# Flat Tire in your Eco?



## Matt585 (Dec 19, 2012)

Ok guys so heres a quick little write up/review of my experience with my Cruze Eco- with a flat tire. As us Eco owners are aware... there is no spare tire, jack, or wrench given with the vehicle as stock. But what does come with the Eco is a inflation kit, with slime like - fix a flat.
 I woke up early yesterday morning to go to work. I go out to my garage start up my car, and get some dash reads saying tire pressure low - reading a 1psi... i got out and took a look and low and behold, sitting on the rim- tire completely flat. After calling every tire shop in the local area, i couldnt find my Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max 215/55/17 tire. 

I was really hesitant in using the slime kit, knowing that in the past the fixaflat substance makes it nearly impossible to repair the tire after it is used inside the tire. I originally tried just to use the inflator without the sealant. But would only hold a 20 psi rating, and i could hear a constant hiss. With my tire covered in snow, i couldnt exactly identify where the hole, or puncture was. I decided to go for it and use the sealant slime in the stock kit. Its a one time use slime kit for one tire, just enough to temp. repair one tire.. a replacement sealant kit costs 30$ at the GM Dealership. 

Ok so here we go, i hooked up the hose to my stem, and turned her on... Right away it simultaneously filled up my tire, while pumping the sealant in, after a good 10 minutes my tire was sitting pretty at 38psi. i turned the unit off and still heard the hiss. The owners manual states to drive the vehicle immediately after a successful use of the repair kit - to effectively spread out the compound slime to find the puncture. (manual states drive 5 miles and recheck tire) I drove roughly the 5 miles and hopped out and no hiss whatsoever, i continued my 30 mile drive to the nearest tire shop- while monitoring my tire pressure via the onboard dash. Throughout my trip the tire pressure remained at 38psi and i safely made it to the shop. Got right in and had the tire cleaned up and a simple repair to the tread was all i needed, a 30$ fix, plus 30$ for a refill sealant canister. Not too bad considering- Luckily it wasnt my sidewall- because i couldnt get that tire locally for "5-7 days"... I was given the run around by tire shops saying that tire is no longer made, etc. Which is a load of $#!+.

Anyway, i see a lot of people on here being worried that their not given a spare tire, and only that inflation repair kit. But try not to be too worried, the kit worked wonders better then i thought it would, its made with a type of material that still makes the tire repairable, and doesnt mess up the pressure sensors whatsoever. The only thing is its a one time fill kit, that needs to be replaced w the refill canister ($30), and if its sidewall damage it wont be repairable with the kit and a tow is the only real option. So i can say that the only need for a spare tire is for sidewall damage where the tire is irreparable even temporarily. Here's an article i also found regarding the disappearance of spare tires in newer vehicles and their replacements. http://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/the-disappearing-spare-tire.html


----------



## Chevyderek72 (May 16, 2011)

Thanks for the info, definitely makes me feel better knowing that for one it works, and for 2 it isn't going to ruin the sensors and be removable and repairable. 

I also came out to my car a few weeks ago to 9psi on my right rear. I filled it back up to 40 and drove about 20 miles to a discount tire where my dad could swap me cars so I could get to work. Thankfully it stayed at 40psi, and they were able to fix it at no charge. Just a nail in the tread. 

But like I said its good to know I won't have a problem if it happens again.

Sent from my DROID X2 using AutoGuide App


----------



## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

Glad you got it taken care of for a reasonable price. And good find on the canister replacement ill nees to pick one up.

Sent from my Droid using AutoGuide.Com Free App


----------



## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

Here some blurry photos of the Eco's tire compressor/inflator. My good camera went MIA, so the crappy iDevice camera will have to do.

Here is the little inflator/compressor:









Laid down to the left when the can of slime is facing away from you, we see the tire chuck used to put air only into the tires:










Flip up the lever and gently wiggle the chuck off the can of goo to get the air-only hose off the compressor.










The hose is free, and waiting to be used:










Here's the hose that needs to be used with the can of goo:










If you're a Eco owner and haven't looked at your compressor/inflator, please get it out and get familiar with it. It sure beats figuring out how to use it when a flat happens. Most folks won't get flats. Some will. If you're one of the people with a flat, knowing how to operate the tools available will make the whole process go much more smoothly.

And, if you're a Eco AT owner with a spare, please check your spare tire's air pressure regularly! That spare is useless if it's flat too.


----------



## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

I'm glad it worked. Tread damage wasn't my concern for getting the spare. It was the sidewall damage. I've seen a lot of nails over the years go into the side of the tire. This is why, even though I have the spare, that I still carry the pump and fix-a-flat goo. I have actually had to use my air pump in the back country.


