Fixing a flat tire

How to fix a flat tire

There’s no escaping it: at some point you will probably have a flat tire.

If you’re not confident of fixing it yourself, don’t forget you can always ask an expert for advice. Take a look at our dealer locator to find a tire specialist near you.

Try these tips, instructions and tools to help you fix the tire with the minimum of fuss. 

 

Why is repairing a tire important?

If you're driving on a tire that continuously loses air or has a puncture, it’s very important to get it inspected immediately by an expert – not only for your safety, but also because driving on a flat tire for even a short distance can ruin it.

A tire specialist will tell you if your tire needs replacing or can be repaired.

Your local tire garage may be able to:

  • Repair punctures in the tread. Most punctures, nail holes or cuts up to 0.64cm can be repaired if the damage is confined to the tread.
  • Prevent further tire damage
  • Maintain tire air pressure at manufacturer recommended levels

However, there are some things that you simply can’t repair. In these cases, you’ll need to buy new tires.

 

How to find the hole in your tire

Noticing a continuous loss of air pressure? You’ll need to find where the leak is before you can fix it.

  • Check for a screw, nail or other kinds of debris sticking out of the tire. If not, finding the source of the leak can be a little bit difficult - but we have a trick that will help make this easy.
  • Fill a squirty bottle with a vegetable base soap and water solution or tire manufacturer approved leak detector liquid.
  • Inflate the tire and then spray the entire tire with your bottle full of cleaner.
  • Watch out for a small volcano-like eruption of bubbles right where your puncture lies as the cleaner runs down the tread of the tire.

Now that you've found the hole in your tire, we recommend getting a qualified professional to inspect the tire repair if it’s possible. Take a look at our dealer locator to find a tire specialist near you.

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