Things on this page are fragmentary and immature notes/thoughts of the author. Please read with your own judgement!
Tire sealant and tire plug are 2 relative easy (temporary) repairs to flat tires. There are many different types of tire plug kit. The sticky string tire plug is preferred and the discussion here focus on it.
| Tire Sealant | Stick String Tire Plug | |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Quick, easy, temporary fix for small tread punctures. | A more durable, potentially long-term repair for tread punctures. |
| Ease of Use | Very easy, no special tools required. | Requires some physical effort and use of specific tools. |
| Durability | Temporary. | Can be a long-term or permanent repair. |
| Cost | Inexpensive ($10-$30). | Inexpensive ($10-$35). |
| Potential Issues | Messy, can damage TPMS, may prevent a proper permanent repair. | Improper installation can lead to failure, not the industry-approved permanent fix. |
Apply Sealant to Flat Tire
If you have a flat tire (say, due to puncture), you can apply tire sealant to temporary fix the problem so that you drive to a safe location or to a car shop to get your tire repaired or replaced. Notice that some tire sealant might damage TPMS, so make sure to choose TPMS safe sealant when you purchase one. Below are steps to apply tire sealant.
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Deflate the tire.
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Remove the valve core from the tire.
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Shake the sealant well.
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Inject the whole bag of sealant into the tire.
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Install the valve core back.
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Inflate the tire.
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Go for a few minutes drive.
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Check tire pressure to see whether the sealant is working.
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Get the tire repaired or replaced.
See Installing TireJect tire sealant for examples and instructions on how to apply sealant.
Tire Puncture Repair Kit
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There are different toolkits for repairing a punctured tire by yourself. A sticky string tire plug kit is preferred for a few reasons.
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Sticky string repairs are of good quality and some are even considered permanent repairs.
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Stick string repairs not only apply to small round woulds due to nail/screw puctures but also apply to other odd shaped or large wounds.
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Safety Seal and Xtra Seal produce good sticky string tire plug kit.
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A Sidewall damage ruins a tire. You can do an emergency repair (using sealant or stick string tire plug) so that you can drive to a safe location. But it's strongly suggested that you replace a tire with sidewall damages.