Driving is fun. You don’t need to know how to fix a car to enjoy driving it. However, fixing the tires is a thing that every individual, who drives a vehicle, must know. Road conditions in India are getting better day by day. This gives a free stretch of road to the drivers. High-speed driving, immense heat, and the unexpected appearance of poor road conditions can hurt the tires. Tire punctures are very frequent on highways. It is really helpful when you learn how to fix a car tire puncture. Here are some important steps one should follow while fixing a flat tire:
Finding the right spot to park
It is important to take care of safety while parking your car in a flat tire situation.
Some safety measures to follow:
- Try to park the car away from the turns and curves with a blind spot for upcoming vehicles.
- Park the car on a relatively flat surface.
- Find a shade to park the vehicle to let the engine cool down.
- Turn on the hazard lamps
- During the night, place reflective triangles at a distance of at least 5 to 10 meters away from the car.
Inflate the tire
The first step after getting the car to a halt is to inflate the flat tire. Even if the cut or puncture is big and visible to the naked eye, you must first inflate the tire. This will help in finding if there are any other punctures.
This is why keeping a tire inflator in your car is a must.
Water to detect the spot
If a spot is easily observable by the air expelled from the tire, then mark the spot with a matchstick or a prick.
Spill some water on the tire and carefully observe the bubbles appearing. The point with the bubbles is the spot to fix.
Mark the spot and proceed to the next step.
Taking out the penetrated object
If any object penetrates the tire, it should be removed immediately. Removing it will expel air with high pressure. Use a probe tool to block the hole. This will give the time window to prepare for the next step, which is fixing the damage.
Fixing the damage
- First of all, you should use gloves to avoid getting your hands dirty.
- Prepare the Reamer insertion tool by inserting the tire repair strip in the holding groove.
- Pull the probe tool out
- Immediately insert the Reamer tool to an extent where the repair strip is completely inside the tire.
- Now pull out the tool and stop where the repair strip is half out
- Make sure that the hole is completely sealed
- Cut out the excessive part of the strip
Post-fix preventive measures
- It is important to make sure that there are no more punctures.
- Inflate the tires to the optimum recommended tire pressure.
- Spill some water on the repaired section of the tire to make sure there is no leakage of air from that point.
Some other Important points
- Do not ride on a patch or surface where the sidewalls of the tires have a risk of getting damaged.
- You cannot fix the sidewall of a tire yourself.
- Always carry a puncture repair kit in your car.
- Keep a good quality tire inflator with you.
- Get the tire pressure checked before hitting a highway or an expressway.
- Use Nitrogen air when traveling long or during constant high-speed stints.
Conclusion
Tires are the only contact point of the car with the road. Having optimum pressure and grip in the tires is important. It is observed that tire puncture situations are common in our country. Learning how to fix a flat tire is very useful for individuals who often drive a car. There is a systematic way of fixing a tire. Certain things must be done to avoid a flat tire situation. Carrying a tire repair kit and a tire inflator is a must.
