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Check your spare tire... 200

posted by  Stephen Webb on  Sun Jan 26 08:17 CST 2003
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I just thought I would remind everyone to put an air pressure gauge on their spare tire every few months...

When I do an oil change, I always check the often overlooked things (belts, hoses, lighting, washer fluid, lube the hinges, etc...) Shame on me for neglecting the spare tire.

Last night I was driving home on the interstate with nearly a full load in the car (three people, a dog, bunch of stuff in the cargo area, and a heavy piece of furniture strapped to the top. I must say I was a proud Volvo owner...

At about 70 MPH I lost air pressure in the right rear tire. luckily it slowly deflated over the course of 15 seconds or so, allowing me to safely slow down and pull over. I figured I would make quick work of the tire problem, having easy access to the tire and proper tools. I mounted the tire and started to lower the car; much to my chagrin the spare was VERY low on air. (not safe to drive on)

AAA made me walk 1/2 mile in the cold and dark to find the closest mile marker (telling them I was 47.8 miles past a major cross street wasn't good enough) After two flares and two police officers, AAA finally showed up (with no compressed air). Another 1/2 hour in the AAA truck searching for a gas station with an air compressor, and finally I was back on the road. Nearly two long cold hours later.

Obviously things could have been a lot worse (blowout at 70 MPH with a fully loaded car could have been a disaster), but the whole situation was not very fun. You can bet your sweet bippy I won't overlook the spare tire again.

For those of you who check it regularly, you deserve to be smug; you won't get stuck like I did. For those of you who haven't checked it in a while, do it so you don't end up stuck.

-Steve








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    Check your spare tire...with a three foot long valve stem 200 1987

    posted by  someone claiming to be kraynek at school on  Mon Jan 27 15:53 CST 2003 [RELATED]

    another thing. . .you can get one of these:

    http://www.sportys.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=10&Product_ID=798&CATID=6

    what it amounts to is a three foot long valve stem. then you can snake it out of the spare tire cover. this way you can check and maintain the spare tire pressure without taking off the cover.

    i bought mine from sparkleauto.com for about $2 less than sporty's charged.








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    One more thought about spares 200

    posted by  someone claiming to be Dharvey on  Sun Jan 26 10:19 CST 2003 [RELATED]

    When you buy new tires--if you can, get a new set that is exactly the same as what was on the car before. Then you can keep the best of the old set for the spare. Handling and tracking will hardly be affected at all if you have to drive a serious distance on the spare.

    Doug Harvey








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      One more thought about spares 200

      posted by  tjl on  Mon Jan 27 06:18 CST 2003
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      last visit: Thu Jun 6 00:22 CST 2013
      [RELATED]

      It may not be practical to buy the same tires as before -- a few years from now, the tires being sold may be different, even if they have the same or similar name. Also, the new model tires may be better than the old ones that you are replacing.

      Here is another thing to do with the spare: if you have a 245 wagon, place the spare so that the valve stem is reachable without removing the tire. You can then check the pressure and add air (if necessary) conveniently.








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    Check your spare tire... 200

    posted by  Kane on  Sun Jan 26 09:09 CST 2003
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    That is good advice, especially considering that the tires are readily accessable on the 240's.

    To go one step further, yes, those $10 air pumps do work. The fix-a-flat cans do help also, but end up being really messy when it comes to repairing the tire properly.

    Best bet is to replace the "special" spare with a real tire, preferbly the same size as the current 4 tires. You're not limited to just a few dozen miles at a crawling pace ...

    -- Kane
    --
    Blossom II - '91 745Ti/M46 ... Bubbles - '74 144GL/BW35 ... Buttercup - '86 245GL/AW70 ... The Wayback Machine - '64 P220/M40








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      Get a real spare tire 200

      posted by  someone claiming to be Dharvey on  Sun Jan 26 10:15 CST 2003 [RELATED]

      I've got a real spare tire AND a standard (stronger, I think) rim. So if a tire goes down, I can drive more or less wherever I need to on the spare.

      AND a pump. But you don't need to rely on battery power. The foot-operated ones are good enough and work anywhere.

      Doug Harvey








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    Check your spare tire... 200

    posted by  Jessie on  Sun Jan 26 08:32 CST 2003
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    last visit: Tue Jan 18 17:45 CST 2011
    [RELATED]

    Another good idea is to go to someplace like Wallmart and get a cheap lighter powered air pump. You can get them for as cheap as ten bucks on sale. They will inflate a flat tire in about 5 minutes. Mine has saved my ass several times, and as a bonus I don't bother checking the air pressure in my spare.








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      Check your spare tire... 200

      posted by  Stephen Webb on  Sun Jan 26 15:04 CST 2003
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      I have one of those handy air pumps. I was cursing myself for leaving it in the garage. I may put it in the car, but I've got to find a place for it first.


      As for using a real tire for the spare...I'm not sure it fits well into the spare tire area (along with all my other stuff). It's a good idea, though, and I will have to see if I can figure something out.

      -Steve








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        Check your spare tire... 200

        posted by  tjl on  Mon Jan 27 06:10 CST 2003
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        last visit: Thu Jun 6 00:22 CST 2013
        [RELATED]

        The 245 wagon's spare tire space will hold a 185R14 (original regular tire size) or 195/75R14 (closest alternate size to 185R14) tire. The owner's manual says that the original temporary spare size was 175R14, only slightly smaller than the original regular tire size.








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          Check your spare tire... 200

          posted by  someone claiming to be Dharvey on  Mon Jan 27 12:48 CST 2003 [RELATED]

          I've got a 195/75-14 spare now, and it's not jammed in. I bet a 205/65-15 would fit, if you wanted all your tires and rims to match.

          But try before you buy.

          Doug Harvey








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        Check your spare tire... 200

        posted by  Kane on  Sun Jan 26 15:45 CST 2003
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        I have a 185/70/14 on a Corona rim in the 245, and a 195/75/14 on a 240 steel rim in the 144 ... they'll fit just fine back there.

        -- Kane
        --
        Blossom II - '91 745Ti/M46 ... Bubbles - '74 144GL/BW35 ... Buttercup - '86 245GL/AW70 ... The Wayback Machine - '64 P220/M40







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