----------



## Matt585 (Dec 19, 2012)

heres a quick link also to the sealant replacement - looks like 30$ msrp, and 17$ online price... pretty good deal actually.. GMPartsDirect.com - Find a Item 

"
*Container TIRE INFLATOR, tire sealant *

*MSRP**Online Price**$29.38**$17.41* 
"


----------



## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Great write up, thanks a bunch! I will definitely check out the stock inflator/repair kit just to see how things work!



Matt585 said:


> With my tire covered in snow, i couldnt exactly identify where the hole, or puncture was. I decided to go for it and use the sealant slime in the stock kit.


This was the BEST part of your review - it confirms that the "slime" is still liquid and functional at low temperatures, which is the one concern I've had about having this instead of a spare in a car that's winter driven. What was the temperature when you used it?


----------



## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

Blue Angel said:


> Great write up, thanks a bunch! I will definitely check out the stock inflator/repair kit just to see how things work!
> 
> 
> 
> This was the BEST part of your review - it confirms that the "slime" is still liquid and functional at low temperatures, which is the one concern I've had about having this instead of a spare in a car that's winter driven. What was the temperature when you used it?


It was about 18-20*F outside. Matt contacted me to bounce ideas off of when he couldn't locate a new tire, and I ran outside to get my kit. The thermometer was glanced at on the way out.


----------



## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

sciphi said:


> It was about 18-20*F outside. Matt contacted me to bounce ideas off of when he couldn't locate a new tire, and I ran outside to get my kit. The thermometer was glanced at on the way out.


He called you too.

Sent from my Droid using AutoGuide.Com Free App


----------



## Matt585 (Dec 19, 2012)

sciphi said:


> It was about 18-20*F outside. Matt contacted me to bounce ideas off of when he couldn't locate a new tire, and I ran outside to get my kit. The thermometer was glanced at on the way out.


ya it was cold cold out, and the kit worked flawlessly, no delay at all- no slush like substance. just good all around yeah around 15-20F so well below freezing.


----------



## Matt585 (Dec 19, 2012)

H3LLON3ARTH said:


> He called you too.
> 
> Sent from my Droid using AutoGuide.Com Free App



haha! gotta cross my t's and dot my i's. Thank for the help Hellonearth, and Sciphi - CT is wonderful. Still couldnt find that **** tire, and american tire told me they dont sell to public but wanted to boast that they had a hundred of my tire locally- which pissed me off haha, and KOST tire told me they dont make that tire anymore... retards


----------



## chrisholland03 (Oct 13, 2011)

I'm not a big fan of TPMS in general, but I have to give GM kudos for doing it well. I had a nail in my left rear tire last week. I wouldn't have noticed by looking at the tire that it was low. The TPMS told me which tire to check and I was able to pump it up and take it in for a patch with no drama.


----------



## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

Nice. I've had a pin hole leak for several weeks now and been debating on using the slime. I just keep pumping up the tire every few days.


----------



## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

titan2782 said:


> Nice. I've had a pin hole leak for several weeks now and been debating on using the slime. I just keep pumping up the tire every few days.


The slime is only temporary and its tpms safe.

Sent from my Droid using AutoGuide.Com Free App


----------



## NYCruze2012 (Jan 16, 2012)

titan2782 said:


> Nice. I've had a pin hole leak for several weeks now and been debating on using the slime. I just keep pumping up the tire every few days.


OMG! Me too! My left rear tire. Except I lose 2lbs per week! I've been putting it off because I'm getting new tires soon.

Sent from my Telefunken U47 Electronic Response Unit


----------



## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

NYCruze2012 said:


> OMG! Me too! My left rear tire. Except I lose 2lbs per week! I've been putting it off because I'm getting new tires soon.
> 
> Sent from my Telefunken U47 Electronic Response Unit


LOL! Mine is in the rear right and I too have been putting it off since new tires will be here in the summer.


----------



## bryanakron40 (Nov 8, 2012)

Quick question, how did you get a flat in your cruze? Aren't the tires on it and not in it?



Yes, I am an official smarta**. I have the registration card here somewhere.:1poke:


----------



## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

titan2782 said:


> Nice. I've had a pin hole leak for several weeks now and been debating on using the slime. I just keep pumping up the tire every few days.


There's no guarantee that your slow leak is in the tread surface, it could be in the sidewall or around the bead where it seats to the wheel. Using the slime will most likely NOT fix a slow leak that is not in the tread, as gravity and centrifugal force when the tire is spinning will keep the slime from effectively coating anything other than the inside of the tread surface.

