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Corgis Rock |
My four year old CMAX just had a “Check Tire Mobility” message appear. I dig out the manual. OK, fine. There is no spare tire but you get a air compressor and a tire sealant. The tire sealant is to be replaced after 4 years. Call to the Ford dealer results in confusion. He had no idea about a replacement. First he found one for $330! Wait, that was the entire kit. The sealant was only $53.88. (Fix-A-Flat is $7.00) Either nobody is replacing the sealant or the parts department doesn’t know about this. Oh yes, the sealant is due out until 2019. Looking on UTube, the air compressor and sealant fit together as one unit. The latter having a hose to fill the tire. Fix-A-Flat is pretty much out. Mutter. Checked Amazon. They have it as original equipment for $33. Fine, I get it delivered Friday. Why not ignore it? Demon Murphy is out there waiting for me. “ The work of destruction is quick, easy and exhilarating; the work of creation is slow, laborious and dull. | ||
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| Leatherneck |
Is there room for a spare tire and they just don’t include one or is there not even a space for one? “Everybody wants a Sig in the sheets but a Glock on the streets.” -bionic218 04-02-2014 | |||
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Not really from Vienna |
Sealant and a toy compressor aren’t going to do a bit of good for a blowout, sidewall damage, or tread separation. I can’t believe auto manufacturers are doing that. Just another reason I’ll continue to drive older sedans, SUVs, and pickup trucks. | |||
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| Corgis Rock |
Not an inch. It’s a hybrid to boot. Now, the 41 mpg is nothing to sneeze at. “ The work of destruction is quick, easy and exhilarating; the work of creation is slow, laborious and dull. | |||
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| Leatherneck |
Thanks. A friend just asked me if I had ever heard of that model. His wife is looking at one. I will mention it to him. I don't know if he will care or not but a spare tire is something some people might just assume comes with every car. “Everybody wants a Sig in the sheets but a Glock on the streets.” -bionic218 04-02-2014 | |||
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| Purveyor of Fine Avatars  |
I've been ignoring my tire mobility warning for nearly two years. I've never attempted to use the compressor or tire sealant in the nearly six years I've had the Taurus. I'd love to have the warning disabled but pushing the OK button on startup is cheaper than Ford would charge me to reset it. "I'm yet another resource-consuming kid in an overpopulated planet raised to an alarming extent by Hollywood and Madison Avenue, poised with my cynical and alienated peers to take over the world when you're old and weak!" - Calvin, "Calvin & Hobbes" | |||
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| His diet consists of black coffee, and sarcasm.  |
 As if the "dinky donuts" (as I like to call temporary spares) weren't bad enough. | |||
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Member |
Our new Mazda came with no spare either, only sealant and a compressor. I added a jack and lug wrench that fit from an older model. I also added a tire plugging kit and a tire pressure gauge. Peace of mind and they take up little room, so you might consider this as well. For blow-outs etc I have to rely on AAA and a cell phone. Collecting dust. | |||
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| Member |
Spare tires and jacks are so 1970. My guess is one of the reasons manufacturers quit putting real spares in their cars is that no one knows how to change a tire. End of Earth: 2 Miles Upper Peninsula: 4 Miles | |||
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| Not as lean, not as mean, Still a Marine  |
A couple of reasons for manufacturers dropping the spare tire: 1) mpg requirements. The weight of the tire and jack equal 1-2 additional mpg 2) cost. The tire and jack cost more than the compressor and fix a flat. Over the thousands of vehicles made, it adds up. 3) roadside assistance. Included with most new vehicles, insurance plans, and through private companies (AAA) who changes their tire anymore? I have a full size space on my pathfinder, and maintain it as we do explore unpaved logging roads. We have the full diameter mini space in my wife's Escape, as that's awd. While I prefer the ability to change the tire and not wait for roadside assistance, but I do understand the change in production. I shall respect you until you open your mouth, from that point on, you must earn it yourself. | |||
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| Member |
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| Not as lean, not as mean, Still a Marine |
Sorry, it was 1%, not 1 mpg. All of my other points are still valid. I'm not saying I agree with this direction, just saying I can understand why manufacturers are going this way. Tire Rack article on spare tire extinction I shall respect you until you open your mouth, from that point on, you must earn it yourself. | |||
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For real? |
I haven't had to change a flat in 12? years now. I keep a compressor and plug kit and plug it myself. I started with RunFlats on my '06 BMW and eventtually switched to goflats because the ride was harsh. A compressor and plug kit is what I used. Never had a blowout. I switched to Subaru in '14 and it had a spare, never checked on it or took it out since I just moved the compressor and plug kit. In 73k miles, never ran over a nail, went back to BMW with the runflats and just moved my compressor and plug kit over to it. Once these runflats wear out, I'll replace them with goflats. The ride's not as harsh, but still harsh enough. It's true no one these days knows how to change a tire. I think I've taught four people (3 of them men, if you can call them that) this summer how to change their tires. I've started carrying my impact wrench and a deep socket kit in my patrol car to speed things up. Not minority enough! | |||
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