Pontiac Solstice Tires and Wheels

dan148

does it concern anyone that the solstice doesn't have a spare tire?

pao

neither do a great many other cars....the BMW Z models do not..the Cadillac CTS doesnt to name just a few....have had our 06 Solstice for three years now..and never gave it a second thought......have had two flats...but caught them both at home...and were slow leaks..so air them up and took them in for patching....

dan148

Thanks for the information pao...

iluvmysephia1

does that mean that Pontiac gives you all one of those "spray on the busted spot on the tire and blow it back up for a quick fix" kits with every Solstice? Or does OnStar take care of ya if you get a flat out on the open road? I didn't realize the automakers were doing this kind of thing. Kinda weird. :confuse:

dan148

A new Pontiac(solstice) and Saturn(sky) have a "tire repair kit" consisting of a chemical you "spray" into the valve stem and an air compressor to reinflate the tire.A used vehicle may not have the kit, but you can buy one.

Imagine your wife (or you) in the dark,in the rain, on a deserted road or busy interstate performing the tasks required. You can always purchase "run flat" tires @$400.00 each with 30,000 tread life or "puncture proof tires".

dan148

Curiousity question..Did the dealer explain the absence of a spare tire when you bought your car? Mine didn't

pao

ours showed us where the inflator kit was located and explained how to use it....I find most salesman dont know have as much about the car you are purchasing as you do......in all reality..where would you expect there to be a mini spare, jack and wrench on the solstice with its already limited storage

as for the spare tire.....the cadillac CTS as an option.....but otherwise you have the same kit as the solstice in a $45k auto......I opted for the spare tire in my 09 CTS...but am ok with the inflator kit in the solstice......

this is a growing trend to cut costs and weight....no steel rim, tire, jack or wrench...

iluvmysephia1

as long as it really, really works I'm fine with it. Sounds like an average-ly mechanically-inclined person could handle this temporary fix to a flat tire. Sounds easier than actually changing the flat tire the old-fashioned way, eh?

pao

if your sustain sidewall damage the inflator kit will do not good.....but that isnt your average flat tire.....

iluvmysephia1

I had a nail in to my sidewall on my '08 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS' 18" Dunlop left rear tire. A guy doing mechanical work at a Standard Chevron on the west end of town pulled out the nail and used a plug to fill the hole. It worked for a good many months.

I took it to a repair shop(not just for tires, general mechanical shop)and the owner said that his repair would not be warranteed, because it was to repair damage to the sidewall of what was now my left front-located tire(after rotating the tires). But it was that same tire repaired months earlier at the Standard Chevron. They fixed it with the plug method all over again, it was slowly leaking from the earlier repair. It has now held up for what must be 8 or 9 months now. No Tire Pressure Monitoring System warning lights(my Lancer GTS has this...that's what initially tipped me off that I had a problem needing attention) and no slow leaks or tire failures of any kind. I didn't know if I would like this TPMS deal but it works nicely...flashes a warning that a tire is low on air. It has worked properly every time it's sounded a problem, so no complaints from me on that system new to me on this car.

Long story short, yep, you're right, your tire repair kit would work fine for most tire failures. Ya learn something pretty much every day on Edmunds...if you really want to!

spoom

I'm imagining she wouldn't be too thrilled changing a conventional spare under those conditions either. Always got the cellphone option if not comfortable with the kit OR a tire change. In a pouring rain I'm not to thrilled with the idea of the full-sized spare hiding under my PU truck OR the Solstice's option

Carbarrister

"Imagine your wife (or you) in the dark,in the rain, on a deserted road or busy interstate performing the tasks required."

Hopefully your wife is smart enough to press the blue OnStar button and have Pontiac Roadside do it for her for free.

pao

Depends on the MY and options on the solstice...the early ones didnt come with Onstar.....and it was an option on MY 07...so OnStar..may not be the option either....