I'm not saying it won't work, but I'd find out where that leak is before attempting to slime it.


----------



## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

@chrisholland03, thank you for the feedback. We’re happy to read how this feature was able to help you.

Michelle, Chevrolet Customer Service


----------



## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

I checked discount tire and they will ship to anywere.

Sent from my Droid using AutoGuide.Com Free App


----------



## Matt585 (Dec 19, 2012)

Chevy Customer Service said:


> @chrisholland03, thank you for the feedback. We’re happy to read how this feature was able to help you.
> 
> Michelle, Chevrolet Customer Service


Who? Lol 


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


----------



## Starchy (Aug 30, 2012)

I Wish my ECO tire fix experience was good like yours was.... I was on the way to my friends wedding. The wedding was in an hour and i was 40 min away with a suit on in a completely gutted eco.... which btw felt really awkward... lol anyway, I was driving and got a bad flat from a piece of really hard plastic. I went to use the stuff and the second i plugged the thing into the cigarette lighter, the goop started leaking out all over my passenger seat, center console, and my dress pants, okay it was not latched correctly... im dumb my bad( watch out for this if you need to use it) BUTTT here is the worst part... the stuff would not hold the hole in my tire. Apparently it was a bad hole.... and a cop came because i was on the side of the road for like 15 minutes and He just looked at me and my cruze and shook his head probably thinking...this idiot is wearing a suit covered in this whiteish pasty slime, his interior is covered in this slime, he has a flat tire that will not fill at all, and a car that is totally gutted). I told the officer that i had to be at a friends wedding, and he asked if we wanted to tow the car. I told him that was not an option and he said he would follow me to the chevy dealership half a mile away. So i went 5 MPH with a cop behind me with his flashers on half a mile to the dealership.Where they told me they did not have any tires for the cruze eco. So they sent me to ntb another half mile away and i bought a new tire from them and missed the wedding ceremony, but i made the reception.

TL DR The fix a flat stuff does not work with bad holes


----------



## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

I actually keep my air pump tube disconnected from the sealant canister. I also had my canister spray everywhere, but at least all mine ended up on my driveway. It's real easy for the pump's power switch to be switched on. I also have a spare now because my biggest fear is being in the back country with a sidewall blowout.


----------



## bryanakron40 (Nov 8, 2012)

Starchy said:


> I Wish my ECO tire fix experience was good like yours was.... I was on the way to my friends wedding. The wedding was in an hour and i was 40 min away with a suit on in a completely gutted eco.... which btw felt really awkward... lol anyway, I was driving and got a bad flat from a piece of really hard plastic. I went to use the stuff and the second i plugged the thing into the cigarette lighter, the goop started leaking out all over my passenger seat, center console, and my dress pants, okay it was not latched correctly... im dumb my bad( watch out for this if you need to use it) BUTTT here is the worst part... the stuff would not hold the hole in my tire. Apparently it was a bad hole.... and a cop came because i was on the side of the road for like 15 minutes and He just looked at me and my cruze and shook his head probably thinking...this idiot is wearing a suit covered in this whiteish pasty slime, his interior is covered in this slime, he has a flat tire that will not fill at all, and a car that is totally gutted). I told the officer that i had to be at a friends wedding, and he asked if we wanted to tow the car. I told him that was not an option and he said he would follow me to the chevy dealership half a mile away. So i went 5 MPH with a cop behind me with his flashers on half a mile to the dealership.Where they told me they did not have any tires for the cruze eco. So they sent me to ntb another half mile away and i bought a new tire from them and missed the wedding ceremony, but i made the reception.
> 
> TL DR The fix a flat stuff does not work with bad holes


Starchy, not really trying to be a smarta** here, but no kidding. It never was designed to plug everything. It wasn't the cars or the sealant's fault, it was the piece of plastic's fault.
I do know what your saying, though. Worst case scenario at the worst time. Sometimes life sucks.


----------



## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

obermd said:


> I actually keep my air pump tube disconnected from the sealant canister. I also had my canister spray everywhere, but at least all mine ended up on my driveway.


Just asking because I don't know... is part of the procedure to hook the pump to the valve stem before plugging it in? If so, the mess could be avoided, no?


----------



## 99_XC600 (Feb 24, 2013)

My wife's Jeep has a knack for finding nails, broken wheel weights and other metal objects in the road and quickly inserting them into it's tires. Instead of the slime, I've just purchased the following kit from AutoZone. 

Slime/Tire plug kit (1034-A) | Tire Plugger Kit | AutoZone.com

I've used the kit a couple of times and it's saved me some cash versus going to the dealer or local tire place for the repair. The hardest part is reaming out the hole, but luckily the kit has a nice "T" handle on it which helps out a lot.


