65 replies to this topic

[drdiesel1]

You also need to make sure and never put a tire with a different overall diameter on the front, than the one that's already on it.

You can cause transmission/eCVT damage. Tire variations cause ratio changes between the two and force the transmission/eCVT

to run different axle speeds. Most might get by for a short term, but I wouldn't ever recommended it.

 

If necessary to use a spare tire, remove any tire from the rear and place it up front (for a mached pair) and place whatever spare on the rear

This will eleminate any chance of transmission/eCVT damage due to different axle ratio issues' with oddball tires.

[John A Smith]

Has anyone found out if the Fusion compact spare will fit the back wheels of the Energi?  

[komondor]

So before I go out to my car or start looking do we have a jack?

 

I had a Sienna with run flat tires and they sucked, I had to replace one due to a sidewall cut and could not wait for them to wear out so I could replace them.  I just picked up an aftermarket rim and spare tire for less than the 4 run flats would have cost me.  If I was taking long trips in the CMAX I would invest in a spare tire.

[drdiesel1]

No JACK and No TOOLS!

Edited by drdiesel1, 07 August 2014 - 07:55 AM.

[GaryG]

I need some advice on how to manage flats. This is my second flat. The first was a blowout and could not be repaired. Towed to the Ford dealer and replaced. $270 dollars. No tire warranty for "road hazard".

 

This time it was a regular slow leak flat. Backed the car out of the garage - TPMS monitor on. Left rear tire flat. Got out the "Temporary Mobility Kit" used the sealant, then inflated to 30 lbs. So far so good. Lots of warnings not to exceed 50 mph or 120 miles so I took it to a tire shop to repair the flat. No, because a sealant had been used the tire could not be repaired. They didn't have any in stock so I went to Costco where I knew it would be cheapest and, unlike FORD, they would honor their warranty.

 

Three hours later, $220 for the tire. $50 to replace the tire pressure sensor (which was gummed up with the Sealant) and $35 for a replacement sealant cartridge (not from Costco BTW). Total over $300. and half my day. For a simple flat.

 

IS THIS NORMAL???? Why does Ford supply the car with a sealant that destroys the pressure monitor, voids the warranty and prevents the tire from being repaired?  Oh yeah in case I had had the string repair kit (which I bought, $7) I still couldn't have repaired the tire away from home the road because THERE IS NO JACK!

 

Isn't there a better way? Please don't tell me I don't know how to drive a hybrid, that has nothing to do with getting a flat (I drove my last car 10 years with 1 flat)

 

The original poster wanted a solution to spending hundreds of dollars for a tire repair. First of all, we all have Roadside Assistance to be towed to the nearest Ford Dealer. Don't ever use the sealant that destroys the sensor, and don't buy more. 

 

At some point, if you plan to keep the Energi, you will need to replace the tires. Search for the best price and buy a spare tire of the same is best. I chose not to rotate, so the fronts are the first to go. I then only need one tire, and keep the best older one for a spare. Don't buy sensors, extra rims or destroy existing sensors and buy more sealant.

 

Gary 

[jjanner]

I keep rope/plug repair kit (consists of two tools (auger and plug insertion) and several rope-style plugs), rubber cement to help the plug last longer, needle nose pliers to remove whatever might be stuck in my tire (screws are popular here in south Florida) and gloves to get a better grip on the tool (a fair amount of force is normally used).

 

Already used successfully once, a front tire at about 17k miles. No air loss in 2k miles so far.

 

Note: To get good view of and access to the flat, drove the car in a tight circle until screw exposed.

 

I picked up the kit after seeing a colleague with a Chev Volt try using his sealant/compressor. Did not fix his simple flat. Fixed with plug kit.

[drdiesel1]

Plug kits are the best way outside of tire removal to repair a flat. I use em on my motorcycles too. Never had a problem

and no need to have it removed for repairs. They last as long as the tire. Had to fix my 2014 Verano tire at 500 miles.

[dr61]

Any suggestions where to buy a reasonable priced compact spare?   I will be driving cross country and this topic has me concerned. 

Auto recycling yard. See my post on this forum earlier:

http://fordcmaxenerg...re-tire/?p=9197

 

Buy a jack at Harbor Freight and a lug wrench (if you can't find one in a recycling yard).  Use spare ONLY on the rear (label it).

[dontfret]

The original poster wanted a solution to spending hundreds of dollars for a tire repair. First of all, we all have Roadside Assistance to be towed to the nearest Ford Dealer. Don't ever use the sealant that destroys the sensor, and don't buy more. 

 

At some point, if you plan to keep the Energi, you will need to replace the tires. Search for the best price and buy a spare tire of the same is best. I chose not to rotate, so the fronts are the first to go. I then only need one tire, and keep the best older one for a spare. Don't buy sensors, extra rims or destroy existing sensors and buy more sealant.

 

Gary 

Pardon my confusion, but if you retain the used tire as your spare, how does that help if you get a flat on the road - you can't mean you carry the unmounted spare tire?  Are you meaning to have your disabled car towed to a repair center and have them swap the flat for the spare?

[dontfret]

I just returned from driving 2,000 miles this week from San Diego to Southern Utah on vacation, through the Mohave desert and up some remote mountains.  I was frequently terrified what I could do if I got a flat, and deliberately avoided some lovely excursions on less-than-perfect gravel/dirt roads.  I guess a donut spare is in my future.  My concern in getting a mid-2000 tire is even if unused, rubber dries and doesn't have a 10-year shelf life.  I will continue research but understand a 2012 Fusion, 2012-2013 Escape donut matches the 2013 NRG.

