What to Do When a Tire Goes Flat?
3 Answers
Check for possible air leaks such as punctures from nails, cuts, aging or cracking of the valve rubber. Continuing to drive with insufficient tire pressure can damage the tire. If only one tire is flat, you can choose to replace it with the spare tire and then proceed to a repair shop for further fixing. Tire repair fluid is stored in a pressurized can. When in use, it is injected into the tire through the valve, simultaneously sealing the leak and inflating the tire.
Just encountered this situation a couple of days ago while driving my kid to school. When I noticed the flat tire, I immediately turned on the hazard lights and slowed down, pulling over onto the shoulder only after confirming it was safe. Remember to place the triangular warning sign 100 meters behind the car, especially making it more visible on rainy days. The spare tire in the trunk is usually hidden under the floor mat—just unscrew the foam compartment to reveal the toolkit. Before changing the tire, loosen the wheel nuts by one turn before jacking up the car; lifting the vehicle first makes the tire swap much easier. After replacing, hand-tighten the nuts first, then lower the car and use the wrench to tighten them in a diagonal sequence. Don’t exceed 80 km/h with this temporary spare, and head straight to a proper tire repair shop to check whether it’s a nail puncture or a leaking valve.
Tire leaks should first be distinguished between slow leaks and blowouts. A blowout will have obvious abnormal noises and loss of steering control, requiring you to firmly grip the steering wheel and brake gently to stop. I usually keep a tire pressure gauge and an air pump in the glove box for temporary inflation to get to a repair shop. During inspection, focus on whether the tread has punctures, if the valve core is aged and leaking, or if the wheel rim is deformed. If the rim is deformed, you can hear a noticeable airflow sound during inflation. Nowadays, professional tire shops offer mushroom plug repair technology, which can completely fix sidewall damage. Remember to perform wheel balancing after tire replacement to avoid high-speed vibrations.