----------



## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

Reading about this "quick fix" kit makes me really happy that my diesel Cruze came with a full size spare that can actually be driven normally and in any position on the car.


----------



## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Blue Angel said:


> Just asking because I don't know... is part of the procedure to hook the pump to the valve stem before plugging it in? If so, the mess could be avoided, no?


It's easier to keep the hose disconnected from the goo canister. Most of the time you'll never need the goo, just need to adjust the tire air pressure.


----------



## firehawk618 (Feb 24, 2013)

I had to use my tire slime thing the first week we had our car. Drove with that stuff in the tire a couple weeks. It worked fine, held pressure once I put it in. 

Finally got to the tire shop today. They dismounted the tire and to my surprise the stuff wasn't hardened at all in the tire. Was just a milky liquid in there.

They proceeded to hose the tire out, patch the hole and off I went.

No damage to the tire sensor and easy to hose out with water.


----------



## LionLady (Feb 25, 2012)

*Love the kit!*

I've got a different story regarding the tire slime. The week I took my Cruze Eco home, I ran over a cardboard box while passing a truck. The box evidently had something very sharp in it. Punctured my right front tire. I used the slime and pump to put in air, and went directly to the dealer and got the tire patched (they were just minutes away). 

Just over a year later (April 2013), the patch evidently failed while on a road trip. The pressure monitor alerted me <YAY sensors!> to decreasing pressure. When I stopped, I could hear the air leaking. I used the slime and pump to fix the tire and went on my merry way. Stopped at the, local to my destination, dealer and got replacement slime. I kept watch on the tire pressure and didn't think much about it from then on. Didn't replace the tire. Didn't have it permanently repaired. Hot summer and very cold winter passed. The repaired tire behaved like the other three.

*More than a year after that...* about 2 weeks ago, I noticed a distinct vibration at 55+ mph (I'd forgotten about the slime fix). No pulling either direction, just a little shimmy in the steering wheel. Took the car to the dealer, where the techs had a doozy of a time trying to balance the wheels. . . Until they took the tire off the rim and found the source: The old failed patch, and the slime which had formed into a mass. Had to replace the tire because of the old patch.

I have to say the slime set up is SO much easier for me to deal with than changing a tire. I'm even thinking about getting the pump/slime thing for my daughter's car, even though she's got a full size spare tire on board. There's no way she would be able to change a tire. She hasn't got the body mass or strength to manage it.


----------



## WarEagle_Cruze (May 15, 2014)

I just bought a Cruze a month ago, 1 year old and I love the car thus far. Mine didn't have the pump/slime kit included, someone must have nicked it before the car got to me. I stopped by costco and grabbed a decent tire pump, went to Autozone and got a patch kit. 

I also decided it would be a good idea to keep a full size spare in the garage, my reasoning being that 99% of the time I'm within 100 miles of my house. I figure I'll call AAA for a tow in the event of a total blowout, if I cant secure a new tire in immediately then at least I can drive the car. 

I picked up a matching wheel for the ECO from a local salvage yard for 110 Dollars (good shape, one minor scuff) and a new matching goodyear fuelsaver max tire mounted/balanced for another 130$.


----------



## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Had my first flat in years last week. Came out after work on Friday and the tire was almost flat. Good thing for the pump... got it pumped up and stopped by a tire place on the way home. They fixed my flat for free since I bought eight winter tires and a set of summer tires/wheels from them in the past year!

The offender was a 2" deck screw. Last time I had a flat it was a 2.5" deck screw. If I keep hitting shorter and shorter screws they will eventually get to the point they won't pierce through the tire anymore.


----------



## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Blue Angel said:


> They fixed my flat for free since I bought eight winter tires and a set of summer tires/wheels from them in the past year!


I went to get my tires rotated at my local tire shop and found out that because I bought a set of 4 rotations are free for the life of the tires. The dealer wanted $25 to rotate the tires, at that rate I would have done it myself.


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

You serious? With a car on the hoist you can rotate the tires in the same time it takes to drain the oil. Most places around me do a rotation as part of the oil change


----------



## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

money_man said:


> You serious? With a car on the hoist you can rotate the tires in the same time it takes to drain the oil. Most places around me do a rotation as part of the oil change


Yes I'm serious, I already get my oil changed at the dealer so I figured why not have them do the tires while its already up in the air. No freakin way I would pay $25 extra dollars to do it though. I had surgery 8 weeks ago but am still on light duty, at that rate though I would take my ass out and do it myself.


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Better not try to charge me that here at my dealer. That customer relationship thing won't be working for them.


----------

