Flat tire: what to do, problem solving and professional advice

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Every motorist knows that a flat tire in a car is a rather unpleasant, and in some cases even a problematic situation that requires an early solution to restore the car's performance. Today we will discuss in detail issues related to a tire puncture, find out what causes this problem, as well as how to solve and prevent it.

Tubular or tubeless tires?

Most modern cars are equipped with tubeless tires. In the event of a puncture, unlike tube tires, they allow you to maintain pressure in the wheel for some time, which is very important from a safety point of view. There are situations when the owner of tubeless wheels drives with a nail in the tire for several months before the puncture makes itself felt. Of course, we are not talking about significant damage. In turn, the chamber wheel immediately descends during a puncture. Just imagine what it can be fraught with at speed. Therefore, experts strongly advise anyone who still has tube tires to refuse them.

Why does the tire go flat

Seeing (or feeling) that your favorite car is skewed due to breaking throughtire, every driver is in a hurry to find the source of this problem. Top reasons for a flat tire:

1. The most common option is a tire puncture. This happens, as a rule, due to a collision with a nail, wire and other small metal objects. If a tubeless tire deflates due to a puncture, you can often drive to the nearest service station with periodic pumping, and sometimes even without them.
2. Another fairly common problem is a cut wheel. If the puncture in most cases falls on the tire tread, then the cuts are also lateral. A cut on the running part (tread) is rare, as it consists of a rather thick and dense layer of rubber. Much more often this problem occurs on the side of the tire, which is much thinner. This happens when in contact with sharp objects. These can be the edges of the track, curbs (from which metal fittings often stick out) and other ledges. If the cut does not reach the court, then the wheel usually does not go flat. But if the rubber is cut deep, then you will know about it much faster than about a puncture, since the cut surface is larger. Unfortunately, if this problem happened on the side of the wheel and caused serious damage to the rubber, then it most likely cannot be fixed.
3. Sometimes a wheel will go flat due to disk deformation, which leads to depressurization of the place where the tire is adjacent to it. The disc can be damaged either due to poor road surface or due to the inexperience of the driver (hitting the disc on the curb during parallel parking and other oversights). Disc straighteninghelps to solve this problem without harming the tire itself.
4. Depressurization of the spool or nipple (valve) is another reason why the wheel often flattens. This happens either due to mechanical impact on these elements or due to their inaccurate installation. The second reason is more common, since it is quite difficult to hit the nipple with the spool, because it “hides” behind the disc. By the way, spools come in long and short designs. The first option, as practice shows, is more reliable.

How to determine the location of damage

Sometimes it is quite difficult to find out why a tire is flat. And even experts are sometimes confused when they see that the tire is visually intact, but it does not hold air. There are at least several solutions to this problem. To begin with, try pumping the wheel to 1-1.5 atmospheres and listen to where the air comes out. If it does not work, moisten it with soapy water and find the place where air bubbles appear. If that doesn't work, dip the wheel completely into the water. It happens that the removed wheel holds air, and if you install it on a car, it lets it through. In this case, you need to disassemble it and run a rag over the inner surface of the tire. If there is at least a small protruding object in the wheel, the rag will definitely catch.

What does running on a flat tire lead to

We have already found out how much the tire flattens in time, and as you understand, this time can be completely different. If the wheel is pierced by a nail or some othersmall object, it is quite possible that it will hold pressure for some time. On such a wheel, you can easily get to the tire shop. You need to drive carefully. On the road, it is advisable to periodically inspect the wheel and, if necessary, pump it up. The pump, or rather the compressor, should always be in the trunk!

But what if the tire is completely flat and pumping does not help? Can you drive on a flat tire? Theoretically, of course, it is possible, but such a ride has some unpleasant moments. First, the trip will be extremely uncomfortable. And secondly, both the tire and the disk will most likely become unusable.

