One of the most common faults that people experience with their vehicle will be a flat tyre.
Whether you wake in the morning to find your tyre has deflated overnight or you’re in mid-journey and you get a puncture, the chances are that at some point this is going to happen to you.
A puncture in itself is a pretty simple and cheap issue to resolve when compared with most other complications you can have with a car, however, it can be pretty stressful if you’re not experienced in how to deal with the situation.
You can also pretty much guarantee that these things happen when you simply have no time to spare!
You could be on your way to an important meeting, dropping the kids at school or heading on holiday.
There is never a good time to get a puncture.
In an ideal world, your puncture will be a slow one which you notice and have time to put right.
In the worst-case scenarios, punctures can happen suddenly and result in what’s known as a blowout.
These can be dangerous, especially if you’re driving at speed on a busy road, such as a motorway.
Knowing what to do when you get a puncture in a tyre is pretty important.
Everybody will be different in terms of what they are prepared to take on as well.
You may be confident to get your jack out of the boot and change your wheel to a spare one at the roadside, or you may be a little more inclined to call for back-up.
Either way, you’re going to need to know how to deal with each scenario.
Our guide is designed to walk you through what your next steps should be.
We will give you two step-by-step guides; one for what you should do if your tyre blows while you’re driving and the second is a simple plan of how to change your tyre should you need to.
We’ve set the guide out in the usual way, making it nice and easy to follow:
Dealing With A Blowout:
If your vehicle suffers a blown-out tyre while you’re driving, it’s going to be particularly scary for a few seconds.
It can also be dangerous if you’re driving at high speed or on a road which has heavy traffic.
Here’s is what you should do in such a scenario:
Changing A Tyre:
If you’re confident enough to change the flat tyre yourself, use the following step-by-step guide.
You will need a jack, a wrench, locking wheel nut if your car requires them and of course your spare wheel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej1XUAfOrEg
Changing a tyre is thankfully pretty straight forward and something that most people will be able to manage.
The first time you do it will be a little stressful but it’s a common task that most people will have to do at some point.
To ensure you are making it the easiest it can be for yourself, plus making it safe, you can follow these hints and tips.
Many cars are no longer supplied with spare wheels.
Instead, there will probably be a temporary use ‘skinny spare’ which is limited by speed and is strictly for short-term use.
Some cars now do not even carry those but instead have a temporary inflation kit that can offer a short-term repair to the wheel in order to get you off the road and to a garage.
Familiarise yourself with what option your car has and know where to find it and how to access it.
Also, spare wheels can become rusted in position within the boot so it’s useful to try and free these up and move them frequently so that they are easy to access when required.
There are many car faults and breakdowns that can be worrying and expensive to fix and also render your car useless until they are done.
A puncture or tyre blowout doesn’t always have to be one of them.
Familiarise yourself with this guide, including the video demonstration, so that you’re prepared for action should you ever need to change a wheel.
It happens much more commonly than you may think, so even if it doesn’t happen to your own car, the chances are that it will to a friend or family member.