This is What Happens if You Drive on a Flat Tire
Have you ever driven on a flat tire?
Driving on a flat tire might not seem like an issue, especially if you only drive your car a short distance to get to a repair shop. However, driving on a flat tire is dangerous and can cause severe damage to your tire and your car.
There are a lot of different things that cause flat tires. Cold Canadian air can cause tires to lose air pressure more quickly, so it’s essential to pay attention to your tires, especially in the winter months.
Keep reading to learn more about what happens if you drive on a flat tire, how to fix a flat and how to prevent more flats from happening in the future.
What Happens If You Drive on a Flat Tire
Flat tires are common, especially if you’re in a cold climate or if your tires are older and need replacing. But a flat tire can happen to anyone at any time, and you need to be prepared to handle the situation quickly and calmly.
You might be wondering, “What happens if you drive on a flat tire?” The truth is, you should never drive more than a few hundred yards on a flat tire, or you risk damaging your tire beyond repair.
The best thing you can do when you see that you have a flat tire is to pull off the road and out of oncoming traffic. Once you’re safely off the road, get out of your car and assess the situation.
If you can, remove the tire, put on your spare tire and drive to a repair shop immediately. If you don’t have a spare tire or know how to fix a flat, don’t attempt to keep driving until you get home to a mechanic. Call for a tow truck and have them tow your car to get help.
The towing fee might seem like an annoying expense, but it’s better than risking too much damage to your car. Not only can you damage your tires, but you can damage the metal that supports your tires, which is much more expensive to repair.
Fixing a flat immediately is crucial, but flat tires don’t always announce themselves in an obvious way. You can have a flat tire and not know it. Make sure you briefly check your tires before you get into your car and pay attention to any “low pressure” alerts that you see on your car’s dashboard. Don’t keep driving and ignore these warnings.
How to Fix a Flat Tire
Fixing a flat tire sounds intimidating, but anyone can do a quick fix. Fixing a flat tire is just a temporary solution to help you get to a mechanic and avoid paying for someone to tow your car.
Before you fix a flat, you will need to either have a spare tire or a kit with some basic tools, including a plug to patch up the leak and an air pump to reinflate the tire.
Once you have all the materials, you can start to fix your flat tire with these steps:
1. Find the Leak
First, you need to find what’s causing your flat. See if there is a nail or anything else stuck in your tire that’s letting air leak out. Mark the spot with a piece of tape or something noticeable so you can quickly locate the leak later.
2. Jack the Car Up and Loosen Lug Nuts
Loosen the lug nuts with a wrench so you can get the tire off of the car. After you’ve loosened the lug nuts, use your car jack to get the tire off the ground so you can efficiently work on the tire.
3. Clean the Hole
Once the jack secures your car, you can either replace the flat tire with your spare tire or attempt to patch up the hole. If you’re going to patch the hole, take your wheel entirely off of the base and then clean the leaking area.
4. Plug the Hole
After the area is thoroughly cleaned, you can insert a plug. It’s also recommended that you use an adhesive around the area, so it is more secure. Don’t move the tire for a few minutes to give the adhesive time to set and dry. After it’s dry, you can inflate the tire and reattach it to your car.
5. Visit a Professional
Fixing a flat tire by patching the hole or putting on a spare tire is only a temporary fix. Even if you successfully put a spare tire on your car, you still need to visit a professional as soon as possible.
The mechanic will fix your old tire and get it reinstalled onto your vehicle. Spare tires aren’t meant to last, and you could end up with another flat.
Preventing a Flat Tire
Like we said earlier, a flat tire can happen to anyone, but there are some things you can do to avoid them in the first. Here are a few tips that will help you keep your tires in good shape and prevent a flat:
1. Keep Your Tires Inflated
Keeping your tires inflated at the right air pressure is crucial to avoiding flat tires. Again, don’t ignore tires that need air and don’t overfill them; both of these mistakes can lead to a flat.
2. Assess Your Tires for Uneven Wear
Even if you purchase four new tires at the same time, they won’t always wear out the same way. If one of your tires takes more wear and tear or pressure than the other tires, it’s more likely to lose air.
3. Avoid Construction Areas
Running over nails or other sharp objects is a quick way to ruin your tires. Since these objects are common at construction sites, try to avoid these roads whenever possible.
Learn More About Car Maintenance
Now that you know what happens if you drive on a flat tire, you should schedule an appointment with a mechanic to get your tires assessed. Preventative maintenance is key to keeping your tires running smoothly.
Don’t hesitate to contact the team at Viking Motors today to schedule an appointment. Our experts are here to help you avoid flat tires and help your car run smoothly for many more years to come.
If you still have questions about car maintenance, check out the rest of our blog. This article on maintenance tips will make your car look brand new.
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