Jack Williams

Fix-a-Flat: Friend or Foe?

When the unthinkable happens - stuck, late night on the side of a rainy roadway with a flat tire - nothing sounds better than a fast fix for the damage. After all, we all want it fast and simple, right?

Fix-a-Flat has been on the market for quite some time, and in the absence of a spare tire, it can be just what you need to get through to your tire shop for a replacement. But what happens AFTER you use this on your tire? According to AllPar.com, there is more to think about than meets the eye.

"Think about what this product does - it is a liquid that shoots out under pressure in your tire, finds the hole, seals it, and holds air while you drive. If you are familiar with the process at all, you must have an understanding that it is a liquid when it comes out of the can, but it seals a hole."

Obviously, a liquid doesn't seal a hole. A chemical reaction comes into play, changing this liquid into something else. "What happens next is the liquid, as it is being forced around the inside of the tire and starts to harden, will harden in whatever shape it takes as the air hits it. Which means, you have now changed the shape of the tire itself, which means you can forget about ever balancing that tire ever again."

Woah, hold on a second. What?

"This chemical will continue to react with any substance it is touching - your wheel, your valve stem, your tire. Leave it in there long enough to cure and you will need a new tire at a minimum, because it adheres to the rubber, then begins to soften and consume the rubber."

This problem goes further - affecting the paint, and the finish, and even the ability for your tire to ever properly seal again. In essence, this can cause pervasive damage to not just your tire, but the components directly connected to it.

Fix-a-Flat and similar products are an emergency solution, but understand that repeated use may cost you significantly more down the line than simply a tire replacement.