Tire Pressure Monitor and preparing for flats

[Alkem]

I just got a 2011 997 4S and I am wondering what to do about preparing for a flat tire.   I got a flat on my previous car, a 2002 996,  while driving on the interstate. By the time I pulled over the tire side wall was shredded.  The tire repair kit could not fix it ( see photo)  I used my spare to get home. 

 

With the 997 there is no spare. Furthermore, there doesn't appear to be any room in the frunk for a spare. Carrying a spare in the passenger compartment doesn't seem like an elegant solution. 

 

 

Would the TPMS give me warning that the tire is going flat before real damage is done while driving at highway speeds? This is assuming it is a slow leak and not a blow out from hitting an object.  In that case I'm calling my insurance company as they offer road side assistance. 

 

 

 

 

[JFP in PA]

I just got a 2011 997 4S and I am wondering what to do about preparing for a flat tire.   I got a flat on my previous car, a 2002 996,  while driving on the interstate. By the time I pulled over the tire side wall was shredded.  The tire repair kit could not fix it ( see photo)  I used my spare to get home. 

 

With the 997 there is no spare. Furthermore, there doesn't appear to be any room in the frunk for a spare. Carrying a spare in the passenger compartment doesn't seem like an elegant solution. 

 

 

Would the TPMS give me warning that the tire is going flat before real damage is done while driving at highway speeds? This is assuming it is a slow leak and not a blow out from hitting an object.  In that case I'm calling my insurance company as they offer road side assistance. 

 

Based upon customer experience, a TPMS will give you some alert time if the tire loses air slowly; but if the tire simply blows out catastrophically and loses all the air suddenly, the TPMS would not give you a chance to pull over from highway speeds before  the tire was toast.

[White987S]

Carry a quality vulcanized tire plug kit in the car and a pair of pliers. This will save you in many cases. And be diligent about checking your tires pressures, before & during, your drives. Lastly, inspect your tires for any nails. Your really need to get your head under the rear of the car to properly inspect the massive rear tires.

[wwilliams88]

It is possible to get the collapsible spare secured in the trunk with some room to spare.  This is in a 2009 C2, but other people have also used them in their C4S

 

 

[Alkem]

Thanks, I'll look into a collapsible  spare and the plug kit. I do have a set of stock 996 wheels with winter tires in my garage that can act as a spare for local use.  The strategy would be to park the car in  safe spot, call the wife or take a taxi, and retrieve the 997 with one of these tires, tools,  and a floor jack. The on-board spare would be for longer trips. 

 

My son was telling me tonight that his old Pontiac G8 also did not have a spare. 

[White987S]

 call the wife or take a taxi, and retrieve the 997 with one of these tires, tools,  and a floor jack. The on-board spare would be for longer trips. 

 

 

Get the Uber app on your phone. No one uses taxis anymore.

[Alkem]

Is this wheel and tire usable in my 2011 997.2 4S? It is similar to the spare I had in my 996.

 

 

Edited April 23, 2016 by Alkem

[wwilliams88]

Yes it should work.  Other people have used the spares from 996 or Boxster successfully

[Alkem]

Thanks. I will try to get one.

 

I just got my front license plate mounted with a US Mill Works plate frame in the tow eye bolt receptacle. Now I can drive it worry free!

[Jrb37]

I have experienced a similar problem with my 996 C4S Cabriolet.  About 3 months and 3,000 miles ago I installed a set of Michelin PS-2 tires.  Since then I have experienced 2 road hazard events which resulted in ruining the rear tires (I didn't stop quickly enough).  My thinking is that if I had real time tire pressure monitoring, I may have been able to stop the car before the tire's destruction.  My car did not come with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System.  

There seem to be at least 2 types of after market real time TPMS:  one interior to the wheel using the valve stem, and another using a special valve cap mounted on the normal valve stem.  The interior version would require remounting all of the tires and would be dificult to include both the summer and winter tires.  On the other hand, the exterior valve cap system puts an extra bit of weight (~ 9 gr) on the valve stem.  However, the valve stem caps could be swapped between the two sets of wheels (e.g., summer & winter) and be useful year round.

My concern is that the valve cap's extra weight could put extra stress on the valve stem and might constitute a hazard at speed.   Is this a credible concern?

[Alkem]

I traded the 996 to a 997 with the TPMS. I haven't put many miles on it yet, but the TPMS is seem to work. The readings are a few PSI from what a tire pressure gauge reads.