Inflator/spare Tyre

[ChillyWilly]

Yeah, it's that old chestnut.

I've got a 2012 Fiesta Zetec S which was bought used and came with an inflator kit. I noticed on Sunday that I've got a nail in one of the rear tyres. It may have been there some time, but I had just got back from the recycle place, so it could well have been from there. Fortunately it's holding the pressure. Now in my previous car I would have just pulled the nail out. If I was met by a deflating tyre I would have just popped the spare on and called to have the tyre repaired in the next day or two.

Knowing I have no spare, I couldn't pull the nail out to see if the tyre needed repairing or not. Otherwise we're talking inflator kit, maybe being told that it couldn't be repaired, hence one or two new tyres and a new can of gunk for the inflator.

It's making me feel a bit paranoid, being stuck in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere, trying to figure out how to use the inflator and hoping it'll work. What are people's real world experiences of punctures when you've only got the inflator kit? Have they been able to repair the tyre or said you'll have to buy a new one?

Have many of you bought a spare tyre and kit? I've just had a look on eBay. Most tyres on there seem to be 175/65R14 will one of these be ok to use as a temporary spare for the Streetpack alloys(205/40/7) I have? Will a spare from any Fiesta fit? eg. mk5, mk7

Cheers!

[Stoney871]

If the nail is within the centre 75% of the tread then if you leave it in and go to a tyre place most of the time it can be plugged and last a fair few miles more.

if the tyre is near it's life expectancy then just replace outright.

If you remove the nail then -

1. It's harder to find the hole to repair it.
2. Using the inflator pack means you'll need a new tyre anyway as the gunk makes it un-repairable so a new one would be needed anyway.

If the nail is on the outer 25% of the tyre, e.g. near the edge of the tread or even onto the side wall then the tyre must legally be replaced as the possibility of damage to the sidewall wire is very high.

I had the misfortune a couple of years back of picking up a 2 inch roofing screw in each rear tyre which made holes I could fit the end of my pinky finger into.

No way they could be plugged safely so had to call a mobile tyre fitter out to have two new tyres fitted at the roadside.

No amount of inflation pack compound would have made them road safe, that's for sure.

[ChillyWilly]

Just been to have the tyre looked at. He removed the foreign object which although it looked like the head of clout nail, had a screw thread a bit like a grub screw. Probably more than you needed to know :). He said it looked like I've gotten away with it and also warned against ever using the inflator kit in future as the tyre would be unrepairable. I'll just keep an eye on the pressure for a while..

I called into the local Ford dealer to get an idea of what a spare wheel kit would cost. He said an economy tyre it would be around £200, probably a shade over. He was trying to work out what size tyre and wheel would be needed to match the Streetpack alloys, although I was hoping it wouldn't matter that much if there was a bit of a difference as it would only be a short-term measure if ever needed. Don't know thoughts on that one?

[Roderick Pask]

I understand your concern. I purchased (1st March) an Ecoboost Fiesta Titanium with the inflator kit. Did not like the idea of having no spare particularly having experienced total failure of a tyre when it was pinched between the wheel and a Cornish granite kerbstone - fortunately I had a spare then. I purchased a complete wheel, tyre and jack from e-bay recently for £95. It is the size you mention but it works to get me home if needed. Good luck.

[2nd ford E+ B]

Funny enough I ordered my new fiesta titanium 1.0 ecoboost Saturday, but called the dealer earlier today to make sure it came with a spear tyre. The dealer had already added it to the order as he hates the inflator kits. :)

[ChillyWilly]

Another question...which Fiesta wheel jacks fit the mk7? Do I need a specific mk7 one or do those earlier fiesta versions if or even other Fords fit?

[Roderick Pask]

Not sure how far back it goes but I know the Mk 6 will work. You may need a longer holding down bolt for the boot space.