Flat tire in the car - how to fix the breakdown?

What to do if you have a punctured tire? The easiest way is to jack up the car and replace the faulty wheel with a spare one. Of course, you must have them with you. Other drivers (especially small cars) carry a repair kit with them to get to the nearest tire repair shop with a punctured tire. However, did you know that not every flat tire needs to be replaced? Sometimes it can be fixed and fixed. Check what kind of damage and when you will not need to replace the tire with a new one.

A hole in a tire, or a few words about the types of damage

What problems can be encountered when using car tires? The most common faults include:

• puncture;
• bulge (bulging "balloon");
• pinch;
• abrasion;
• deepening;
• teeth.

Not all of the above problems are so serious as to require replacement tires. However, sometimes a tire does not even need to be pierced in order to be able to be replaced.

Tire repair - when is it possible?

This applies to all cases where the tires have been punctured. This type of puncture occurs when you run into a very sharp and small object, such as a nail. You won't notice a significant drop in air pressure at any given time (unless you remove the nail from the tire), but it will drop gradually. In such cases, you do not have to worry about replacing with a new one. A punctured tire can be patched at the vulcanization workshop. How much it costs to glue a tire, of course, often depends on the severity of the defect.

Also Check: RunFlat Tires

Hole in a tire caused by a bulge

We don't have good news. A protruding balloon or bladder (if you prefer) is absolutely fine for changing tires. Why is this necessary if the tire does not deflate? The tire carcass is to blame, i.e. its interior. A bulge indicates permanent damage to this element. Driving with such a punctured tire may cause the tire to rupture when hitting a small obstacle or at higher speeds. In addition, unbearable bangs will not allow you to comfortably travel by car.

Tire tread wear - what to do?

Serration consists in sharpening individual fragments of the tread. Such a protector may resemble the teeth of a saw chain. Why does this error occur? The reason is the uneven wear of the surface of the tire. This can be avoided by swapping tires. All you need to do is to change their location on a given axis in each subsequent season. As a result of the toothed tread, a hole in the tire is unlikely to appear, but the noise level will increase markedly.

Tire damage on the side, i.e. profile violation

In this case, several types of malfunction should be distinguished:

• convex;
• deepening;
• abrasion;
• pinch

A bubble has appeared on the tire profile - what's next?

Here, as in the case of damage to the tread by a protruding cylinder, replacement will be required. Although it is not yet a flat tire, the visible protrusion on the side proves that it has been severely damaged. Such tires may suddenly burst under greater load or collapse even during pumping.

Tire sidewall pinching

What does the term "pinch" mean? We are talking about a slight loss of rubber continuity, but without a clear puncture and pressure drop. You can still ride on these tires. How does the problem occur? Most often this happens when the tire profile hits the curb. Sudden contact with it causes a rupture or rupture of a tire fragment. Such a crack in the side of the tire will cause the vulcanizer to simply seal up the protruding fragment if it does not find serious damage to the tire structure.

Abrasion of the tire profile in the wheel

In this case, it will not even be necessary to repair a side-damaged tire. Abrasion causes visible marks on the profile, but in most cases does not affect the internal structure of the tire. Therefore, if you notice such a problem, do not treat it as a serious malfunction. There is nothing wrong with a tire.

The dimple is visible on the sidewall of the tire

You may notice dimples or other disturbing distortions in the profile. If this is not accompanied by any scuffs or loss of rubber, then you can not worry too much about this. This is not a flat tire and does not indicate a breakdown. Rather, it should be considered a manufacturing defect.

Repair of a punctured tire - the cost of the service

The suitability of tires for repair is evaluated by the vulcanizer. Not every punctured tire can be repaired, but many can. Also remember that the total cost should include disassembly, balancing and reassembly at the hub. How much does it cost to seal a tire in case of a puncture? Depending on where you live, you will pay between 50 and 7 euros per piece. Therefore, these are not extreme costs and will certainly be lower than buying and installing a new tire.

Which tire can be considered damaged?

Two more factors affect tire quality:

• age;
• the ability to balance.

What tire is considered old? As a general rule, you should not drive on tires that are more than 10 years old. You can check this by looking for a four-digit designation in the profile, for example, 4 35 (20 week 35). Usually, traces of aged rubber are visible on the old product in the form of small pits, cracks and scratches, the tread is also not very elastic.

Tire not suitable for balancing

Sometimes, despite the best intentions, the vulcanizer will not be able to balance the wheel. Maybe just tires. If it is a new product, you must definitely return it for a claim. If the tires have already outlived their resource, then this basically means hidden mechanical defects resulting from the operation of the vehicle. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about it and you will have to replace it.

Hole in the tire and what's next?

If you accidentally have a flat tire on the road, you can replace the wheel. To do this, you will need a jack, adjustable wrench and, of course, a spare tire. Loosen all pins and then lift the vehicle from the side of the damaged wheel. When it is no longer in contact with the ground, unscrew all the pins and remove them from the hub. Now it's time to put the spare tire in and pre-tighten it. By lowering the jack, you can tighten the wheel.

What to do so that there are no holes in the tires? Do not run over curbs or drive into potholes at high speed. Also remember that lower profile tires are more likely to be damaged by pinched rims. A flat tire is a problem, but it can be dealt with quickly by changing the spare tire. Sometimes you can also repair tires if the defect is not serious.