I'm wanting to pick up one of the small DC powered tire inflator air pumps to keep in my MINI since I got rid of the run flats. I've looked at some of the local auto-part stores.....and there are a ton of different brand and models. I'm sure there are some that are good, and some that are junk..

Anyone have one of these? Is there one you would recommend?

Thanks

 

Go to Wally World and buy the kit that has the 12v compreesor and the green slim. Last I checked the whole kit was $19.95.

 

A few folks have mentioned that many wrecking yard have the Mercedes (and others) OEM ones for 10$ laying around...12v pumps are now stock on many cars..heck...my last 2 rentals had them instead of a spare....
and I DO carry around a 12v discount store pump...the PSI gauge is worthless..and I must HOLD it in position..locking is iffy...but it works...

 

Conti have produced an inflator that combines the tire sealant in the same box:
http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/detail.jsp?ID=38

I haven't tried one - and I presume the sealant is refillable - but the idea of combining the functions is neat.

 

This may sound stupid, but I have the run flats. Would there be a reason for me to carry the green slim? To use in conjunction with run flats?

Having no experience with them hard to imagine. Or some other repair kit. I hear you can go something like 70 miles on a run flat after a flat? But again, no experience which is a good thing, not complaining.

Just like to be over prepared.

 

I was at Marshalls about 3 weeks ago and they had the Fix-A-Flat version of this (the inflator and sealer in one kit). Bought it for $14.

 

What flat could you get that would need fix-a-flat? If it's a slow leak, you could keep putting air in it until you could fix it. If it's a BIG hole, fix-a-flat won't help anyway. I bought a "mini" spare and made myself a bag out of some old towels and keep in strapped in the back seat since it won't fit in the trunk with the shelf latched down. Nobody will ever ride in the backseat anyway.

 

I have a ~$30 Slime kit from AutoZone, haven't needed it yet.

If you're looking for a *good* one, I recall RiderWareHouse from my long-distance motorcycling days always stocked a selection of very good, very compact compressors. I generally fixed a flat on 3 of 4 longer trips we took, at some point. Got pretty good at it, too. Anyhow, they have reviews and so forth, and of course compact size is highly important on a motorcycle, maybe a bit less so in a MINI.

HTH.

http://www.aerostich.com/tools/tire-...ir-compressors

 

this is a concern to those who ditch the runflats but don't buy a spare . . .

you are correct, the runflats are good for around 50 miles when 'flat'; keep your speed under 55. I know someone who drove on a flat runflat for over 1000 miles at highway speeds I don't recommend it, but I've seen it done. (he did not understand the GEN1 TPMS system and reset the system without checking for a flat tire)

******

if you buy or already have a small pump, I recommend you flatten a tire and re-fill it with the pump. Mine was not very fast, when I tried it I thought it was busted cuz it took SO LONG to get to 30 psi on a MINI tire .... best to get an idea of how well it works b4 a dark raining night on the side of the road. And if others drive your car (wife, kids) a training session might be in order.

*******

I used fix-a-flat once, never again. I carried a pump and this when I was on regular tires sans a spare



they sell a nice pump too



http://www.dynaplug.com/index.html

does it work? I've used these plugs and run the tire another 20,000 miles with NO problems.

 

Shortly after I converted from run-flats to non-run-flats I bought a slime kit, a pump, and a plug kit. I now have 130K on my car. I have never used the slime. I have plugged several punctures, without problem. The pump I have was one of the early MINI-branded pumps and from an industrial-design, user-friendly perspective it is a piece of junk. MINI improved the design shortly after I bought mine.

 

I've had the compact "Slime" pump ($15) for years now as well as a plug kit ($5). I've used the plug kit once since the tire had such low tread left, the tire shop wouldn't have fixed it under the tire warranty I purchased anyway. I was running non-runflats at the time on an R53 without a spare.

The compact pumps aren't great if filling the tire from completely flat. It took 15-20 minutes and occasionally ran hot even with the car jacked up. Slow but still faster than waiting for AAA roadside assistance.

Now when I had a slow leak, it took the pump about 5 minutes to top off. Then I'd head to a tire shop to have it properly patched from the inside.

Word of caution about Slime sealants: Tire shops don't like Slime as it gets everywhere and is hard to clean up. That and the possibility of balance issues at high speed if not distributed evenly. In the end, remember that Slime shouldn't be thought of as a permanent fix.

 

I like the Slime one I got as a kit with a bottle of slime. When I needed a new one I ordered some more from Amazon. http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ENQRD2/

 

I'll be a fly in the ointment. Here is my on-board air setup for flats and other things. I carry a plug kit too.


Here is how it sits now



Here is the small silver compressor that is tucked under the rear piece, that's why you cant see it.




150 psi this time, I had a viar 380c for the 200 psi setup and it just was hard to find a tank ranted for 200 as well as it was slow.

 

And warn your tire guy that slime (or any other sealant) has been used.

 

I carry a dynaplug kit and a high volume hand pump (the cylinder is about 1 3/4" x 18"
and rated to 100psi). Takes a lot of pumps to fill a completely flat tire (about 100-200),
but not so bad for adding 5 or 10 pounds pressure.