Tire Compressor / Adding a Jack + Tire Plug Kit

Mopar video ~ Tire Service Kit

Last week, I met a Miata owner and observed that he was lugging around a rather large 12-volt compressor in his trunk.  I asked him why, when the car already comes with one in the Tire Service Kit.  He stated that the manual shows the kit’s compressor hooked up with the sealant bottle in-line, and he wanted a compressor for just adding air, since his TPMS light keeps activating.  I think I was finally able to convince him:

• that for those of us that do not have actual TPMS sensors, false alarms are quite common during spirited drives
• that the factory supplied compressor can also be directly attached to the tire valve stem without the sealant bottle in between

As proof that the compressor can be used for tire inflation, the Mopar instructional video recommends checking the pressure using the compressor’s built-in gauge (as shown in the photo above), by attaching the compressor directly to the valve stem, approximately 10 minutes after filling the tire with sealant and spreading the sealant throughout the interior of the tire by driving 40 – 50 mph.  If the gauge indicates that the pressure has fallen below 29 psi, use the compressor to bring the pressure back up, which hopefully provides you enough time to proceed to a tire servicing location.

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Adding a Tire Plug Kit

Please understand that the sealant bottle (good for a single application) should only be used as a last resort if a puncture leak is suspected, and that you might consider purchasing a tire plug kit that can be slipped into your Tire Service Kit as a preferred alternative to the sealant.  Plugs can serve as a semi-permanent fix to a “clean” puncture (such as a nail), vs. the sealant repair, which should not be counted on for more than a day or two.  Many experts advise having a patch adhered to the interior wall of the tire at the location of the plugged tire puncture, especially for those of us without a spare tire to serve as a backup, but if you choose to do so, at least it can wait for a convenient time and place.

Be aware that you should address an abnormal tire condition ASAP, rather than driving on, so that you won’t unseat the tire from the wheel rim.  As long as you didn’t have a blowout*, not only will the quick reaction help you avoid destroying the tire and the rim, but it will also allow you to re-inflate the tire with the compressor, which will be highly unlikely after the tire breaks away from the rim.

[ADDED 5/21/2021]
*   Rusty Ingerson had a sidewall blowout today, and his tire plug kit and compressor got him home!  Ingenious.  He must have stopped the vehicle immediately afterwards.  I’m sure that the Sealant would have been useless for him today.

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Adding a jack

By now, you’ve probably figured out that a tire service kit is provided in the trunk in lieu of a spare tire, but did you know that the jack that you may be expecting to find in the trunk someday, is not provided?   I’m not saying that you need a jack, but if some kind stranger might take you and your wheel into town, so that you can have your tire repaired/replaced, that can’t happen if you can’t lift the wheel up, can it?

There is a spot behind the trim panel cover {2} on the right side of the trunk, fitted for mounting an OEM scissor jack, but make sure the one you procure comes with a mounting bolt (either a wing bolt or a T-bolt) {3} needed to mount and hold it safely and firmly in place (and so that it doesn’t rattle).

To install the jack:

• Remove cover by pulling on indentation {1}
• Retract jack fully by turning jack screw {4} counter-clockwise until tight
• Drop the jack into place so that it is sitting properly in the bracket holding tabs, align such that the mounting bolt {3} can be inserted in the slot of the jack pad and then, into the dedicated weld nut
• Turn mounting bolt clockwise until tight
• Reinstall cover

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My Story

I find comfort knowing that a jack is present, and so I purchased a used jack from a 2008 Mazda CX-7 on eBay, that came with it’s own tray (that I recycled).  Had I known that just because it was a Mazda OE jack, they aren’t all alike (nor is the mounting hardware), I would have spent a few extra dollars and just ordered the jack setup from Deyene Racing*. Although the end result was fine, here were my notes:

• as expected, the lug wrench and jack handle are common to the MX-5 unit, but the jack was a little larger (made for a heavier vehicle), as was the M10 wing bolt, which is too large to mate with the vehicle’s M8 x 1.25 weld nut.  If you find that your mounting bolt {3}  is missing, or not the proper size, consider procuring a M8 x 1.25, 60 mm wing bolt to fasten the jack properly in the 124 Spider, as an alternative to trying to locate the official Mazda part # B00156170C.  Since Home Depot didn’t have any metric wing bolts, I sorted through their inventory and produced my own using a M8 x 1.25, 80 mm Phillips pan-head bolt, a M8 x 1.25 wing nut and a M8 x 1.25 regular nut.  Total cost for all stainless steel hardware = $2.34!  Oh, and I had to bend the bracket holding tabs out a smidge, to accommodate the larger jack, but that was easy with the proper pliers.
• the 2 tie-down/tow hooks that were included, are both short (too short for the front).  I’ll see if they’ll work on my Jeep, but for the 124 Spider, you are better off just keeping the long tow hook that should have come with your vehicle, as that will work in either the front or rear.

but it works for the rear too

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*     Deyeme Racing sells a complete kit that includes the correct original equipment scissor jack and lug wrench, along with the correct M8 x 1.25 stainless steel mounting bolt fitted with a high-visibility yellow handle.

click photo to enter Deyeme Racing website; their jack is shown installed