Does anyone know what the useful service life is for the inflater bottle that comes with the spare tire? My car was built in late '88, and I don't think the bottle's ever been used. Do they lose their charge like fire extinguishers? If so, how can I get a replacement bottle without having to buy a spare tire to go with it? Come to think of it, does anyone think the tire might be dry rotted and need replacement also?

Thanks!

 

As Long As The Inflator Valve Was Sealed And Had No Leaks,It Will Probably Out Last The Car.

 

Cool…how about the tire?

 

The tire should be ok if it wasn't stored outside. You can inflate it with a compressor and deflate it again to check it.

 

Don't know if they still do it, but could get them checked/refilled at Chevy dealerships in the past. You might also check around at places that handle commercial bottled gas and fire extinguishers. It's just CO2 in there, if they have the right fittings, they should ne able to refill it if needed.

 

Good point! AFAIK, the tire had been stored in the trunk the whole time the first owner had it. When I checked inside the storage area, it looked to me like it had never been removed.
I was thinking about going to a Chevy dealer to have them check the canister. It's a GM part, so they should be able to help. Knowing dealers, they'll try to sell me a new one anyway.

 

Good luck! I stopped by a Chevy dealer, but they had gotten rid of their CO2 machine about 15 years ago. Discount Tire had never even seen something like this before. They did think the deflated spare tire was rather cool when they aired it up for me.

I tried a paintball place. But their adapter was the wrong size for the bottle.

In their time, the CO2 bottle was a great idea. Because it's exactly what's needed to fill up the spare tire. No more. No less.

 

So you used your canister and then went to Chevy for a refill?

Not that it matters anymore, since I keep an air compressor that runs off my cigarette lighter in the car. It looks like just a regular valve on the tire, so there shouldn't be any issues.

 

I used my CO2 bottle in 2007 and have yet to find anybody that can fill it. I keep a portable power pack in the trunk area in case I need a tire aired up or a battery boost.

Chevy dealership couldn't help me. I should ask the fire department if they have any way of re-filling it.

 

There are quite a few canisters available on eBay, but the only ones I've seen are in "used" condition. To be honest, my major concern was staying completely original, but I'd rather count on a compressor that I know works than trying to replace a 24 year old CO2 bottle with one I wouldn't be completely comfortable with.

My real concern is the tire, which I can inflate in a day or two to test. Then I'll go from there.

 

You could weld a small bung to the canister to get a schrader in there to make getting it filled easier, or find a local small machine shop and have them make you an adapter to thread into it for filling.

 

My spare, jack and inflator bottle have never been removed from my 84.
No idea if the bottle is any good.
I just carry a can of fix o flat just in case......................

 

You'll be quite surprised to watch it inflate. It will seem like it's going to pop right off the front of the wheel when you inflate it. And then at the very last second, it sucks itself back to where it should.

 

Probably not a bad idea...
Thanks for the heads up; I would've freaked!

 

One of the first things I did when I bought my used, 18 month old IROC was purchase a portable air compressor. I never trusted myself with using that can of C02. I figured on a dark and lonely highway, it's a one shot deal. There were no cell phones back in 1989.

The second thing I did was make sure the compressor I purchased would fill up the tire before the sun came up.

So far, I've never had to use either the spare or the compressor. Hmmm....I wonder if the compressor still works?

 

I got mine at Wal-Mart for about $15 - $20 in case yours doesn't work anymore. There are more powerful (expensive) ones, but the one I got is just fine for the size of the spare tire. I've used it to fill my tires back up after a cold night. It works pretty well.

 

I have several canisters, I was waiting to see if I could find a place to refill them, but if I can't find one, I'm going to test one soon. I'll take vid, maybe Sunday.

 

Be Sure To Wear A Pair Of Gloves Those Things Get Cold As Hell In Seconds.

 

I would check your spare anyway. When I inflated mine it was lopsided and could not be fixed.

 

It's on my short to-do list...ahead of the honey-do's