Tire repair with harness

In addition to the means for pumping wheels, it is advisable to put a tire repair kit in the trunk of a car. It will save you in case of a puncture. With such a “first aid kit for tires” and the proper skills, it will take less than half an hour to repair the wheel. The set consists of the following elements:

1. Awl with a cut eye.
2. Awl in the form of a spiral.
3. Special harness.
4. Glue.

The repair operation is performed in the following sequence:

1. The wheel is pumped up and the place of the puncture is determined. It is necessary to inflate the wheel not only in order to identify the problem area, but also for the convenience of repair.
2. Now you need to carefully screw the spiral awl into the hole. It is necessary to develop a hole and prepare it for a tourniquet. To widen the holeyou need to insert and remove the awl several times.
3. When the hole is ready, an awl with an eye is taken. A tourniquet up to 4 cm long is inserted into the ear so that the awl is in its middle.
4. The awl with the tourniquet is carefully inserted into the hole until you feel that the bend of the tourniquet has reached the inner edge of the tire.
5. It remains only to sharply pull out the tool and cut off the extra pieces of the tourniquet.

When the front wheel is punctured, it is possible to carry out such repairs without removing it. Just turn the steering wheel to the side and open access to the tire. But if the rear wheel is flat, it still has to be removed. If after this operation the wheel holds pressure, you can safely drive to the service station on it. However, to be honest, most drivers drive such a wheel for several years and do not know any problems. A similar procedure can be done at a tire shop if the driver does not have time for a more reliable repair.

Tire repair with spray

This is an alternative wheel repair option. A special spray is sprayed inside the tire. Due to the pressure created in the can, the liquid is evenly distributed over the inner surface, filling the hole and creating an airtight layer. If any foreign object sticks out in the wheel, it must be removed before applying this composition. After splashing the sealant into the wheel, pump up the latter, and if everything is in order, you can go to the service station. Remember that the spray only solves the problem temporarily, and if notmake more substantial repairs, soon you will notice that the tire is flat again.

What to do to prevent the problem

Any problem is much easier to prevent than to fix. As mentioned above, in most cases, a modern tubeless tire is pierced by a sharp object and does not immediately begin to descend. So that the active phase of this very descent does not take place on the road, when a protruding nail, for example, catches on something, you need to inspect the tires daily and measure the pressure in them at least once a week.

In order not to puncture the wheel, try to avoid dangerous areas (construction, old tram tracks, heavily broken road, and so on). If it happens that you notice an obstacle, but you no longer have time to go around it, you should not turn sharply. The center of the wheel is much thicker and denser than the side, so it's best to drive straight into the obstacle.

What should be in the trunk

Be sure to bring your pump and repair kit! The wheel can flatten at the most inopportune moment, so it's best to be prepared for this. The spare wheel, of course, has not been canceled either. If it so happens that you don’t have a spare wheel or tools, a simple self-tapping screw will come to the rescue. It must be screwed tightly into the puncture site. With a self-tapping screw, most likely, it will be possible to get to the tire fitting. You can always find a self-tapping screw in a car, most importantly, do not forget to return it to its place later. Thus, the minimum tool you need to repair a wheel after a puncture is a screwdriver. Butbetter not to mess with such methods.

The above tips for quick self-repair of the wheel are relevant only in the event of a puncture. With a cut and other problems, only a spare wheel can be a salvation. In the garage, you can already try to seal the tire with special patches, similar to those used when flattening a tire on a bicycle or motorcycle, but it is better to turn to professionals.

How to keep a car on the road in case of a sudden penetration

There are times when on the road for no reason a flat tire. What to do to safely stop the car? Let's take a look at it step by step:

1. First of all, it is worth noting a simple fact - the slower the car goes, the more likely it is that its passengers will remain unharmed during a sharp descent of the wheel. Therefore, breaking the speed limit, remember this.
2. If the wheel flattens sharply (you will certainly feel it), do not rush to press the brake to the floor. The subconscious in any emergency will make you slow down, but this is the worst thing you can do in this case. If you slow down, the car will drive even harder.
3. If you have cruise control on, turn it off as soon as possible.
4. Do everything to keep the car on a straight line. If it leads to the side, turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction. But don't overdo it or you'll get the opposite effect.
5. Let the car drive itself to the stop. The car will brake itself due to a flat tire. You can help her with light pressure on the brake. Best in thiscase of braking by the transmission. If there is no curb nearby, do not stop on the road, it is better to drive some distance on the drive. Don't forget to turn on the alarm so other members know about your problem and be careful.

Conclusion

Today we figured out why a flat tire is usually on a car, how to solve this problem and how to partially prevent it. Don't forget that:

1. Tubeless tires are safer than tubed tires.
2. There should always be the right tool in the trunk.
3. Checking the car and checking the pressure in the tires will partially save you from surprises on the road.
4. If your tire suddenly goes flat, stay sane.