... until we found the magnetic attraction causing the disturbance. There was a rusty nail buried in the right/rear tire. Of course, southwest meant right/rear. Now it all makes sense - - well, everything except for the fact that our Compass doesn't actually have a compass.
While the rest of this blog might be stretching reality a bit thin, the nail was real - - and almost the size of the Compass key. It was lodged head-first into the tire and so far through the tread that the tip was barely visible. The only giveaway that we had a problem was an awful ride and the 15 psi of air missing when we checked the pressure.
We filled the tire with a portable compressor to confirm it would hold air and drove it to Stokes Tire Pros around the corner from our Santa Monica office. It was a quick visit to Stokes (30 minutes) and we left there with a patch on the tire for a mere $20.
Mike Schmidt, Vehicle Testing Assistant
thebigal says:
09:30 PM, 10/11/06
ouch... 20 bucks for a flat repair?? I know a lot of shops around where I live that will do it for less than 10.... for me 20 bucks seems like a lot.
spargo says:
11:30 AM, 10/12/06
Everything is apparently expensive at the HQ, keep eyes peeled for their 40-100 dollar oil changes.
-Spargo
desmolicious says:
01:18 PM, 10/12/06
It was $250 for their Solstice