Ok Dope, we’ve got a bit of a dilemma on our hands, and I want to bounce some ideas off of you to see what you think.
The problem I have is that my car has a flat tire. Why is this such a problem? Well, as many of you know, I work out on a boat for 28 days at a time. My car is currently parked at company HQ with the flat. It got a flat on the way there, and I had no time to spare so I drove on it flat for some time to make it on time to ship out to the boat, and amazingly made it there without the tire completely disintegrating or bursting into flames. Of course, it’s shot, I know that much. The wheel may be too for that matter.
While I’m out on the boat, my car is sitting there in the parking lot in company headquarters, and it will be waiting for me there when I get off in another couple of weeks. My ETA to the car will be sometime around 2:30am, August 22nd. Here’s my dilemma.
I had no time to check to see if I even have a spare, tire iron, and jack in my trunk. It is a 2009 Toyota Camry, so I probably do, in the little compartment under the trunk flap thing. But it was a used car, so there’s no guarantee its all there. If it is, great! I can put the spare on, drive it home, and then drive it to a tire place the next day and get it changed. I have no qualms about changing a tire. I’ve only done it a couple times in my life but, I know I can do it. Essentially, though, I’ve never put the spare on my Camry before, so I don’t know that it’s all there. Bummer.
I do have roadside assistance coverage through my insurance company. Upon arriving to my car at ~2:30am, I could call them up and have a guy tow me to a tire place. I believe, however, this is going to be a bit of a problem because no tire places are going to be open at that time. So I’d either have to take a very expensive taxi ride home after leaving my car at the tire place, or just sit in my car for a few hours while I wait for the tire place to open. Not a terrible option, but, I won’t be able to know ahead of time if the tire place I choose is going to have the tire or entire wheel in stock, in which case I’m kind of screwed.
Is there any way I could electronically communicate with and pay a roadside tire change service to take care of this all ahead of time? Like, pay for the new tire/wheel, pay them to come out and change it after giving them the car description/license plate and address to find it? How would I go about finding a service like that if it exists?
Bribe a friend to go to my place, get the spare key to my car from my landlady, drive out to HQ, check my trunk to see if the spare/tire iron/jack is there and report back to me. Maybe even bribe them to put the spare on for me, so I don’t have to do it at 2:30am when I’m dog tired and exhausted from a 14hr+ ride back to the car.
Sit and wait in my car until morning, call around to tire places and see who has what I need ahead of time, then use my insurance to get me to that specific place.
So, those are my ideas and that’s the situation. What do you all think is best? What would you do in my situation?
The tire is likely a total loss so if try to email a Tire Kingdom or similar outfit near where the car is located and explain the situation. They should be able to give you a quote for replacing the tire and have it done by the time you get back. They will, of course, need your credit card info.
Can’t make telephone calls while out on the boat. Forgot to mention that.
I won’t have access to a phone until August 22nd, when I get back on dry land! I do have access to email though. Or anything online for that matter.
Also, the car is in Sugar Land, just outside of Houston, if anyone knows the area or specific companies who can help me.
Even though I don’t have access to a phone, I do have friends who could call on my behalf, who I can communicate with through instant messenger and such.
It’s a 2009, I would say you have pretty damn good odds that the spare is there and in good shape and you need to not spend the next three weeks worrying about it.
But if you have a willing friend and landlord who would do all this for you, you might want to take them up on this. I’d offer them, say, at least $50 and maybe a couple of drinks if they like going out to the bar. Who wants to change a tire after a 14 hour ride at 2am.
I’d suggest getting a friend to do it. You just need someone to get a key, and check to see if there’s a spare. The roadside service can change the tire right there if there’s a spare, and they’d prefer to do that instead of towing it. If there’s no spare you’re kind of stuck anyway you do it, either waiting, or taking the long cab ride.
Chances are very high there is a spare and a tool kit. Be aware that the space saver spare is a limited mileage tire not designed to go on long hauls or highway speeds for any extended period so you still have to get to a tire store at some point.
If you have mangled the rim by driving on it your may need both a tire and a rim.
Most tire stores have service trucks for on site service and can do a tire replacement without needing the keys to the car. If you can arrange to send them your CC # they could probably change the tire on site before you got back. Be aware there will be a charge for on site service. If the rim is too beat to put a tire on it you may have to spring for a rim as well.
If you’ve got a good enough friend who you can ask to do this , what’s the issue?
Send him an email, ask him to fix your tire.
Then buy a case of Jack Daniels if that’s what he likes, or buy him tickets to whatever sports event he likes, etc.
But mostly, sit back and relax: you’ve got a friend you’ll be close to for the rest of you life. And he’ll know that one day you’ll be there for him, too, when he needs you.
If you have a friend ask them to hook you up.
Or take a snooze break during you 14 hour drive and arrive during business hours and call AAA and let them handle it. They might inspect the rim to make sure isn’t a liability.
Most people never check the spare for air pressure. So if it’s been in the trunk of your car unused and unchecked (which sounds likely) then it will also need air. Nothing more useless than a flat spare tire.
Whoever you get to come and swap your tire, have them also bring an air pump and tire air pressure guage. In a pinch, one of those standing bicycle air pumps will do.
Get the new rim/tire put together and have a friend put the tire in your trunk for you or install it for you, depending on how big a favor you can ask.
I dare say that you have 2 flat tires. The one you know about and the spare. If you haven’t checked the spare’s pressure recently then don’t be surprised if it’s very low.
I check the spare tire pressures for all my family’s car every 6 months. Most are down 10 PSI or more. I’ve checked the spares when we’ve bought used cars only to find the tires all but flat - for example down to 10 psi when they are suppose to take 60 psi.
The spare in my wife’s new car was down 20 psi!
Checking pressures on spare tires can be a pain. Some are hidden in the trunk and placed so the valve stem is pointing the wrong direction. Therefore you have to remove the tire to air it up. I’ve seen mini-vans and trucks with the spare under the vehicle. Guess what? The valve stem is where you can’t get to it unless you lower the tire.
If you aren’t going to check your spare tire pressures a least once a year, consider getting a can of fix-a-flat (horrible stuff really) or getting a 12v electric air pump that may be able to inflate the bad tire good enough to get to a repair shop or at least inflate the spare tire.
I not sure about your Toyota, but many late model cars have TPMS, (tire pressure monitoring system). Not only does that system tell you when one of your tires is low, it also tells you when your spare is low. My wife’s 2007 Lexus has it, so it’s a fair bet that your 2009 Toyota does too. If you weren’t getting a low pressure warning before this happened, then you probably have a spare that has at least enough air to safely make it home.
Thanks for the advice everyone. I have a friend who is going to get the spare key from my landlady, and go check to see if the spare is good, has the tools I need, etc. If it’s not, he’ll let me know and we can proceed from there.
I offered to pay him and all he said was he wanted cuddles. Oh the benefits of being gay and having gay friends.
Bumping this thread to let everyone know my friend just got to my car, checked my spare, says it’s still full of air, and threw it on for me so that I don’t have to deal with it when I get off the boat.
Thanks again for all the recommendations/ideas/suggestions/warnings etc.
And yes I do understand that with my spare tire I need to drive slowly and get it replaced ASAP. I plan on driving it home and then taking it to a tire place the next day to buy a new tire.