[GaryG]

Pardon my confusion, but if you retain the used tire as your spare, how does that help if you get a flat on the road - you can't mean you carry the unmounted spare tire?  Are you meaning to have your disabled car towed to a repair center and have them swap the flat for the spare?

 

What I was trying to say is, you can purchase one new tire at the best price and either store it at home or in the vehicle for long trips. If a flat is repairable, have it repaired or repair it with a plug kit yourself. If the tire is not repairable, use the new tire you purchased. If you need to rotate the tires so you have evenly worn tires on the front, continue with the one new tire on the back. At some point, you will need to replace the other worn tire with a new one. That worn tire can become a spare.

 

A donut spare is only temporary and limited in speed and handling, so that makes it useless in a car with no storage provisions. Having a new or used full size tire is a better way to go IMO.

 

Gary

[dontfret]

What I was trying to say is, you can purchase one new tire at the best price and either store it at home or in the vehicle for long trips. If a flat is repairable, have it repaired or repair it with a plug kit yourself. If the tire is not repairable, use the new tire you purchased. If you need to rotate the tires so you have evenly worn tires on the front, continue with the one new tire on the back. At some point, you will need to replace the other worn tire with a new one. That worn tire can become a spare.

 

A donut spare is only temporary and limited in speed and handling, so that makes it useless in a car with no storage provisions. Having a new or used full size tire is a better way to go IMO.

 

Gary

I believe I understand - you're talking about buying a spare tire mounted on a 5th wheel, like the 'old days' before they went to compact donuts.  That's giving up essentially all the storage in the NRG when out of town.

[GaryG]

I believe I understand - you're talking about buying a spare tire mounted on a 5th wheel, like the 'old days' before they went to compact donuts.  That's giving up essentially all the storage in the NRG when out of town.

 

No, just having a new or used tire ready to be mounted on the existing rim if the tire needs replacing. I would store that tire in my garage until I need it myself.

 

Gary

[rbort]

Is a spare really necessary?  Most likely not hence why it doesn't exist in the cmax.  Let's see, my 1983 190e never needed to use the spare in an emergency, I ended up using the "brand new" spare when the tires wore to extend driving distance before having to buy new tires.  My BMW I have never used the spare in an emergency either.

 

I have however put int plugs in the tires on my cars.  When you go to check tire pressure the one that is lower than the others has a foreign object in it.  Just check it and you'll find the culprit.  I just pull out the object and put in a rubber plug in my garage when necessary.

 

The cmax comes with a low tire pressure warning light giving you a clue you need to fix one of the tires.  Unless you get a blowout on the road, the spare is most likely not necessary.  I like the idea of having a tire plug kit in my cmax, I think I'll store it there from now on.

 

-=>Raja.

Edited by rbort, 12 August 2014 - 08:01 PM.

[GaryG]

I think it's important to maintain roadside assistance through Ford, or your auto insurance. A plug kit is fine to carry in the car, but many other tire damages can't be fixed with a plug. Also, weather plays a part in fixing or changing a tire. I've changed a tire on the road in 93F heat, and thank God I made it under a shade tree in the PB Mall parking lot. I had a donut as a spare, but I had to drive for two weeks on it before Ford could get a new tire for my '05 FEH. Those Continental LRR tires were only available through a Ford dealer at the time. I ordered 2 tires and a matching Hybrid rim to keep as my spare after that experience. Fortunately, a full size stock tire and rim could be placed in the donut space to carry it until replaced or repaired.

 

Most new cars don't even have the storage space or a donut anymore. This is why I say a matching tire is a good idea to have in your garage, or in the car on long trips. If you need a tow to a dealer or tire store, you'll pay top dollar for a replacement tire they may need to order to get you back on the road.

 

Gary 

Edited by GaryG, 14 August 2014 - 07:55 AM.

[ldcarson]

Being in Argetina, I don't have access to ford roadside service. I replaced all 4 of my tires with run flats to give a little extra comfort. I bought a spare run flat, and I shipped all 4 original tires. Tires here are abot 700 dollars a pop, and they don't have run flats. I also bought a donut spare...which will go with me on long trips.....

The run flats are doing well, I can tell only a slightly harder ride and so far haven't seen any mileage difference. But my worry over being totally stranded is much less acute. They really do need to have some form of a spare, even if it is an add on kit....

[komondor]

I had a full size spare in a Olds Cutlass that had a folded sidewall  and came with a can of air to inflate it took up a little more space than the rim and I never actually had to use it.

[Smiling Jack]

I had a full size spare in a Olds Cutlass that had a folded sidewall  and came with a can of air to inflate it took up a little more space than the rim and I never actually had to use it.

 

I still have one of those in my '79 Eldorado. 

 

I always loved the concept and wondered why it did not become the standard.

 

I have wondered whether one of those would mount on a wheel that would fit

the C-max.

 

Used it once in over 30 years - highway blowout.  Worked as advertised. The tire mobility kit would not be of any use for that sort of situation.

Edited by Smiling Jack, 17 September 2014 - 03:15 PM.

[jdunstan]

I have a 2013 C-max with 10,000 miles and the left front tire completely split and deflated.  Without a spare we followed the manual instructions which said the tire must be towed to a ford dealer at Ford's expense.  The dealer now says the tire is split and we must buy a new tire.  Has anyone ever heard of a tire splitting at 10,000 miles in our driveway.  Seems like Ford should cover this under warranty.  Anyone with similar issues?

 

[komondor]

Ford does not warranty the tires talk to a dealer for the brand of tire.