Spare Tire 101: Whats in the trunk?

[LS1notFOUND]

So what do you do when you see the low tire light come on?

You check your tires to find one of them is hissing...and contains a foreign object.

Break out the spare, nice and new, full of air....but still despite the vehicle have 15 inches its not a full size...or even full diameter spare... when some loose some. Maybe an aveo steel wheel will takes its place at some point if I feel motivated about it.

All the parts are in a somewhat sturdy foam holder. If this foam holder is removed however, a full size spare would have fit just fine.

Now I like the old design, where the the nut on the wheel matched the jack, that would allow me to use my cordless impact to raise the vehicle, but instead some leverage and elbow grease in the 100 degree humid heat was needed.

Should have just phoned OnStar but when press for time, its DIY.

All in all kinda makes me want black rims, and here's the culprit:

What upsets me is early in the morning I noticed a noise and heard a click, figured it was a rock or some vibration that got out of control, no hiss or low tire at that point, so lucky me that short little screw finally was pushed in enough to puncture during my drive to work or on the way home.

 

[rdss]

I just have a can of tire sealant and an electric pump.

 

[Eric Smit]

I also have a spare tire, but haven't had to use it yet.


-Eric Smit

 

[Stubby]

Be careful with the sealant.

Be careful with tire sealant. Sometimes you got to do what you got to do. But when you take the tire in for repair, let them know about it. Then they pop the tire from the rim, that fix-a-flat usually pops up and hits them in the face (and eyes). Met the tire shop know so they can put on their face shields.
Small word of wisdom and kindness.

 

[THKPIC]

Yeah, I'm going to go buy the donut. This fix a flat can junk in my trunk just isn't my style. And if you hit a curb and slice the side wall, which I've done, your screwed.

 

[Eric Smit]

I would much rather have a spare tire instead of a can of goop.


-Eric Smit

 

[seanp1]

If you just have the Fix-a-flat crap, do you get a tire jack? Wondering if there is space for the doughnut and jack if it doesn't come with the car.

Just trying to be a well informed buyer.

 

[Ab09]

As a former Tire Tech... If you put fix-a-flat in a flat tire and then dont tell anyone at the tireshop... Then F*** you! Those are about the only 3 words I could think of when it came to doing flat repairs when someone used fix-a-flat.. Most times it would ruin the inside of the tire.. Making the cost go from a 20$ repair to a $70... $150... $300 new tire.
Also that S*** is FLAMMABLE as F***

 

[laborsmith]

If I recall correctly, the 2012 Sonic sales brochure specifically stated that the LT Sedan would not get the compact spare tire/tools, which to means the LS and the LTZ sedans would get one. I have not seen a rational for this decision and usupect the LT sedan could have the tire/tools as there should be space for them. At least it seems there should be space.

Laborsmith

 

[seanp1]

If I recall correctly, the 2012 Sonic sales brochure specifically stated that the LT Sedan would not get the compact spare tire/tools, which to means the LS and the LTZ sedans would get one. I have not seen a rational for this decision and usupect the LT sedan could have the tire/tools as there should be space for them. At least it seems there should be space.

Laborsmith

Thanks for the info. I plan to buy a Hatch and will see if it comes with it. IF it does not and there is room, I will talk to the dealer about tossing it in as I have never been a fan of the remedy in a can.

 

[Preloader]

Nobody has mentioned using a repair kit. Usually when I get a nail I have enough pressure to limp to a gas station. I keep a $5 repair kit in the stash box. Quick repair, air up and Im back on the road in 10 minutes.

 

[Bogus]

Nobody has mentioned using a repair kit. Usually when I get a nail I have enough pressure to limp to a gas station. I keep a $5 repair kit in the stash box. Quick repair, air up and Im back on the road in 10 minutes.

this is what i want to get. but what if your side wall gets ripped?

 

[SSpeckerwood]

i have 4-15" spare tires+wheels.

 

[Preloader]

Throw your spare/jack in the trunk for long road trips. Otherwise if you're local and the sidewall gets ripped, call tow service or a friend to bring you your spare. In 15 years I've only blew out a sidewall once, and it happened right in front of my house.

 

[Bogus]

Throw your spare/jack in the trunk for long road trips. Otherwise if you're local and the sidewall gets ripped, call tow service or a friend to bring you your spare. In 15 years I've only blew out a sidewall once, and it happened right in front of my house.

if only my commute wasn't 60 miles. :/

 

[seanp1]

this is what i want to get. but what if your side wall gets ripped?

Then you are...

ed.

 

[rdss]

Yeah, wouldn't pump the tire full of fix-a-flat and not tell the guys at the shop, that would be a dick move. I plan on picking up a factory spare, they don't seem to cost that much, I'm not sure if I have a jack though, I will have to check.

 

[LS1notFOUND]

If you look in the background of the picture of the screw itself, you will see I got the plug kit. So far so good!

It started losing air pretty fast so I change it out,went and and got the kit, then filled it up and put it back on. This also let the goo from the plugs set up w/o pressure on them right away. $4.99 fix If it starts to loose some air, I'll get the patch/plug inside the tire done at its next dealer visit or tire shop (I cringe to think how much a dealer would charge for that though.)

 

[Swordsmith]

I've got a little jump start box which is a combination spare battery and tire pump. 95% of the time, the pump (and before I had the pump, a can of fixaflat) will get a car going long enough to run to a tire shop.

I never drive for any real length of time on a spare, because that means I have no spare in the trunk. So I only need to run long enough to buy a new tire. Odds are I'll get a flat maybe 10 times over the life of my car, so there's really only a 50% chance I'll need a spare ever. I also have AAA, so the rare serious blowout means I'm delayed an hour or so waiting for a tow, but no added cost.

I can see getting rid of the spare, the reduced weight will mean a tiny bit of extra MPG every single mile I drive the car, in exchange for a tiny amount of potential inconvenience.

 

[mprice2984]

I have an LT 1.4 6M that didn't come with a spare. I got on the internet and bought a spare tire and rim from a wrecking yard for $55. I then found the jack set up at another yard for $45. Both were out of wrecks and were brand new unused parts. The 16" spare set up from an LS will fit any of the Sonic models.