The Prius’ onboard repair kit never stood a chance. Even with the dealership’s air compressor, air escaped the puncture as fast as it entered the valve, he said. He found some metal sticking out but no additional debris. The next day, a service advisor told me he reckoned a nail or rivet had punctured the tire’s inner shoulder near the sidewall. I couldn’t locate the cause or scope of damage, but it was clear the Prius needed a new tire straightaway.Įventually, a tow truck hauled it to a local Toyota dealership. Minutes later, it was clear the hole was too big. I plugged everything in, fired it up and waited. Improperly A-tiredīut a tire-repair kit is no substitute for a real tire, and my personal experience last month proved why. In a pinch - because with traffic flying by, a pinch is all you have - the pictures say enough. A day later, I reviewed 20 pages of material from the owner’s manual plus a three-minute video from Toyota UK that detailed how to use the repair kit. I’ll give Toyota this: The pictorial instructions, folded neatly into the repair kit’s packaging, are spot-on. Man alive! Rush-hour traffic meant a tow truck would take more than an hour, I learned, so I gave the kit a go. The tire was completely flat, but I’d spared damage to the wheel itself.Įxpecting to change the tire, I lifted the cargo-floor topper to find the tiny repair kit. I changed lanes, pulled off onto the left shoulder and turned on the hazards. A colleague had checked its tires a few days prior to ensure correct pressure, but as I merged onto Interstate 55 some 12 miles southwest of downtown Chicago, the driver-side front tire announced a telltale wobble. The morning of June 24, I puttered to work in an all-wheel-drive 2019 Prius test car. If the pressure holds, it should suffice to limp your way to a repair shop for a permanent fix. The compressor should inflate the punctured tire back to its recommended pressure, with enough sealant injected along the way to spread over the punctured area after you drive a few miles.
Puncture a tire? Pull over to a safe area, screw the air hose into the tire valve, connect the power cord to the Prius’ 12-volt console outlet, pop the can of sealant onto the compressor and fire it all up. View all 2019 Toyota Prius models for sale near 60606
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