Most GM cars – not utility vehicles or trucks, but passenger cars – now leave the factory with a tire inflator kit rather than a spare wheel. This is done for several reasons, primarily to decrease vehicle weight and increase fuel economy. Given the increased popularity of including the tire inflator kit in place of an actual spare, GM Authority is providing a detailed overview of the tool, and how to use it.
Tire Inflator Kit Content
The kit includes the following components:
- Storage bag
- Sealant canister inlet valve
- Sealant/air hose
- Air only hose
- Tire sealant (aka the “goop”) canister and base
- Power plug
- On/off button
- Slot on top of compressor
- Pressure deflation button
- Pressure gauge
Using Inflator Kit And Tire Sealant Together
Those who intend to use the tire sealant and compressor kit to temporarily seal and inflate a punctured tire should follow these steps:
- Remove the tire sealant canister (4) and compressor from its storage location.
- Remove the air only hose (10) and power plug (9) from the bottom of the compressor.
- Place the compressor on the ground near the flat tire.
- Remove the valve stem cap from the flat tire by turning it counterclockwise
- Attach the air only hose (10) to the sealant canister inlet valve (1) by turning it clockwise until tight.
- Slide the base of the tire sealant canister (3) into the slot on the top of the compressor (6) to hold it upright.
Make sure the tire valve stem is position close to the ground so the hose will reach it. - Attach the sealant/air hose (2) to the tire valve stem by turning it clockwise until tight.
- Plug the power plug (9) into the accessory power outlet in the vehicle. Unplug all items from other accessory power outlets.
If the vehicle has an accessory power out let, do not use the cigarette light.
If the vehicle only has a cigarette lighter, then use it.
Note: Do not pinch the power plug cord in the door or window. - Start the vehicle. The vehicle must be running while using the air compressor.
- Press the on/off button (5) to turn the tire sealant and compressor kit on.
The compressor will inject sealant and air into the tire.
The pressure gauge (8) will initially show a high pressure while the compressor pushes the sealant into the tire. Once the sealant is completely dispersed into the tire, the pressure will quickly drop and start to rise again as the tire inflates with air only. - Use the pressure gauge to ensure that the tire is inflated to the recommended inflation pressure, which can be found on the Tire and Loading Information label.
Caution: if the recommended pressure cannot be reached after approximately 25 minutes, the vehicle should not be driven further. The tire is too severely damaged and the tire sealant and compressor kit cannot inflate the tire. - Press the on/off button (5) to turn the tire sealant and compressor kit off.
Note, the tire is not yet sealed and will continue to leak air until the vehicle is driven and the sealant is distributed in the tire. Therefore, the following steps must be done immediately after.
Caution: be careful while handling the tire sealant and compressor kit as it could be warm after usage. - Unplug the power plug (9) from the accessory power outlet in the vehicle.
- Turn the sealant/air hose (2) counterclockwise to remove it from the tire valve stem.
- Replace the tire valve stem cap.
- Remove the tire sealant canister (4) from the slot on top of the compressor (6).
- Turn the air only hose (10) counterclockwise to remove it from the tire sealant canister inlet valve (1).
- Turn the sealant/air hose (2) clockwise onto the sealant canister inlet valve (1) to prevent sealant leakage.
- Return the air only hose (10) and power plug (9) back to their original storage location.
- If the flat tire was able to inflate to the recommended inflation pressure, remove the maximum speed label from the sealant canister and place it in a highly visible location.
Do not exceed the speed on this label until the damaged tire is repaired or replaced. - Return the equipment to its original storage location in the vehicle.
- Immediately drive the vehicle 5 miles (8 kilometers) to distribute the sealant in the tire.
- Stop at a safe location and check the tire pressure.
If the tire pressure has fallen more than 10 psi (68 kPa) below the recommended inflation pressure, stop driving the vehicle. The tire is too severely damage and the tire sealant cannot seal the tire.
If the tire pressure has not dropped more than 10 psi (68 kPa) from the recommended inflation pressure, inflate the tire to the recommended inflation pressure. - Wipe off any sealant from the wheel, tire, or vehicle.
- Dispose of the used tire sealant canister (4) at a local dealer or in accordance with local state codes and practices.
Replace it with a new canister from your dealer. - After temporarily sealing a tire using the tire sealant and compressor kit, take the vehicle to an authorized dealer within 100 miles (161 kilometers) of driving to have the tire repaired or replaced.
Using Inflator Kit Without Tire Sealant
To use the tire inflator kit without sealant, follow these steps:
- Remove the compressor from its storage location.
- Remove the air only hose (10) and power plug (9) from the bottom of the compressor.
- Place the compressor on the ground near the flat tire.
Make sure the tire valve stem is position close to the ground so the hose will reach it. - Remove the valve stem cap from the flat tire by turning it counterclockwise
- Attach the air only hose (10) to the sealant canister inlet valve (1) by turning it clockwise until tight.
- Plug the power plug (9) into the accessory power outlet in the vehicle.
Unplug all items from other accessory power outlets.
If the vehicle has an accessory power out let, do not use the cigarette light.
If the vehicle only has a cigarette lighter, then use it.
Note: Do not pinch the power plug cord in the door or window. - Start the vehicle. The vehicle must be running while using the air compressor.
- Press the on/off button (5) to turn the tire inflator kit on.
The compressor will inflate the tire with air only. - Use the pressure gauge to ensure that the tire is inflated to the recommended inflation pressure, which can be found on the Tire and Loading Information label.
