S
self1
Guest
I have been enjoying my new C6 over the holidays.
I put about 1500 miles on it just tooling up out of Florida into Georgia and Alabama for some rest and relaxation from the Miami life. Nice up there!
On my way back, while traveling I-10 coming into Tallahassee (one of the few times I hit an interstate during this trip), I suddenly heard a loud cyclic clicking noise, and knew I had picked up something in the tire or wheel area. I slowed down, and pushed the DIC over to monitor pressures - all at nominal, no messages. Since I was crossing a long bridge with lots of following traffic and no workable shoulder, I reduced speed to 50, turned on the hazard flashers, and looked for a chance to safely pull over with enough shoulder -- about 1/8th mile ahead.
Once stopped, as I sat with motor idling, I checked the DIC again, and all four pressures still indicated 34 psi. Finally, just as I am ready to turn off motor, the message pops up: low pressure alert, left rear tire flat, speed reduced to 55 MPH. After a quick roadside inspection, I could not see what caused the flat.
I used my cell to try to locate nearest Goodyear dealer. The Goodyear EMT warranty brochure gives an 800 number, but it is automated and expects you to enter your phone number.Since I don't live in Tallahassee, no help there, and no way to get a live voice to help me through Goodyear! I then called the 1800 Chev roadside number, explained I didn't need assistance except to find a local tire dealer who can fix me up. She gave me two Goodyear numbers. I called both, only one had the right equipment.
I reset the odometer to record total miles driven on flat, and it took 14.7 miles to get there, at 20-50 MPH. I guess it's nice to be able to move, but it is a squirmy, unsettling ride when flat, even at 30-40 MPH!
The Goodyear guy told me the hole was too large to patch (I agreed - big, big nail hole), and so he needed to get a tire - about an hour estimated. Long story short, once the guy found out this is fully covered (treadwear and age were within parameters), he gave me a HUGE hassle and a bunch of grief about how he didn't have to honor the warrranty, and Goodyear always puts the screws to him, and his store is really an independent business...
I just wanted to get the car fixed, but I explained that I was on the road, far from home, that I was not trying to get anything other than what was promised in writing, and that he could bill me if needed, and I would pursue with Goodyear... The tire arrived from a local warehouse about 1/2 hour after I got to his store.
To make a long story shorter, after FIVE HOURS (11:30 AM until 4:40 PM) of sitting on my butt, with the new tire and my wheel just sitting there, I finally got back in the saddle. I could have sworn I heard him tell the ONE tech that was actually working, 'he gets out at closing'. And, sure enough, I was the last car out, even though other jobs were clearly non-emergency and did not have anyone waiting for on them, or even picking up that day.
The moral of the story is that in the old days, I would have changed the tire myself roadside, and not shot a whole holiday travel day waiting for someone to burn out his unfocused anger on me. I do NOT like dependence on these tires. They take special equipment to mount. The warranty is going to only last a couple thousand miles until proration begins and YOU have to pay mount, balance, etc., whenever something happens.
If you get a flat in the boonies (which is where I spent most of my trip) you might be able to still move, but getting a repair or a new tire could be dicey. It's a shame they could not have engineered in a donut mounted under the trunk (at least as an option for us old-timers, since I know people are weight crazy about the 'vette).
We could have then had cheaper, better, lighter tires, that would have ofset any added weight the spare adds, IMHO.
I put about 1500 miles on it just tooling up out of Florida into Georgia and Alabama for some rest and relaxation from the Miami life. Nice up there!
On my way back, while traveling I-10 coming into Tallahassee (one of the few times I hit an interstate during this trip), I suddenly heard a loud cyclic clicking noise, and knew I had picked up something in the tire or wheel area. I slowed down, and pushed the DIC over to monitor pressures - all at nominal, no messages. Since I was crossing a long bridge with lots of following traffic and no workable shoulder, I reduced speed to 50, turned on the hazard flashers, and looked for a chance to safely pull over with enough shoulder -- about 1/8th mile ahead.
Once stopped, as I sat with motor idling, I checked the DIC again, and all four pressures still indicated 34 psi. Finally, just as I am ready to turn off motor, the message pops up: low pressure alert, left rear tire flat, speed reduced to 55 MPH. After a quick roadside inspection, I could not see what caused the flat.
I used my cell to try to locate nearest Goodyear dealer. The Goodyear EMT warranty brochure gives an 800 number, but it is automated and expects you to enter your phone number.Since I don't live in Tallahassee, no help there, and no way to get a live voice to help me through Goodyear! I then called the 1800 Chev roadside number, explained I didn't need assistance except to find a local tire dealer who can fix me up. She gave me two Goodyear numbers. I called both, only one had the right equipment.
I reset the odometer to record total miles driven on flat, and it took 14.7 miles to get there, at 20-50 MPH. I guess it's nice to be able to move, but it is a squirmy, unsettling ride when flat, even at 30-40 MPH!
The Goodyear guy told me the hole was too large to patch (I agreed - big, big nail hole), and so he needed to get a tire - about an hour estimated. Long story short, once the guy found out this is fully covered (treadwear and age were within parameters), he gave me a HUGE hassle and a bunch of grief about how he didn't have to honor the warrranty, and Goodyear always puts the screws to him, and his store is really an independent business...
I just wanted to get the car fixed, but I explained that I was on the road, far from home, that I was not trying to get anything other than what was promised in writing, and that he could bill me if needed, and I would pursue with Goodyear... The tire arrived from a local warehouse about 1/2 hour after I got to his store.
To make a long story shorter, after FIVE HOURS (11:30 AM until 4:40 PM) of sitting on my butt, with the new tire and my wheel just sitting there, I finally got back in the saddle. I could have sworn I heard him tell the ONE tech that was actually working, 'he gets out at closing'. And, sure enough, I was the last car out, even though other jobs were clearly non-emergency and did not have anyone waiting for on them, or even picking up that day.
The moral of the story is that in the old days, I would have changed the tire myself roadside, and not shot a whole holiday travel day waiting for someone to burn out his unfocused anger on me. I do NOT like dependence on these tires. They take special equipment to mount. The warranty is going to only last a couple thousand miles until proration begins and YOU have to pay mount, balance, etc., whenever something happens.
If you get a flat in the boonies (which is where I spent most of my trip) you might be able to still move, but getting a repair or a new tire could be dicey. It's a shame they could not have engineered in a donut mounted under the trunk (at least as an option for us old-timers, since I know people are weight crazy about the 'vette).
We could have then had cheaper, better, lighter tires, that would have ofset any added weight the spare adds, IMHO.
