kevin_dixon•5d agoMost Upvoted

TIL an $8 can of fix-a-flat won't save you on a radial tire

I was driving through downtown Salt Lake City three weeks ago and heard that familiar thump thump thump. Pulled over near a gas station on 400 South, popped the can of fix-a-flat I'd been carrying for 2 years. Followed the directions exactly, screwed it on, let it all drain in. It did absolutely nothing. The tire went flat again before I even got a block down the road. Had to call my buddy with a truck to come get me at 11 PM. The guy at the tire shop the next day told me fix-a-flat only works on small punctures in the tread, not sidewall damage from hitting a curb. Has anyone else found those cans to be useless in a real emergency or did I just buy a bad brand?

2 comments

2 Comments

luna8915d ago

That fix-a-flat can you had, was it the one with the rubber sealant or the foaming kind? Ive had similar trouble with the cheaper brands, but a friend in Phoenix swears by the Slime brand for his truck tires. The real issue is knowing what kind of damage you have before you spray it in, because once that stuff sets, tire shops often refuse to patch the tire. Did the tire shop say if they could have fixed it if you hadnt used the can?

keithbennett5d ago

Yeah that's the thing that gets me... once you spray that stuff in, the shop can't even properly clean it out to see the original puncture. They told me straight up it wasn't worth their time trying to fix it because the sealant coats everything inside and their patch won't bond right. I had one shop even say they'd charge me extra just to clean the rim and valve stem, plus the tire disposal fee, so I was out the cost of a can AND a new tire. Biggest waste of money honestly.