Can You Drive with a Flat Tubeless Tire?
2 Answers
Yes, you can drive. Tubeless tires have an advantage: when punctured by a sharp object, they slowly leak air as long as the object isn't removed, unlike tube tires which quickly lose all air. Here are some additional details: 1. Mounted on the rim: The valve of a tubeless tire is directly installed on the rim, and both the valve and the rim are in a sealed state. If inflating manually, start vigorously to quickly inflate and seal both sides of the tire, then install the valve core and inflate to the specified pressure. Tighten the valve core. If there's no air leakage, it's ready for use. 2. Inflation: When inflating, wrap a piece of cloth or something similar around the area between the tire and the rim before inflating.
You must not continue driving with a flat tubeless tire unless absolutely necessary to slowly move a few steps to a safe location. I often see car owners stubbornly driving hundreds of meters during repairs, resulting in deformed rims or tire dislodgment, with repair costs amounting to at least a few hundred dollars. Tubeless tires rely entirely on air pressure to support the sidewalls—low pressure accelerates sidewall wear, causing the car to tilt and shake while driving, potentially leading to loss of control, hitting curbs, or even a blowout. This risk doubles on highways. If you must drive, do so only on smooth roads at a snail's pace, never exceeding 10 km/h. For daily use, I recommend keeping a tire pressure monitor in the car—a small investment of a few dozen dollars that can warn of air leaks—or carrying a portable air pump for emergency inflation. The best course of action when a tire goes flat is to stop the car, turn on the hazard lights, and either change to the spare tire or call for a tow truck—don't risk major losses for minor gains.
