Tire Sealant Didn’t Work: Spare Tire or Tow?

Tire still flat after using a sealant kit? Call Rick’s for usable-spare installation or a compatible tow.

A compressor running does not prove the tire is safe to drive on. Follow your own vehicle and kit instructions for inflation time, pressure checks and stopping limits. Do not keep adding sealant or extending compressor run time beyond those instructions.

Ford’s tire sealant and inflator guidance gives specific stop-driving conditions when the tire fails to reach or retain the required pressure. Those figures belong to that vehicle’s instructions; they are not universal targets for every car. The kit is a temporary measure, not a completed tire repair.

If the kit has failed, arrange assistance rather than driving to see whether it improves. Do not work beside moving traffic. If your location presents immediate danger, call 911.

When you call, say that sealant is already inside the tire. Give the vehicle year, make and model, which wheel is affected, and whether you have a spare. Describe the pressure reading you saw, whether it fell again, and whether you drove after the tire went flat. Only check or photograph equipment from a safe position.

Keep the kit information available for the tire shop. Ford also instructs drivers to tell the tire specialist about sealant before the tire is removed from the wheel. Do not assume that a sealed tire can be permanently repaired; the shop needs to inspect it.

Rick’s flat-tire service installs a usable spare. Tell us whether the spare is present and whether you have the wheel-lock key. We can also assess seized lug nuts. The tire, wheel, vehicle condition and working location determine whether a roadside change is suitable.

Finding an inflator in the trunk does not tell us whether your vehicle also has a spare. Check the equipment list in your owner’s manual if you are unsure. Our spare tire and repair-kit guide explains what to look for before requesting service.