I realize there is no one solution that fits every situation for flats, or just topping up the air in ones tires but here's what I do. My 550 does have the Spare Tire option but we all know that's not exactly ideal if you install the spare and have to throw you wife or 1/2 the luggage out in order fit the flat tire & rim in the car while you drive to a tire shop. I do carry the conventional Fix a Flat from Ferrari but I also carry a Dyna Plug which I have used on my other cars more than once with great success. Amazon.com: Dynaplug Ultralite Tubeless Tire Repair Tool Kit, Made in USA : Automotive Additionally I have portable CO2 in a 20oz bottle which can fill up a seriously deflated tire. I've saved the day more than once on someones' exotic on touring events with this set up. Whether one just needs to top up their tires with a couple of pounds of pressure or need a solution that allows one to get to the service station for more intensive care, these afford me those options. They work so well, I have them in my other cars as well. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Power Tank Online Store and Blog Click on Power Tanks then Power Tank Mini. Initially they did have them in yellow (10 years ago). Now only in black. However, I see no reason why one could not have it painted in the color of your choice. When I knew they were changing color, I bought some extra bottles. The canvas bag comes with the unit and is nice, but of course I just had to have a Ferrari logo embroidered on it. They make nice bags for just about anything one needs to carry in the trunk.
Any benefit to the tank over a little 12v compressor? I've had good luck over the years with just a generic plug kit.
Just another option. Since my 99 550 came with the Spare Tire option, I didn't get the Fix a Flat or the Compressor. At least they weren't with the car when I purchased it from the previous owner. Not exactly sure if those items are deleted from the car when you order the spare or not. In any event, compressors work fine, although they can be agonizingly slow and of course some are better powered directly by the battery via battery clips vs. the cigarette lighter but otherwise it's really a matter of how one likes to roll. One particular morning on a touring event all 15 cars were all warmed up and getting ready to take off when one owner noticed his right front was frightfully low. I was in the trunk and had my unit out and his tire topped up in all of about 60 seconds. I don't think I could have pulled that off with the compressor. It's just so fast and convenient, that's why I prefer it.
That CO2 bottle is handy but kind of expensive. And it can't be recharged once empty, can it? A cheaper option I used to use in my track days is a portable air tank like this one - https://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools-compressors/air-compressors-tanks/portable-air-tanks/5-gallon-portable-air-tank-65594.html It's a bit larger but is cheap and can be refilled with your compressor at home or a gas station. That and a plug kit or can of fix-a-flat should be all you need for a typical tread puncture.
Excellent feedback Dave! The Power Tank Mini Tank system I believe is right at $175.00 so it is kind of exotic for just topping up your tire pressures, but what it does afford is the ultimate in simplicity and portability. Speaking strictly for myself, I like having this capability when I'm in the middle of no place in the mountains of Northern Virginia or W. Virginia on a touring event. Re-filling the bottles is fairly straight forward. Dicks Sporting Goods or other like kind stores that support Paint Ballers can fill the 20 oz. bottle for $5.00. I purchased a handful of spare bottles which I believe were about $20 each so I can change bottles in a jiff when needed. I have them in my tool box on my trailor, in my work SUV as well as my wifes, and it's just comforting to know you've got something at hand when the need arises. Truth be told, I think my wife and I have rescued more of our friends than we have ourselves with these. All in all, it really depends on what works for you. Options are always good. Cheers!!
Has anyone considered the lowly and always available bicycle pump? They are light, cheap, easy to store, never run out or fail, and can pump up any tire in just a few minutes. Typically, they have a built in gauge too so getting the right pressure is easy. I keep one in my car, along with a can of fix-a-flat. The last time I used it was for a nail and I didn't even need the fix-a-flat stuff, just pumped the tire up and off I went (to the tire store to get the tire fixed). I'd be wary about pumping CO2 into a tire as it's a fairly reactive substance. If it's just temporary, until the tire is fixed, that would be fine, but leaving CO2 in a tire for a long period of time would probably degrade the rubber or worse. I use those exact CO2 tanks for our aquariums. The CO2 is good for the plants. I used to be able to get them refilled at Dick's but since most paintball guns seem to have switched to high pressure air, Dick's dropped that service years ago, at least at our local store. Instead, I bought a large siphon feed tank that I refill my aquarium bottles with. The tank and setup was about $200 if I recall. Probably more now.
I prefer just the electric versions cause I'm lazy. I would be wary of a bottle with limited capacity since I've had slow leak situations where I've needed to fill it multiple times before I was able to get a new tire. For infrequent emergency use, I'd rather have the unlimited capacity rather than the speed of a bottle.
Excellent points EastMemphis: I'll have to consider packing a bicycle pump on my next touring event. I like that you can get some cardio in while topping up your tires! Here is an excellent study that was done that covers Nitrogen, CO2 and Compressed Air. Nitrogen Truths and Myths – Power Tank Go to #4 and click on the + to the right to expand. Ironically even Ferrari has used CO2 in their race tires. Although the science behind this is not in my field of expertise, I can tell you having used this for the past 10 years, I have had absolutely no degradation of my alloy rims or the tires. In regards to refilling, Dicks out here in Western Pa. still have stores that fill the bottles, and then again as I mentioned before, there are other sport stores that re-fill them as well. Even my local Automotive Paint and Compressed Gas store can fill them. So lots of options there. When I purchased my 20 oz. bottle and valve 10 years ago it was $149.00. Now their website shows $175.95 but with a tire repair kit to boot. All-in-One Tire Repair Kit with Mini Power Tank CO2 Air Source In the final analysis, there are many sides to this discussion all over the internet about theory and practical application. Some of them painfully technical and I've read many of them before I embarked upon this system. Ps. I knew when I posted this, somewhere along the way, an astute F-Chatter was gonna chime in on this side of the discussion. Congratulations you win! That's the great thing about this forum. Lots of great info and perspectives for one to choose from for their particular situation. Thanks for the engaging view point. Ciao
CO2 always concerns me as a gas because it so readily dissolves in water to create carbonic acid. If the inside of the tire is dry, then that doesn't happen. I never thought of CO2 as a tire inflator because of the acid thing. Certainly a lot less work than a tire pump! Getting your own main tank is pretty efficient. I think I have a 20lb. cylinder which costs nothing to exchange. The tank filling tool is pretty cheap, maybe $50, and it works very well.
Yea, I think that’s a capitol idea!! I definitely favor the idea of having a larger tank at the house to pull from. To your point earlier, as Air Ballers convert more to Compressed Air, one by one the sporting goods stores will eventually divest themselves of the CO2 apparatus and then it’ll be down to the Compressed Gases suppliers and I’m sure they would much rather not deal with a Mickey Mouse 20oz. Bottle for $5.00. I can’t wait to go tell my wife, I’m now adding a CO2 supply station to my already out of control list of must haves for my Car Barn and Loft that I will be building next year. Things like in ground flush mount full height scissor lift, central vac, Deionized Water, stainless steel hose reels for water and compressed air, in ground upward facing lighting around the perimeter of the lift and and a whole bunch of other stuff. I never would have thought of that until now. I’ll blame you when she throws up her arms! Ciao
