my low tire pressure sensor warning came on this weekend, so i went to the gas station and pumped up the air in the low tire. i brought it in today to get it checked out, and i have a nail about 1 1/2 - 2 inches from the sidewall, and the lexus tech said it is too close to the wall to patch and repair. just my luck . . . only 2500mi and already i need a new tire

a couple of questions for you:

(1) is that true about it not being able to be repaired? i thought for some reason those things could be patched easily.

(2) they warned me that i should be careful having tires put on at tire stores b/c of the sensors, that they break really easily and are expensive to replace. should i be worried?

(3) did you know that the 430 comes with a donut spare, not fullsize? what a rip! my old GS's both had full-size, wonder why they did not do it this time (other than the fact that the trunk is pretty dang small).


on the bright side, the tire pressure sensor works great. it's leaking air fast, so i am going to order the oem tire on tirerack.com for $275, unless anyone knows of someplace cheaper/better?

thanks for any help

 

If the nail is too close to the sidewall then it's not repairable. The sidewall of your tire is the part that carry the load of the vehicle. If the plug or pad blow up and you're doing 85 mph, remember Firestones.
They are right about the TPWS sensor can get damage if the handler is not careful while he replacing the tire.