This is something I need to get better at. On both vehicles the pressure was way less than it should have been. Glad I remembered to check it today.

Good psa

Good reminder. Do you check for age too? I think tires shouldn't be used after a certain number of years.

The "spare" on my truck gets rotated in - I do the AWD 5 wheel rotation; also keep a compressor in the truck just in case.

But my car factory spares are expired; I'm not sure I would use them unless just a short hop to home. I'd probably call AAA to tow the car somewhere. Not sure what it costs to replace the factory spare or if it's worth it. Not sure what other people usually do.

Does a "donut" spare have an expiration date? The one in my Venza is 10 years old and the one in my Corolla is 24 years old.

quote:

Does a "donut" spare have an expiration date? The one in my Venza is 10 years old and the one in my Corolla is 24 years old.

I got this from Conti:

Together with other members of the tire and automotive industries, Continental advises that all tires (including spare tires) made more than ten years ago should be removed from service and replaced with new tires.

You should follow this advice even if:

The tires seem to be in good condition and appear usable based on their external appearance.
The wear to the tread has not passed the minimum legal limit.
In short, even though a tire older than ten years might seem fine for driving, we still recommend getting new tires for your car. Drivers cannot depend on visual inspection for rubber cracking, wear to the tread, or other signs of deterioration from age. While tires may appear perfectly functional, their age is a factor for replacement.

Not sure if the donut expires, but the rubber still ages?

My car has runflats (for now) so no spare, but I bought a spare setup because I plan on getting goflats once the runflats wear out. My daughter's car has a temporary spare. I check it in the winter and spring when I do the snow tire/summer tire swapover.

I have been in the tire business forever. I’ve never replaced a mini spare. Many are inside out of the weather and in the dark. They are a stop gap anyway. They’re good for quite awhile if you don’t use them.

Yes they deteriorate over time. I just went through this at Discount Tire. New mini spares are not that expensive.
.

Good timing. If the lady I met in our office parking lot tonight had read this yesterday, perhaps I could have completed the spare replacement. She told me she had a spare with air, I had car jacked up when she rolls it around. It wasn't just low, it was so low the tire wasn't even mounted to rim any more.

"It has enough air in it I can drive to a station."

Some vehicles with TPMS and full-size spares also have a sensor in the spare. If you have one, the TPMS light is on and the tires on the ground are OK, check your spare.

If you have a truck or SUV with a spare slung underneath with a windlass, run the spare up and down every so often to keep it freed up, especially if you live where they salt roads. They - as well as the spare wheels themselves - have been known to rust up solid and the spare won't come down when you really need it.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
If you have a truck or SUV with a spare slung underneath with a windlass, run the spare up and down every so often to keep it freed up, especially if you live where they salt roads. They - as well as the spare wheels themselves - have been known to rust up solid and the spare won't come down when you really need it.

That's a good point.

I had a 2007 Chevy TrailBlazer, my wife a 2003. Don't recall how I heard of those windlasses seizing-up, but I did. So I had the dealership from which I bought my TrailBlazer check it before I accepted the vehicle, then had it dropped, inspected, and re-lubed at the first oil change after the winter season, every year. I ended up having to use it, too.

First time my wife's TB went in for an oil change I told her to have them do the same. Seized-up solid. They had to cut bits out and replace them to make it functional again.

Checking the air pressure in the spare is one of the easiest basic maintenance items to overlook or just get lazy about. When I check tire pressures at the change of season I have to make myself empty the trunk and get to that little spare and check it. It doesn't take too much imagination to envision a situation in which you need it and...oops! No air in the spare. Don't let it happen.

Spare tire? Donut tire? How I long for thee! I just bought a 2021 Dodge Challenger. In the trunk is a tiny compressor and can of fix-a-flat.
Confidence is not high!

I over-inflate the spare in my vehicles by 5-10 lbs to compensate for temperature changes. On the side of the road it's easier to mount the spare and let a few pounds out than have it be a few pounds low.

quote:

Some vehicles with TPMS and full-size spares also have a sensor in the spare. If you have one, the TPMS light is on and the tires on the ground are OK, check your spare.

If you have a truck or SUV with a spare slung underneath with a windlass, run the spare up and down every so often to keep it freed up, especially if you live where they salt roads.

Good advice.
This describes the spare on the 4Runner.
It's really hard to check the pressure and to add air because the stem is really hard to reach. It's pointed "up" and you have to go through the spokes in the wheel and contort your hands and the air hose to get there. But it is possible to add air without taking it down.

Nearly all vehicles in the past 5 or so years come with tire pressure sensors. At least the mid to higher trim levels. These are surprisingly accurate. 1/2 to 1 PSI. Those on my truck are dead on as checked with a digital gauge. Some vehicles come with a fifth sensor position for the spare. Mine doesn't.

I carry a pretty heavy duty portable air compressor, but usually just drive through the free tire check lane at Discount Tire and get them filled at the changing of the seasons or whenever they show low. The tech there will crawl under my truck and check to spare if I request it, but I only do that once a year about this time.

I'm not great about checking my spare tire's pressure, but I do have a safety net: I keep a 20V battery-powered compressor in my car kit.

It has come in handy several times, both for myself and others, and serves as a Plan B if I need my spare and it's low.

I know people that use schrader valve extensions on their spares to make it easier to check the pressure, but I don't do it personally.

Between the newer car and our insurance, we have roadside assistance. Having nearly been hit on the side of the road while changing a tire, I'll wait for them to do it now.

Viair 88P.

https://www.amazon.com/Viair-0...ressor/dp/B005ASY23I

20 minute duty cycle, 1.47 cubic feet per minute, 120 PSI work pressure.

This is far more capable than the typical 12v air compressor you would find onboard a battery pack or something. It has a max 20 amp power draw and runs off of clamps from your battery terminal.

Fills up fast and quietly, so I use it for my regular tire pressure checks, but I also keep it in the car for emergency use. Many times when you get a nail in a tire, the air leak is slow enough that you can limp it to the tire shop with a little extra air.

If you are going off-roading and need to air down all 4 tires and re-air all the tires back up in series, then you may want something with an extended duty cycle--but for everyday use, this thing is perfect if not a bit overbuilt.

quote:

Originally posted by Gibb:
I know people that use schrader valve extensions on their spares to make it easier to check the pressure, but I don't do it personally.

Between the newer car and our insurance, we have roadside assistance. Having nearly been hit on the side of the road while changing a tire, I'll wait for them to do it now.

This is my plan as well. I do check tire pressure occasionally. Knock on wood, but I haven't had a flat tire in over thirty years.