Learn How to Use Tire Inflator

[ChuckA]

I’ve owned cars having no spare tire for many years but never used the tire inflator and sealant that comes with the cars.

Today I had a flat on my Honda and it was easy to use but would have been difficult if I was on the side of a dark road trying to read instructions.

1) remove the thing from the plastic bag and read the instructions on pg 329-330 of the manual.

2) do a dry run of plugging it in, hooking it to the tire, checking the tire pressure with it off and turning it on if necessary. Make sure the dial is set to “air only”

3) only use the sealant setting if it’s critical and necessary. Sealant gums up the tire and makes it impossible to patch/repair. I don’t use plugs.

Also, inflator sealant kits are not unique to the vehicle. If you need to use one, use the one from your oldest car since sealant canisters expire in 5-6 years. Just replace with the correct sealant canister afterwards.

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[RickMachE]

[sarcasm font] This is outrageous! You expect people to know how to use this before having a flat? WTH is wrong with you? Next you will be posting that people should read the manual to learn about other features in the car before trying to use them and failing. What gall you have, @ChuckA! [/sarcasm font]

 

[ChuckA]

[sarcasm font] This is outrageous! You expect people to know how to use this before having a flat? WTH is wrong with you? Next you will be posting that people should read the manual to learn about other features in the car before trying to use them and failing. What gall you have, @ChuckA! [/sarcasm font]

It was a passing thought. Yes I’m stating the obvious but had nothing to add to the open posts.

During my 6 months waiting for my MME, I read the manual a bunch of times. It doesn’t warn in the manual that pumping sealant into the tire ruins the tire. That was the main takeaway from the post.

 

[Auto Motive]

[sarcasm font] This is outrageous! You expect people to know how to use this before having a flat? WTH is wrong with you? Next you will be posting that people should read the manual to learn about other features in the car before trying to use them and failing. What gall you have, @ChuckA! [/sarcasm font]

Why are you so angry? It was interesting especially to my wife. She ask me to show how to hook it up.

 

[Auto Motive]

I’ve owned cars having no spare tire for many years but never used the tire inflator and sealant that comes with the cars.

Today I had a flat on my Honda and it was easy to use but would have been difficult if I was on the side of a dark road trying to read instructions.

1) remove the thing from the plastic bag and read the instructions on pg 329-330 of the manual.

2) do a dry run of plugging it in, hooking it to the tire, checking the tire pressure with it off and turning it on if necessary. Make sure the dial is set to “air only”

3) only use the sealant setting if it’s critical and necessary. Sealant gums up the tire and makes it impossible to patch/repair. I don’t use plugs.

Also, inflator sealant kits are not unique to the vehicle. If you need to use one, use the one from your oldest car since sealant canisters expire in 5-6 years. Just replace with the correct sealant canister afterwards.

Thanks.....

 

[RickMachE]

Why are you so angry? It was interesting especially to my wife. She ask me to show how to hook it up.

Definition of sarcasm:

the use of irony to mock or convey contempt.

Definition of clueless:

unable to understand what the words [sarcasm font] before something means...

 

[A-A-Ron]

Why are you so angry? It was interesting especially to my wife. She ask me to show how to hook it up.

@RickMachE reads the manual as often and thoroughly as your pastor reads his Bible and doesn’t tolerate heretics who ask questions that are answered within its hallowed digital pages.

Also, like me, he was being sarcastic

 

[Auto Motive]

@RickMachE reads the manual as often and thoroughly as your pastor reads his Bible and doesn’t tolerate heretics who ask questions that are answered within its hallowed digital pages.

Also, like me, he was being sarcastic

Sarcastic...really. you lack humility, kindness, understanding. If you need to be sarcastic on a post have humility and move on.

 

[ChuckA]

Sarcastic...really. you lack humility, kindness, understanding. If you need to be sarcastic on a post have humility and move on.

I fully understood his comment. @RickMachE could have just said “DUH”. I still remember the 1st time I charged at a fast charger and didn’t know how to use the FP Blue Oval app. It’s good to find out when you still have options. Some people just call for road service. They risk having the MME towed by someone that isn’t informed.

 

[Blackpony]

Interesting post. I have owned another car that didn’t have room for a spare tire (the Nissan GTR that I traded in when I bought my GT) and I had purchased an inflation system like ours for it. I never had to use it. I had read our owner’s manual and pretty much remembered what it said but I went back and read it again. The big difference that I see from what the OP said is our manual says to use the sealant mode to start. I like the suggestion to use just air first and only go to sealant if necessary, which I take to mean that the leak is bad enough that you really can’t inflate it to the point you can drive on it. I will look at the one for my GTR to see if the use by date has come, LOL

 

[AZBill]

I have three vehicles with no spare tire. In addition to having the inflator, I carry a plug kit. I have had two flats in the past (not MME yet) where the sealant did not work, had to get towed. If I had used a plug kit, I could have fixed those. I did have a blowout on one car, no choice but to have it towed.

 

[Jeffvisor]

I carry a plug kit as well as extra can of sealant but didn't have a flat tire yet but better safe than sorry. I don't have total trust in sealant so that is why I bought a plug kit. They are cheap on Amazon.

 

[Blue highway]

I have three vehicles with no spare tire. In addition to having the inflator, I carry a plug kit. I have had two flats in the past (not MME yet) where the sealant did not work, had to get towed. If I had used a plug kit, I could have fixed those. I did have a blowout on one car, no choice but to have it towed.

+1 on the plug kit. Over the last 40 years, all but one flat has been a nail. I've plugged and pumped up my tire twice in the last decade (not the MME)... much better than sliming it.

 

[ChuckA]

Note that the MME has no jack so spinning a tire to find a nail hole to plug is a project in itself.

I carry AAA Plus and would call for a flatbed tow before plugging. I’m a senior and no longer can dive under a car. I’d need a tow to get me back up.

 

[Mosworthy]

3) only use the sealant setting if it’s critical and necessary. Sealant gums up the tire and makes it impossible to patch/repair. I don’t use plugs.

During my 6 months waiting for my MME, I read the manual a bunch of times. It doesn’t warn in the manual that pumping sealant into the tire ruins the tire. That was the main takeaway from the post.

I've never had a ruined tire from sealant.
Its absolutely disgusting to work on, and the shop I worked at for years would charge extra for the fix because of how gross it was.
Not one tire was ruined though. All of them took a plug/patch just fine and went on their merry way.

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