Flat tire. Things to consider.

[RoseyPSU]

I wanted to add to this post with a few other things to consider. I had hit a Philly pothole (more like a sinkhole) on Friday that tore about a 1" gash in the sidewall, so completely unrepairable or able to use the goo kit or a patch kit.

I was only about half mile from a gas station when the blowout happened, so I limped to the station to avoid being stuck on the side of the road. I contacted Porsche Roadside through the app to get a flatbed. I got a message that "I would get a text when connected with a tow operator." I knew from reading other threads on this site that Porsche Roadside can sometimes take hours. I decided to call a local tow company who told me they could get to me in 20 minutes and would charge me $350 to get to the closest Porsche dealership. Because I don't live in Philly and I now needed to catch an Amtrak train to get home home, time was of the essence.

In the interim, I called Porsche Roadside and was told that they were still trying to connect me with a tow company. About five minutes later, I got a text from Porsche that the tow company would be able to meet me in 120 - 150 minutes! So my options were wait 2-3 hours at a gas station for Porsche's provider or pay the $350. I chose the latter option and 20 minutes later my car was on a flatbed and I was on a train shortly after that.

I also called Porsche Roadside back and explained that 2+ hours was unacceptable, as I was in a city where I don't live and needed to be home that evening. The operator was very nice and explained that they would reimburse the cost of the private tow. I need to provide the tow receipts and repair order and I will (hopefully) get reimbursed.

Just wanted to put this info out there so that if any of you happen to be stranded waiting on Porsche Roadside, you can call your own tow provider and get reimbursed if the Porsche wait time is unacceptable. Make sure you get receipts from the tow company and I save the Porsche texts showing the ridiculous wait time as well.

I got lucky as I didn't damage the wheel at all and the dealer had a set of tires. The Taycan should be ready today and I'll just have to figure out how to get in to Philly to pick it up. In the meantime, I'm finding that the launch control on our 2015 Toyota Sienna isn't nearly as thrilling....

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[800v]

I wanted to add ...

thanks for sharing! I read somewhere that putting a taycan on a flatbed can be tricky as you need to put the car in Neutral but then you cannot use the steering wheel?? Not sure, just wanted to see if there was anything special that needed to be done?

 

[RoseyPSU]

thanks for sharing! I read somewhere that putting a taycan on a flatbed can be tricky as you need to put the car in Neutral but then you cannot use the steering wheel?? Not sure, just wanted to see if there was anything special that needed to be done?

No. Car in neutral. Can still steer. Only thing you need to know is that the tow hook is in the frunk on the right-hand side. Pop the hook cover off (I used a credit card) and screw in the hook (counter-clockwise for some reason). Easy.

 

[800v]

No. Car in neutral. Can still steer. ... Easy.

Ah good to hear! Thanks

 

[cometguy]

Yeah, with all the options that Porsche offers, it's a shame that they don't offer an option for a full-size spare wheel/tire in the frunk area.

 

[whitex]

Yeah, with all the options that Porsche offers, it's a shame that they don't offer an option for a full-size spare wheel/tire in the frunk area.

I think Taycan would look horrible with 12" wheels (in order for a full size to fit in the frunk).

 

[kort]

maybe the designers at porsche could reach back into the past for a way to place a spare tire on the car

 

[whitex]

maybe the designers at porsche could reach back into the past for a way to place a spare tire on the car

Or borrow an idea from old Hummers, auto self inflating tires which can drive with a few bullet holes in them. Better for esthetics, perhaps you could fit the compressor in the frunk area, so from the outside it would look no different.

 

[AngloCan]

For anyone with the AWD versions, it is definitely not worth the strain on your differential/powertrain

With previous AWD vehicles I've owned, there's always been a recommended tolerance of tread depths side-side or front-back to prevent wind-up through the diffs (commonly 30% difference). Does anyone know what the number is for these? Costs start ramping up fast when having an unrepairable flat on 1 wheel and being told all 4 need replacing! I'd think that would include RWD too as they'd still be sending power through a rear diff??

 

[cometguy]

I think Taycan would look horrible with 12" wheels (in order for a full size to fit in the frunk).

There's plenty of room for a full-size Taycan wheel in the frunk area, from what I can see; Porsche would have to adjust things to make a slot for the wheel, but it's very do-able. I don't understand this BEV philosophy of "no spare wheel/tire".

 

[whitex]

There's plenty of room for a full-size Taycan wheel in the frunk area, from what I can see; Porsche would have to adjust things to make a slot for the wheel, but it's very do-able. I don't understand this BEV philosophy of "no spare wheel/tire".

I am curious, when you say "from what I can see", what and where did you see exactly? Even this "tiny" spare:

will not fit in the frunk (not even close). It takes up a large portion of the trunk:

No imagine the space a full size 21" tire would require.

The above pictures came from the thread linked below, discussing spare tire options.
https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/threads/taycan-compact-spare-tire-options.10572/

 

[cometguy]

whitex, I did not mean that you can fit a spare wheel in the existing space in the frunk; I'm saying that Porsche could re-design the frunk area to make room for a full-size wheel/tire, and they should. Those small spare wheels, whether they have to be "blown up" or not, are a joke and almost not worth having them because you can't go far on them without damaging the car and can't drive fast enough or turn quickly enough to avoid dangerous driving conditions. No, a full-size wheel/tire is always what is needed in every car that is intended to be taken on long road trips. And 4-door BEVs have the perfect opportunity to address that problem by using the frunk area for this. I'm saying: design a frunk space to accomodate a full-size spare wheel as optional, and those who don't opt for the spare will have that extra storage space for whatever... (And sure, design it for only a 19-inch wheel's width, as the larger wheels get much wider, if that's a problem.)

 

[TDinDC]

I can't wait until we no longer need to worry about flat tires and air pressures. I am hoping this will come along soon.

 

[kort]

I can't wait until we no longer need to worry about flat tires and air pressures. I am hoping this will come along soon.

wheels like this maybe?

 

[TDinDC]

wheels like this maybe?

haha. I was thinking of something like this: https://michelinmedia.com/michelin-uptis/

I think if you used this solution around the circumference solely for rubber compound and to protect against punctures, but then used a technology much like current adjustable suspension near the inner circumference so that you could adjust stiffness/ride quality on the run. That would be pretty cool

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