New one for me: Lost spare tire
- Thread starter Nuke
- Start date
flnycus
New member
Wouldn't the lights come on as soon as you started the car if it was stolen? Because the spare wouldn't be there as soon as you got in? I think they probably tried to get it and it fell off when you hit the bump or it just fell off by itself. Either way I'm sure the lights would have warned you something was wrong as soon as you started the engine? Bad luck though that really made me feel sick!
ClockWork
Banned
No, there is not a constant signal between the car and the sensors.
snowbrdr033
New member
haha, SWAT team to change the tire. Lord! Gotta exercise the right to bear arms!
I'm still trying to figure out the benefit (from the thief's point of view) of stealing a spare tire, of all things.....maybe he needed a new one and didn't want to buy it? Wanted some spare rubber? Who knows....
I'm still trying to figure out the benefit (from the thief's point of view) of stealing a spare tire, of all things.....maybe he needed a new one and didn't want to buy it? Wanted some spare rubber? Who knows....
Triton's Toy4R
New member
Can you get to that point of the cable when the spare is intact? Looks like a clean cut, but I don't know how a thief would get to it.
TremblantTire
New member
Lost my tire
I am actually a Sienna driver, but we lost our spare this afternoon. There had been a recall two summers ago for the cable holding the tire in place. I had to keep the spare in the van cabin until they could find a way to fix the cable. I spent that summer cursing the darn thing everytime I loaded the van to go to the cottage - and it made the cabin stink, so I was much happier when they found a "fix". Well, today that fix failed! We were on a ramp from one busy highway to another when we heard a faint noise from under the van and then my husband saw the tire on the road behind us. No damage was done to our van (aside from the tire falling off!) but several cars behind us were not so lucky. One had her airbags go off after she hit it. We went around by the next exit to come back for the tire. I called the police but they were already on their way. No one was badly hurt, but two cars were towed away. The dealer was closed today because of it being a holiday, but you can bet that they will get an earfull on Monday. I just had it at the dealership three days earlier for winter to summer tire rotation and oil change. I suspect that during their inspection they may have triggered something that led to the cable failure.
I am actually a Sienna driver, but we lost our spare this afternoon. There had been a recall two summers ago for the cable holding the tire in place. I had to keep the spare in the van cabin until they could find a way to fix the cable. I spent that summer cursing the darn thing everytime I loaded the van to go to the cottage - and it made the cabin stink, so I was much happier when they found a "fix". Well, today that fix failed! We were on a ramp from one busy highway to another when we heard a faint noise from under the van and then my husband saw the tire on the road behind us. No damage was done to our van (aside from the tire falling off!) but several cars behind us were not so lucky. One had her airbags go off after she hit it. We went around by the next exit to come back for the tire. I called the police but they were already on their way. No one was badly hurt, but two cars were towed away. The dealer was closed today because of it being a holiday, but you can bet that they will get an earfull on Monday. I just had it at the dealership three days earlier for winter to summer tire rotation and oil change. I suspect that during their inspection they may have triggered something that led to the cable failure.
Atlanta_man
New member
Seriously expensive incident.
Something similar happened on the freeway where I live and the folks driving the vehicle with loose stuff were charged with some version of murder.
I've got an extra rod bolted to the frame and going through the spare's lug hole with a lock on it. For theft prevention but it will hold 10,000x stronger than the cable.
Something similar happened on the freeway where I live and the folks driving the vehicle with loose stuff were charged with some version of murder.
I've got an extra rod bolted to the frame and going through the spare's lug hole with a lock on it. For theft prevention but it will hold 10,000x stronger than the cable.
20034RunnerV84x2
New member
Being in the rust belt like you I'd do it one a month at least. Oil it every 6 months with silicone paste (wont dry out) and make sure it's sturdy on there.
I am going to say it was cut too based on the uniformity of the cut and although the pic is not a close up the ends of the strands appear to have a little shine indicating a cut. Since it was warm this past weekend I cleaned my spared tire, gave the undercarriage a good clean and oiled the spare tire clable. Didn't take pics but everything looks good again.
Mr. Banks
New member
Re:
I can't make heads or tails of the pics to say if it was cut, or if it fell off due to the cable. Could it be that the odd "bump" in Chicago was actually the tire falling off due to failure of the cable? That would explain the TPMS light.
I wouldn't put it past anyone to think of stealing the spare tire though. SoCal has a warning out for people stealing the catalytic converters off of Toyota Trucks and SUV's since they are relatively easy to take off and access. If you are going after the cats, why not take a chance at a spare?
My neighborhood growing up the thieves were more interested in what was in the car instead of the car itself. So they weren't scared to break windows out and grab Jordans, Golf Clubs, whatever else. Not at all surprised if it was theft, but it could have been a faulty cable too.
:happens:
I can't make heads or tails of the pics to say if it was cut, or if it fell off due to the cable. Could it be that the odd "bump" in Chicago was actually the tire falling off due to failure of the cable? That would explain the TPMS light.
I wouldn't put it past anyone to think of stealing the spare tire though. SoCal has a warning out for people stealing the catalytic converters off of Toyota Trucks and SUV's since they are relatively easy to take off and access. If you are going after the cats, why not take a chance at a spare?
My neighborhood growing up the thieves were more interested in what was in the car instead of the car itself. So they weren't scared to break windows out and grab Jordans, Golf Clubs, whatever else. Not at all surprised if it was theft, but it could have been a faulty cable too.
:happens:
Victor_inox
New member
my 2012 has a chain in place of cable.
Gerdo
New member
Sorry to say but I would assume that it broke. Maybe after someone lowered it some and cut some/most of the cable. The final strands broke when you hit the bump.
So the light was not on at first, then you hit a bump and it came on. It flickered because the tire was in and out of range then was too far away and came on full.
So the light was not on at first, then you hit a bump and it came on. It flickered because the tire was in and out of range then was too far away and came on full.
Victor_inox
New member
So your spare has tpms sensor in it? mine doesnt, just regular rubber nipple sticking out.
MaliciousClout
New member
Thought all TPMS sensors were internal? :wink2:
Sorry to hear what happened to your spare, regardless of what it is that happened, time for you to replace it. Junk yard perhaps? I hate to see this if it was in fact a theft. If it is a factory flaw, well that's another story; check with your nearest Stealership to see if they have heard of other's misfortunes.
You mess with my ride and I catch you :jump: I feel bad for you. And I say that in the most sarcastic way possible.
As far as I know, all 4th gens have TPMS sensors since they're gubmint-mandated. They're little modules stuck inside the rims, you can't see them from the outside. Leave your spare at home when you travel over 70 miles or so, the TPMS light will come on. It's really annoying when you leave all your tires at home because you are driving on aftermarket rims with snow tires. However, if you come within the proximity of all of the senders again, the light will reset until you stray too far again. After being annoyed by that stupid light all of the winter before this past one, I started keeping all my tires neatly stacked in front of where I park the truck, even though they're somewhat in the way.
