How to Fix a Flat Tire – Part 1

Maintenance | February 13, 2010 by Bob Jackson | 1 Comment

This article explains how to plug a puncture hole in flat tire.

The other day I drove about 2 miles between office buildings, briefly went inside the office and returned to my car about 5 minutes later to find the driver’s side rear tire was completely flat! I was asking myself “Now how did that happen?!” because the car handled well on the short trip over.

Flat Tire Puncture by Metal Tube in Tire Tread

Fortunately I was in a parking garage and quickly changed the flat, swapping it for the full size spare tire in the trunk. Later I found that I had run over a metal tube that was perfect for letting all the air out of the tire.

Flat Tire Repair Options

There are several options for repairing a flat tire:

Fix-A-Flat® aerosol inflator and similar products.
Tire plug (described here).
Take the flat tire to a repair shop for professional evaluation and repair with a inside patch and plug.
Call for Emergency Roadside Assistance using your American Automobile Association membership.

Aerosol Inflators

The Fix-A-Flat® aerosol inflator is a temporary repair in-a-can that will seal small punctures and inflate the tire to get you back on the road until you can reach a repair shop. See the Fix-A-Flat® Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for more information. The primary advantage of Fix-A-Flat® is it easy to use, even by my wife who otherwise would have no clue how to put on the spare tire. A disadvantage of aerosol sealants is the tire and/or rim needs to be cleaned.

Tire Plug

Tire plugs are a temporary repair for tread punctures up to 1/4 inch in diameter according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), although plugs are often used as long term repairs.

Plugs are the subject of differing opinions; I called half-dozen tire shops and the recommendations were about evenly split between “we plug” and “we patch and plug”. All tire shops would patch and plug if requested. A typical plug repair quote was $14 compared to a patch-and-plug for $28. The “we plug” shops said plugs worked just fine and that’s what they recommend for most repairs.

I personally have never had a plug repair fail on a repair for a small puncture from a nail, screw and the like.

Plugs should not be used to repair damaged sidewalls. A plug shouldn’t be trusted on high speed performance tires; if you have an expensive performance tire, have it professionally repaired.

Professional Tire Repair

The best and safest decision is to have your tire professionally evaluated, repaired (or replaced) at a tire shop. Especially if you’ve driven with the tire low on air or flat. The sidewalls and/or tread might be damaged beyond repair, although it might look OK to the untrained eye.

This reminds me of the time I saw a woman driving a Jaguar Vanden Plas on the shoulder of the highway in Boca Raton, FL with a rear flat tire. Rather than stopping at the first sign of trouble, she kept driving long after the tire disintegrated and was running on the metal rim, sparks flying. The wheel rim is destroyed and rims are way more expensive to replace than a tire.

Emergency Roadside Assistance

There are many Roadside Assistance programs available, often from your auto insurance company, automobile manufacturer, or the American Automobile Association (AAA). I have an AAA Plus membership for my wife and myself that I paid $118/year – Google for AAA membership discounts. The AAA Plus membership features 100 mile towing – which will get me home 99% of the time – along with battery, free fuel, vehicle locksmith and flat tire service.

If my flat tire had happened on a rainy, muddy night stuck on the side of the road instead of inside a parking garage, I would’ve called AAA to put on the spare tire. When you’re back home, you can evaluate tire repair options at your leisure.

When to Plug Flat Tire

A tire plug was suitable for my situation because:

The tire was not driven while flat and therefore has no sidewall damage.
The tire tread is in good shape with about 30% remaining tread depth/life.
The tire is not an expensive high performance tire.
The puncture is the tread.
The puncture is less 1/4 inch in diameter.
I already had the tire off the car, having put on the spare.
I’m acutely aware of how my car drives and know when things aren’t quite “right”.
I’ll do a quick visual check of the tire each time before I drive to see it’s not low air.
I understood my tire repair options and risks.

On the other hand, if this were my wife’s minivan, I’d have the tire patched and plugged by professional because she will blissfully drive so long as the engine starts. It’s not that she doesn’t care, she just isn’t “tuned in” to mechanical issues. More than once I’ve driven the minivan with her, and asked “How long has it been making that noise?” (squeaky break pads) or “Why didn’t you tell me about that vibration when braking?” (warped rotor) or “Do you notice it’s not tracking straight?” (wheels out of alignment). Her response is invariably “I don’t know” or “What are you talking about?”. Sigh.

How to Plug Flat Tire

Plugging a tire is simple, quick and I’ve had excellent experiences with tire plugs on the handful of occasions that I’ve run over a nail or screw, with the plug lasting the life of the tire. I bought a Victor Tire Repair Kit for about $6 at Advance Auto Parts as shown here.

Victor Tire Repair Kit

The metal object is pulled out with sturdy pair of needle nose pliers. It took several attempts to get a grip and pull it out, little by little.

Remove the Metal Object with Needle Nose Pliers

Wow! How long is this thing?! The puncture was caused by a metal tube over 3 inches long!

Metal Tube Puncture in Flat Tire

A 3/16 inch diameter by over 3-1/2 inch long metal tube punctured the tire! The metal tube is surprisingly strong, I couldn’t bend it with two hands, and it smelled strongly like brake fluid. It appears to have fallen off a car or piece of machinery.