***Story originally aired on November 20, 2013***
A flat tire is a nuisance and can be costly to repair, however there is an assortment of emergency flat tire repair products on the market that promise to get you back on the road quickly. But do they really work?
Consumer Reports tested tire-sealant compressor kits, as well as aerosol cans that promise a quick fix. Testers used a car that was outfitted with 15-inch, all-season tires and one tire that was punctured with a small nail.
All of the aerosol cans were able to seal the small hole and inflate the tire, which kept going for more than 160 kilometres. But Consumer Reports found that all of the cans had difficulty with larger holes.
Because the aerosol cans are under pressure, you can’t keep them in your car in hot weather or they could explode. That also limited those products’ use.
“You’re not going to keep it in your car. You’re probably going to keep it at home. And when you need to use it, it’s not going to be with you,” said Gene Petersen of Consumer Reports.
The compressor units are more expensive, but can be safely stored in your car. You plug the compressor into your car’s power adapter and attach the sealant canister to your tire. All of the compressor kits fixed even larger holes. They also come with a gauge to make sure you’re inflating to the recommended pressure.
Consumer Reports found that the $80 Continental ContiComfortKit worked the fastest and had enough sealant to repair a wide variety of tire sizes.
Consumer Reports cautions that tire-fix products are just a temporary fix. As soon as you use them, get to a service station to have the tire inspected, repaired, or replaced.
Kal Tire says the only way a tire can be properly fixed is from the inside out. The tire needs to be taken off the vehicle. If there's something in your tire like a nail, don't pull it out. The tire may go flat right away.
Also be aware that none of the products can repair very large punctures and they should never be used to fix punctures in the sidewall of the tire.
