What to do if you get a flat tyre

Most drivers will get a flat tyre at some time, it can be caused by a number of reasons.... hitting a pothole or kerb, getting a foreign object stuck in the tyre, corrosion of the wheel rim itself or a leaking valve.

Hitting a Pothole or kerb often results in a cut or split in the tyre sidewall, and this cannot be repaired, air loss is almost instantaneous and you will be stuck at the side of the road.

Foreign objects, corrosion and valve leaks, can often be a slower type of puncture, and if caught early enough can be repaired, if you haven't driven too far on the flat tyre. As soon as you know you have a flat tyre, if safe to do so pull over to the side of the road. If you have a mini compressor (The type that plug into the cigarette lighter) you can inflate the tyre and get yourself home, where you can call out Hometyre to sort out the problem.

If you don't have a mini compressor or you have split the tyre and air won't stay in it, then you can either call out one of the breakdown services or If you have a spare wheel, you could fit that, or some cars now come with a can of tyre repair (follow the instructions on the can).

Should you be on a Motorway then call out the recovery service, emergency phones are located every few hundred yards, or use a mobile phone.

If you have a spare wheel and want to fit it, here are some tips on how to go about it.

1. Make sure your vehicle is on flat, hard, level ground. You don't want the jack sinking into the ground or slipping out from under the vehicle, causing further damage and possibly injuring yourself.

2. Check your vehicle manual to find out where the jack and wheel brace is located, also where the jacking points are. It will also tell you where your spare wheel is located and how to get it out. You should also check if you have locking wheel nuts, as to the location of the locknut socket, as without this, you will not get the lock nuts off.

3. Make sure your car won't move before you jack it up. With the engine off, put the car into either first or reverse gear or 'park'(if an Automatic), put the handbrake on, and if you have them put some chocks (a brick, rock, piece of wood) behind and in front of the wheel opposite the one you are changing.

4. Before jacking the car up, you need to loosen the wheel nuts slightly, this is because if the nuts are too tight, once the car is in the air, the wheel an often turn when you try to loosen the nuts. Place the wrench on each nut and turn it about half a turn, if tight you may need to put your foot on it and use our weight to turn the wrench.

5. Get your spare wheel out and check its pressure, use the mini compressor to top it up if required. With space saver wheels these are often pumped up to 60 psi, even though your other tyres may be around 30 psi, check your manual. Get the jack out and place it under your vehicle according to the manual next to the wheel you are going to change. Jacking points are usually under the sill, and are sometimes marked with an arrow head.

6. Jack the car up, by winding the handle until the wheel is clear. If at any point the vehicle starts to slip, or the jack starts to tilt over, wind it back down, re-level the jack and try again.

7. Using the brace, undo each nut and remove the punctured wheel.

8. You now need to put the spare wheel onto the hub, this is easier with cars that have nuts as the bolts stick out of the hub making it easier to locate them and hang the wheel while you put the nuts back on. Vehicles with bolts are slightly more difficult as you have to fit the wheel onto the small ledge of the hub and rotate the wheel to line up the holes before you can put the bolts back in.

9. Once on put all the nuts/bolts back on and tighten them up finger tight. Lower the car slowly till it is resting on the replaced wheel. You can now use the brace to tighten the nuts, use your foot to put a final bit of pressure, but don't jump up and down on the wrench as this would be too tight.

10. Put the jack, wrench and punctured wheel back into your boot, and remove any chocks from the other wheels. You should now be sae to continue your journey.

If driving on a space saver wheel, remember that these are generally limited to 50 mph as they are smaller and thinner than normal wheels. Also remember to get the punctured tyre fixed or replaced as soon as possible. If you are stuck at the side of the road or at home with a flat tyre, then give us a call at Hometyre, if we have a van in the vicinity we will be happy to come out and either fix the puncture, replace the tyre, or just fit the spare for you. Call us on 0333 444 5454