Caution: if the recommended pressure cannot be reached after approximately 25 minutes, the vehicle should not be driven further. The tire is too severely damaged and the tire sealant and compressor kit cannot inflate the tire. - Press the on/off button (5) to turn the tire sealant and compressor kit off.
Note, the tire is not yet sealed and will continue to leak air until the vehicle is driven and the sealant is distributed in the tire. Therefore, the following steps must be done immediately after.
Caution: be careful while handling the tire sealant and compressor kit as it could be warm after usage. - Unplug the power plug (9) from the accessory power outlet in the vehicle.
- Turn the air only hose (10) counterclockwise to remove it from the tire valve stem.
- Replace the tire valve stem cap.
- Return the air only hose (10) and power plug (9) back to their original storage location.
- Return the equipments to its original storage location in the vehicle.
Notably, the tire inflator kit also includes accessory adapters the can be used to inflate air mattresses, balls, etc. These adapters are located in a compartment located at the bottom of its housing.
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Comments
Stupid move. The sealant may not seal, and if it does cause balance issues and need to be removed. Just use run flat tires and avoid it all.
What about sidewall blowout? Only a spare can fix that. Granted if you stop quick enough you can save the sidewall, but in many cases you can’t, and if your in the middle of nowhere, your screwed.
I’ll take an actual spare tire. Imagine trying to read thru this stuck on the side of a highway. You can also keep a can of sealant in the car. There are many brands and they cost $15 or less. All you do is screw it on the valve stem and watch the goo go in thru the clear plastic hose until it stops. Simple.
The GM kit, which comes from the same OEM as nearly all other brands (Active Tools), uses a special fibrous goop which does not damage TPMS sensors and supposed to seal better, unlike the aerosol cans. That’s why it has the whole air pump business.
Use of the GM kit also does not void the GM tire warranty either in spite of the fact that some tire manufacturers void their warranty if the green stuff is used.
As Michael said stupid move. Imagine this scene, you live in Virginia, you get up at 2AM to drive to Disney World, somewhere about the NC/SC line you run over debris from a wreck and “slash” not puncture a tire … no inflation kit on the planet is going to get you outta that spot. How about this, make the cars an suv’s large enough to carry a spare tire. I put together a inflation an plug kit over 25 years ago and have one in both vehicles. There are some states that won’t allow the tire stores to plug a tire. Imagine this part of the scene, Triple A has shown up, no spare tire, your tire is slashed … you’re on your way to the closest tire store to wait from say 4AM to opening to get a tire. The driver’s ed teacher at one time would not pass you off unless you could change a tire, I don’t know if that’s so today or not, but should be.
You ever drive a car with a donut spare? You ain’t making it to Orlando on that. You’re going to end up at the same place, waiting for the tire store to open, if you don’t want to be on the hook for a new spare, and worse, a new diff.
The doughnut spare is a sin. I nabbed a full size 4ply spare from a junkyard as my backup for my daily driver and threw out the doughnut. Saved me 2 months ago actually. Hit a spike in the road, and my tire went flat in 10 seconds, was on my way to work, and it’s a 70 mile commute, swapped on the full size spare, still make work on time, made it back and fixed the tire the next day. Not even a doughnut would have been able to pull that off. Course my truck has a real spare.
give me the spare tire
This is why I specifically bought my daughters cars with spare tires, not inflators.Safety important.didn’t want them stranded with a tire that went flat and couldn’t be inflated. I had, no now avoid runflat tires. Too stiff and expensive. To replace.
What percentage of drivers today can actually change a flat tire? They never will figure out this procedure. Most drivers never look in the Owners Manual.
90% or so call roadside assistance. Not just changing the tire, people are rightly afraid of getting out of their car on a busy road or highway.
uh, not all flats happens on busy roads.
This is just an example of how much automakers are looking to remove weight from a car for mpg. GM also on the Alpha platform cut the lengths of bolts on the chassis. It too more weight out than you would guess.
The other factor is not just the weight but space to store a tire. Many cars can carry the spare but the tire on the car is so large it will not fit in the car. I have one car now the flat will not fit in the car.
To be honest the reality with modern tires today are flats are rare. Most times it is just a slow leak.
Run flat fell flat as the ride horribly and the are very heavy.
Another issue today is finding replacements on some vehicles can be a challenge in some areas. So many sizes, brands and types it can be hard to match some tires out in the country.
I carry a compressor in each car as it is enough to get me home 99% of the time. Also I really don’t like changing a tire on the road. So many people get hit on freeways anymore.
I also carry a rubber mallet at most aluminum wheels are hub centric and the stick, many can’t remove them with out a mallet to knock them loose.
Forget the GM warranty they won’t cover anything I had a new vehicle and a paint peeled right off it and they couldn’t have cared less, no matter who I talk to. The tow truck can bring a new tire and install it. Boom. Your in florida before it snows!
What’s the little button on the air only hose supposed to do? You can hear a change in the compressor, but it didn’t seem to do anything.
By the way, these little kits suck! A regular screw hole in the middle treads, and… nothing!
Me too!!!! Grrr. It deflated my first tire. Now, I have ordered a portable tire pump to arrive by 0800 so I’ll be able to drive tomorrow morning
When using the inflator kit without sealant, it seems that step 5 should say “Attach the air hose (10) to the tire valve stem” not “to the sealant canister inlet valve”
I just tried using this for the first time (I’ve used all my other cadillac air compressors) and it deflated my first tire.
How do I inflate?