[Summest]

I scheduled to take my car into Acura for my spare tire kit installation and to get my windows tinted.

The shipping of the tire kit was delayed, but I did get the windows tinted.

I decided to check out the no spare option before I upgrade to a real donut spare. Seems the whole case of foam comes right out and the new one probably takes its place. I should have had it shipped to my house to avoid installation charges.

Definitely like the side pockets in the trunk.

I guess the big piece of iron is my towing hook. I never had one with the TSX. Fix-a-flat is good till 2019.

 

[andre12dbsi]

The tint looks really good.

I'm an old school spare tire kind of person too. I'd really like to know what's involved in the install.

I'm guessing the AWD will be getting a spare as standard equipment?

 

[ugpo]

The tint looks really good.

I'm an old school spare tire kind of person too. I'd really like to know what's involved in the install.

I'm guessing the AWD will be getting a spare as standard equipment?

I don't believe so from what the dealer has told me.

BTW the tint does look really good!

 

[andre12dbsi]

Wow. I would have thought the AWD would have gotten the full size spare. I guess we'll know for sure when they start to come in.

 

[ugpo]

The reason I'm pretty sure is the trunk capacity of the SH-AWD is 14.3 vs 13.2 for the FWDs. Where else could they carve out the space?

 

[Got-A-TLX]

Tinting looks great. Can't wait to see what the spare tire kit looks like.

 

[r.johnson]

what i dont get is, why dont they make full use of the foam insert and give us a bigger cavity/hole for storage

looks like quite abit of "wasted space" on the insert IMHO

Fix-a-flat is good till 2019............so what does this mean, after 2019 we have to get a new one?

and that machine in the middle, is that a tire pressure inflator?

 

[Summest]

what i dont get is, why dont they make full use of the foam insert and give us a bigger cavity/hole for storage

looks like quite abit of "wasted space" on the insert IMHO

Fix-a-flat is good till 2019............so what does this mean, after 2019 we have to get a new one?

and that machine in the middle, is that a tire pressure inflator?

I agree. Sure is a large space for foam to occupy.

I guess so. Fix-a-flat won't last forever, but then my lease runs out in 2018.

Yes, the air compressor is in the middle of the foam still wrapped up in plastic.

I am thinking of keeping the foam and all components in my garage for three years and replacing it when my lease is up and put the spare in my 2018 TLX or whatever comes around in 2018.

I wonder if it is worth the hassle of storage? I wonder if it will fit my 2018? I wonder if I should get over not having a spare? I wonder a lot.

 

[willy18]

What is Fix-A-Flat? Is that a service offered by Acura or an actual product?

 

[Summest]

What is Fix-A-Flat? Is that a service offered by Acura or an actual product?

Sorry about that. I was using a brand name to generalize about the product.

It is a tire sealant designed to fix small leaks in an auto tire.

It's a goo-like substance that seals up holes and allows you to easily get to a gas station or tire repair facility. Provided the hole is small enough, like a puncture by a nail for screw, this sealant is adequate for quick repairs. If the tire is in shreds, it is useless.

In this system, the sealant is housed within the compressor. The compressor has two hoses. One hose just dispenses compressed air, while the other dispenses air and sealant.

 

[r.johnson]

oh the air compressor has the sealant inside?

too bad, i was hoping that i can use the air compressor to regularly inflate my tires to the correct tire pressure.....

 

[Summest]

oh the air compressor has the sealant inside?

too bad, i was hoping that i can use the air compressor to regularly inflate my tires to the correct tire pressure.....

You can. There are two hoses. One with sealant and one without.

Some people use it to inflate their beach floats.

 

[r.johnson]

thanks for the clarification

how is the air compressor powered anyways?

 

[Summest]

thanks for the clarification

how is the air compressor powered anyways?

Powered by the 12v accessory outlet, but the car engine should be running.

This demo on Acura's YouTube site is very informative. It looks just like the compressor in my trunk for my TLX.

Acura - Maintenance - Tire Sealant and Inflator Kit - YouTube

 

[willy18]

I figured that's how it worked. I'd probably prefer a spare tire too.

 

[Got-A-TLX]

BTW, Many car manufacturers are doing this to save weight. Which in turn increase MPG.

 

[Summest]

BTW, Many car manufacturers are doing this to save weight. Which in turn increase MPG.

That's what they tell me. They also ask about when I last used my spare. I said, "I haven't used my auto insurance either, but I keep paying for it."

I do see others going without it. Maybe next lease, unless I move my spare over to the new lease. If I only drove in the city, I could see calling for service. I also like to not have to rely on someone else to get me going again.
Generally, I think it is to save money to lower the car price like swapping out the Michelins for Goodyears.

 

[Esrever]

I can understand wanting the spare, but for the majority of people they will never use it so I can also understand why people aren't carrying around a spare. The fuel savings would be nice.

 

[r.johnson]

so i went to a local canadian acura dealer today and took a peek at the trunk. the layout of the "tire repair kit tray" is different than the one summest posted. actually makes more use of the space

that said, i didnt take a photo since i didnt want to get everybody's attention with me digging stuff out from the trunk

 

[TeeElX]

Interesting, would you be able to explain how it was laid out since you didn't take a picture of it?