a belly button of course. So the tractor’s name is ‘Button’. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310/116 "2024-12-04T18:17:56Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I can see that for sure. Bottle jacks can be too high. Yep. And using a hydraulic floor jack on my four-post lift is challenging (and somewhat dangerous) due to its large footprint. And here’s a tip when using a scissor jack: spray the jack’s long, threaded rod with silicone oil before using it. Lubed, it takes a lot less energy to lift the car vs. a dry threaded rod. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310/117 "2024-12-04T20:30:37Z")
I don’t have a garage, and the driveway is gravel. And working outside on a car in the winter is right out. In the short summers, I put the jack on some cribbing. Generally a piece of 2x6. We are looking at moving. And both want a 3 car garage as a feature of the house. We’ve lived in snow our entire lives. We have never had a garage. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310/118 "2024-12-04T21:30:46Z")
Are you planning to stay in Colorado? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310/119 "2024-12-04T21:51:58Z")
Yeah. Planning on staying in Colorado. We love it here. I have a very close family member in Denver. She is having health problems. I want to stay close. So does my wife. But we will drop about 6000 feet in elevation. We’ve had a real good run way up here, but we see the writing on the wall. It’s time to go down. Probably Ft. Collins/Loveland area. My wife is a property appraiser. So she is doing most of the leg work. She enjoys it though, and we agree on what we want. What we are looking for is a pretty tall order though. We will have to make some concessions I’m sure. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310/120 "2024-12-04T22:01:37Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > We are looking at moving. And both want a 3 car garage as a feature of the house. We’ve lived in snow our entire lives. We have never had a garage. Considering how expensive a lot of Colorado has become, if you want a place that’s lower in altitude, and has a lot of space for a three car garage, the only affordable place I can think of is Pueblo. I used to joke all the time about how it felt like I was in Mad Max’s wasteland down there, and the steel plant is still a visual disaster, but it’s come a long way. The north side now feels like generic “anywhere USA” with chain stores spreading forth which is a pro and a con depending on the POV. Not the same sort of opportunities for work, play or culture you’d see in the greater Denver area, Boulder, or even Ft Collins… but a LOT cheaper than all the above. All that being said though, I’d certainly prefer your choices in Ft. Collins/Loveland. Weather-wise, I do like the Springs, because the worst of the hot and cold weather tend to go north or south of us, but we’re VERY overpriced and strangely low in non-natural events and culture despite the size. Canon City is an interesting possibility - much warmer and lower, a bit less post-industrial than Pueblo, but the politics in the area stink IMHO. Yeah, compromises everywhere. Back to tires! I’ve had good luck with Costco tires, because while they still cost a good bit, they’ve been pretty good at honoring their warranties when it comes to a slow leak, puncture, or other failure. Getting in and out is a freaking pain though. And Discount Tires and Big O tires locally to me have been very good about patching tires after a pro-forma offer to sell me a new one. They weren’t exactly fast (patches seemed low priority) but at least they were normally same day when I came limping in on a donut spare. Anyway, as I said in this or related thread, I’ll continue to enjoy the next couple of years of having a full-sized mounted spare on the Rav4, and be glad that the new-to-us car at least has a donut spare. Apparently a number of new cars just come with a can of Fix-a-Flat… > **[Some Newer Cars Are Missing a Spare Tire - Consumer Reports](https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/tires/some-newer-cars-are-missing-a-spare-tire-a9928775934/)** > > Some cars lack a spare tire because carmakers are trying to squeeze more miles out of every gallon of fuel. Here's what you need to know about spare tires. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-course-with-slow-leaking-tire/1010310.md?page=7)