Fix a flat is USELESS
 

So Im on the Garden State Parkway and my tire pressure light goes on. A minute later I can tell I have a flat. So I pull over and get out the fix a flat. Sure enough, I fill the tire with that white crap and what do you know, it doesnt hold air. So I call roadside and they tell me that only the parkway authority can tow me and I have to pay for it. So the parkway gets their tow guy there about 1 hour later. Keep in mind that I just drank a large coffee from D&D and I really have to take a shit. The tow guy says that he will only drop me off at the next exit and I will have to call another tow truck from there, because thats the way it works. So he said I should just back up to the previous exit (only a couple hundred yards back) and drive off the parkway and call a tow. So I do that and then I called Mazda roadside again. It takes the tow truck two and a half hours to get there. I had to go to the bathroom so bad I was about to bend over in the middle of the street. So I got towed to the nearest mazda dealership and paid 600$ for two continental tires. It took Maxxon Mazda about an hour to see if they even had the tires, and then a day and a half to put them on. FIX A FLAT SUCKS

The tire repair in the car is not like the Fix-a-Flat in a can, there are specific step-by-step procedures you have to follow for this to work, did you follow them? Also if the hole was in the sidewall this will not work. As for the Parkway’s towing policy been that way for decade$. To avoid that from happening again you should pick up a spare, they can be found on this board from time to time.

Yea, followed all the steps. the hole was on the tread, but it was pretty big, so I guess that is why it didnt work. Anyway, I should have my head examined for driving around without a spare.

Mazda gets pretty chincy sometimes

You might want to put Ride On in your new tires to prevent future flat tires , here's the web site. http://www.ride-on.com/motorcycle.htm

um you are the chincy one- you had and still have the option of buying a spare. you chose not to.

I don't want a spare tire taking up good trunk space. I have enough trouble fitting things in there as it is!

I do carry a good quality puncture repair kit. You know... T-handle reamer, glue, cloth plugs, and T-handle needle.

Between that and the 'fix-a-flat', I should be OK for 70% of the typical flat tyres.

I use something similar to Ride-On called Slime, or something, in my ATV tires. Good stuff.

that's why i bought the spare and keep it in the trunk!! with the back seats, there's plenty of room...

I've taken three fairly long trips in my 8 since I bought it 14 months ago and on all three trips I had occasional thoughts about the fact that I didn't have a spare tire on board. So now I'm thinking I might buy a spare and only toss it in the trunk when going on long trips. For local trips, I often need the trunk space to carry some of my radio control model gear.

1.3L

Same here.

Not having a spare unnerves me.

Or go get a Tire plug kit and keep a pair of pliers and tin snips in the car. I think they are like $6 from Walmart.
1) Use pliers to pull out the nail, screw, etc;
2) Use the poker file thingy to rough up the edges
3) Use the plug thingy to plug the hole
4) Cut excess plug from the hole with tin snips
5) Use air compress to fill tire

Then drive somewhere and get the tire replaced, or patched correctly.

BTW, does anyone know how much Mazda's spare tire kit weighs?

1.3L

Aughhh! TMI!!

25lbs i think.

This is why I always argue for buckling down and getting the spare tire kit. Situations can easily conspire to make you REALLY wish you had a working spare tire. There's just no substitute.

No, there's no substitute for having room in the trunk. Long trips are when you'd most want the spare tire, but that's also when I need to fill the trunk with luggage. I bought the car with the understanding in my own mind that once or twice over the time I own the thing, I'll have to get a tow for a tire. Worthwhile tradeoff in my mind.

What DOES suck, that I never knew about, is the Parkway's tow policy! Do other roads have that kind of policy?

Krankor
05 Shinka 6MT

Yes, just imagine if you are driving in the mountains with no cell service. My situation was bad, butit could get worse. I will be buying the spare kit soon, if I keep the car.

How about run flats as replacements? I don't have any experience with them, but a lot of cars come with them now.

I had a flat once at home. I tried to temporarly use the plug. I had a hell of a time trying to use the T-handle and the plug to go through the hole. The rubber on the 8 is stiff (no pun intended). After an hour of no success, I threw the tire in the truck and drove the tire to get fixed.

i have a bmw 120d (rx-8 on order expected in jan).It came stock with runflats and i had to take them off.It is more comfortable to drive around handing off your back bumper tearing your face along the road as you go than driving on runflats.There not cheap and are screwed if u get a punture cos ur not really supposed to replace them.
Stay away, stay far away.

What I would suggest, and I have never tried it before but would image it works. Get a tow truck through your insurance or find one in a phone book and have your insurance pay for it, get the car towed to a tire place or service station and get it taken care of for much cheaper than the dealership.

I've got run flats for snow tires which is fine for winter but run flats are not a good choice for a sportscar in summer. They are heavy and do not handle well. They would detract from the fun and excellent handling of the 8.

The Garden State Parkway & NJ Turnpike want to clean up wreck’s / breakdowns ASAP. So in exchange for exclusive tow rights based on area they put out for bids to be the exclusive towing service. The highway gets 24/7 towing the company gets steady income with no competition. I am also sure based on NJ history a “gift” from the towing company to the right official also helps secure the deal.

Damn. And here I was thinking "gee, maybe from now on I'll skip the Parkway and just take the Turnpike. :-S

Thanks for the info. Anybody know if any other states have setups like this?