Depending on the size of the puncture and whereabouts it is on your tyre will determine whether the flat tyre is repairable. If the puncture is limited to centre of your tyre’s tread and is less than 6mm in size, it should be repairable.
If the puncture is larger than 6mm, or is located on or near the sidewall, you will need to replace the tyre. The sidewall carries most of the load of your car, so any damage will compromise the integrity of the rubber and lead to a greater risk of tyre blowout.
If your tyre has run on flat technology, this may be slightly different still. Goodyear Run On Flat Tyres can be repaired by a qualified tyre professional following a thorough inspection and analysis of the tyre history.
Sharp objects are the most common cause of flat tyres. A nail, a piece of glass or other pieces of loose debris on the road can become lodged in your tread and cause a puncture. You could also hit a pothole or uneven road surface which can also be the cause.
Incorrect tyre inflation can also be a cause of a flat tyre. If your tyre is inflated to incorrect levels, this could lead to a sudden failure which could be very dangerous.
If the rim of your wheel is damaged either visibly or by hairline cracks, this can also lead to a loss of air causing the tyre to deflate over time.
Lastly, your tyre can deflate and be damaged if the valve or where the tyres bead meets the rim are not correctly sealing. Both of which can cause the tyre to become flat over time.
If you’re noticing a loss of air pressure, there’s a few steps you can take to find the cause. Firstly, check your tyre tread and sidewall for a sharp object. Usually, you should be able to find a sharp object by taking a quick close look at your tyre tread, something which you should be doing regularly.
If you can’t find it by sight, follow the below steps:
1. Fill a squirty bottle or a bucket with a vegetable base soap and water solution (or a tyre manufacturer approved leak detector liquid)
2. Inflate the flat tyre
3. Spray or wash the entire tyre with the cleaning solution
4. Watch for a small volcano-like eruption of bubbles right where your puncture lies as the cleaner runs down the tread of the tyre
5. Now that you've found the hole in your tyre, we recommend getting a qualified professional to inspect the tyre repair if it’s possible.
Take a look at our dealer locator to find a tyre specialist near you.
You might discover that you have a flat tyre while your car is on your driveway, or you might even notice a slow puncture while you’re driving. Either way, you shouldn’t be driving on a flat tyre because you may cause further damage. So, if you’re driving, find a suitable and safe place to stop your car as soon as possible.
If you’re able to find the cause of your flat tyre and can use a temporary repair kit or temporary tyre sealant to fix it yourself, you should be able to drive a short distance to you’re a local tyre dealer where they will be able to either fully repair it or advise you on a replacement.
Alternatively, if you have a spare tyre, you can replace the punctured tyre with your spare tyre and drive onwards to a local tyre dealer to fix or replace the punctured tyre.
