Optional spare

[jstasny@dynacon.com]

The fix-a-flat kit that Cadillac so generously puts in the CTS instead of a spare won't do much good with the weird flat I had last week. Something went throught the tire and punched a 1/4" hole in the center of my optional polished right rear rim. Fortunately I had ordered my CTS with the spare so I wasn't trapped on the road. By the way, the cost? $899.14 for new tire and rim. Fortunately insurance picked up all but $200.

[Zymurgy]

You also have Cadillac roadside assistance. If you did not have the spare, I believe they would have towed your car to nearest dealership for repairs.

What was able to puncture your rim?

[Southern]

Originally Posted by jstasny@dynacon.com

The fix-a-flat kit that Cadillac so generously puts in the CTS instead of a spare won't do much good with the weird flat I had last week. Something went throught the tire and punched a 1/4" hole in the center of my optional polished right rear rim. Fortunately I had ordered my CTS with the spare so I wasn't trapped on the road. By the way, the cost? $899.14 for new tire and rim. Fortunately insurance picked up all but $200.

Good grief! Did somebody shoot at you?

[rsingl]

I ordered the optional spare with my CTS but for most "normal" flats the inflation device is probably more convenient. The last flat I had on the road was close to 20 years ago and my tire ended up with someone's disc brake pad inside-fortunately it didn't damage the wheel but a sealing inflater wouldn't have helped in this case. On the other hand my father-in-law had a flat on his Mercedes during a snowstorm in N. Dakota a couple of years ago and courtesy of the dealership the lug nuts were on so tight that he was unable to loosen them and had to wait for a tow truck with an impact wrench to get them loose. In his case the inflater would have been a better deal. Between run-flats, the need to save space/weight and potential liability spares are probably going to gradually disappear. I have witnessed more than one car which fell off the jack on the side of the road because the person didn't have it set in the proper place on a decent surface and this is just one more source of potentially expensive nuisance suits for the manufacturers.