Well, actually it was a piece of metal that pierced my right rear tire.

Walked into the garage this morning to see my three week old new Michelin tire flat as a pancake.  ARRGGGHHHH!  My initial thoughts were that the tire had been installed improperly by the dealer.  A quick peak around the tire and I spotted what looked like a nail stuck squarely into the tire in the center of the tread.  Crap.  If you follow this blog you may recall I got screwed in December 2016, almost exactly a year ago.

I followed my own blog posts for Single Point Jacking and Removing a Road Wheel and bummed a ride from my neighbor Rob with my flat down to my local Les Schwab Tire Center (thanks Rob!).  I dropped it off for a patch, and in two hours it was ready for pickup.  The fee – FREE.  I’ve mentioned this before, the guys at Les Schwab do a great job looking after their customers.  Thanks Chris and the boys!

I followed my own blog posts for Torqueing the Wheel Nuts (I can’t remember the two torque settings) and double checked the tire pressures on all four corners (36psi up front, 38psi in the back, cold).   Back on the road again!

[Updated Dec 7, 2017]

There was a great comment left by John Armitage asking about if the puncture destroys the ‘Speed Rating’ of the tire (DB9 tires are ‘Y’ speed rated).   I wanted to find out so I started to Google it.   TireRack.com has this article specifically about it (click here to read it).

In it, they list that some manufacturers will maintain the Speed Rating as long as the tire is properly repaired using a combination plug/patch after being dismounted and inspected by a qualified technician.   My tires are Michelin’s, and are listed as ‘Maintained’ so the answer would be a ‘yes’ I guess.  I have reached out to Michelin directly for a reference (and will update the article when I learn more).  In the list you will see that many other manufacturers (including the OEM tires by Bridgestone) Void the speed rating as they have no control over the inspection or repair and opt to drop the rating.   What does this all mean?  If I was going to drive for hours at 185 mph I think I would just replace the tire.  Since I top out about 130 mph for a few seconds at a time once per year at an AMOC Track Day, I think I am just fine with it since Michelin is.

[Updated Dec 8, 2017]

Michelin has confirmed this, here is a the email thread:

Hello Steven,

Regarding your email stating:

————————————————————————–
I have new Y speed rated Michelin Pilot Sport tires. I got a
nail in the center of the tread. I have had it repaired with a patch/plug  at a Les Schwab tire center. My question is is the Y speed rating  maintained?

Please let me know, and if possible provide a link to this info
online (I searched your website and could not find an answer to this).
Thanks! Steve
————————————————————————–

The patch plug is the correct repair and yes it does maintain the Y speed rating.

We hope that your issue has been resolved or addressed to your satisfaction. If we can assist you further, please respond to this email or call us at 866-866-6605 (toll-free) between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. EST Monday through Saturday. Sunday 8:30am – 4:30pm chat only.

We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing Michelin.

Sincerely,
John
Consumer Care Department
Certified Michelin Product Expert