Flat tire: What to do if the tire is flat?
Most drivers have experienced a flat tire. The notorious flat tire can be a real shock. Especially if you don’t know exactly how to deal with the unfortunate situation. Unfortunately, punctures are often difficult to avoid. But once it has happened, you can avoid additional damage by driving correctly. Hamilton towing tips and tricks will also show you what to do immediately after a puncture.
The puncture is about to occur: Pay attention to these signs
If one of your tyres has been damaged by a sharp object (glass, metal), it is not suddenly flat. It loses air slowly, often for several minutes. The changed air pressure is noticeable. Driving noises of the car change, the steering becomes spongy and inaccurate. If you notice such signs, slow down slowly and pull over to the right – it’s definitely a puncture.
The tyre bursts: Keep calm and in control now
Of course, tyres can burst after damage and under high loads. Now you should stay calm, because this is the most extreme form of puncture. Despite a failed tyre, your vehicle will remain relatively stable. It is important not to oversteer now and to react with strong steering movements. This is what causes most accidents when a tyre bursts.
At the roadside: first secure the vehicle
If you bring your vehicle to a stop on the side of the road, get out carefully and secure it first. Switch on your hazard lights and signal your puncture. Position the warning triangle approximately 100 metres behind the car.
Reaching the rest area at walking pace
Of course, it is safer to stay in a rest area instead of on the side strip until the puncture has been repaired. If there is a safe car park or a petrol station in the immediate vicinity, you can continue at walking pace until you reach it.
If the tyre is flat in any case and you have to use the spare tyre, carry out the following steps for this puncture first:
Engage gear
Switch off motor
Apply handbrake
Loosen wheel nuts
jack up the car with a jack (at reinforced points on the underbody)
Replace wheel
Tighten the nuts with a torque wrench before and after setting down the carriage.
Drive carefully with spare wheel
The air pressure of the spare tyre is usually too low. You should therefore drive slowly and carefully. The tight fit of the nuts should also be checked again after a few kilometres. You should not drive more than 50 kilometres with the spare tyre. It is only intended for this emergency.
How to prevent a puncture
Damage to the tyre caused by sharp objects is difficult to avoid. However, with a proactive driving style, some causes can be avoided in good time. Other damage can also lead to punctures later on. For example, cornering the kerb. But even too low a tyre pressure can damage the tyre in the long run and have drastic consequences such as the tread becoming detached.
In the event of a puncture: Find a reliable workshop near you
At autoreparaturen.de you are guaranteed to find a reliable workshop near you! No matter if puncture, inspection or other repairs on your car.
Flat tyre – What to do? Tips on how to behave
“The tire’s flat!” If a driver detects this, the tyre must be changed promptly. Depending on the damage, even smaller distances can be driven, but the danger is clear: the less air there is in the tyres, the more difficult it is to drive the car correctly.
Only a puncture could be worse than a flat car tyre. Not only the loud noise makes one or the other shudder. From now on, the vehicle is difficult to control.
In this guide you will learn how to proceed in the event of a puncture, for example when the tyre has burst, and how to change a car tyre.
Flat tyre? These are the causes
A puncture can have many causes. For example, a nail in a car tire can slowly let the air escape. Even tiny cracks are enough for the air to gradually escape. This in particular is treacherous, as these damages are often not detectable. Once the tyre on the car is flat, the vehicle can only be moved with difficulty – under certain circumstances you may be left with a puncture.