The content of the article:
- Less panic
- Is everything so bad
- Replacement or repair
- No jack and tools
- Money question
- How to avoid punctures
When driving on the road in a car, there are often Unexpected situations, for which you may not be ready. This could be:
- Flat tire;
- Lack of gasoline in the tank;
- Abrupt stop of the car, etc.
You will not be able to prepare for all force majeure, but some basic skills can still come in handy. What to do when a car has a broken wheel?
Less panic
First of all, you need to understand that nothing can be changed - the wheel is punctured and now how long you stay with an immovable car depends on the coordination of your actions. You can try to fix the punctured wheel yourself or call someone for help.
To begin with, let's figure out the situation when the driver tries to do everything himself.
You will immediately feel that the wheel is punctured. If this happened to the front axle, the car will pull to the right or left. If the problem is in the rear axle, unpleasant extraneous sounds will be heard. So, the puncture was found and now it is necessary to smoothly stop, slowly reducing the speed. It is best to hold the steering wheel tighter, because when punctured, it will begin to pull out, and this is fraught with negative consequences in the form of an accident or driving into a ditch.
It is best to stop on the side of the road or at the exit from the road. - so your car will not interfere with anyone, and you can do the inspection and repair of the wheel without unnecessary problems. If it is not possible to leave the road, you will have to turn on the emergency signals in the car and display the emergency stop icon (if available).
Is everything so bad
You may be able to get off with a small loss of time and money if the puncture is insignificant. Most wheels are equipped with tubeless tires, which do not deflate immediately in the event of minor punctures. You can drive to the nearest gas station, pump up the wheel and move towards the nearest tire service. However, at some gas stations there is a tire fitting service, and you won't have to go far.
If the result of a puncture is a nail or a self-tapping screw that remains inside the tire, do not remove it. Perhaps it is this foreign object that prevents the wheel from descending quickly. And this can happen as soon as you remove the ill-fated piece of iron.
You can also patch up a small puncture with a sealant designed for short-term wheel repair. It will plug the puncture, and also create the necessary pressure in the tire.
When you find that the wheel is completely flat, the methods described do not make much sense. Here you will have to act in other ways.
Replacement or repair
Of course, if the car has an inflated spare wheel, a life jack and a set of tools, the process of replacing a dysfunctional wheel will not take long. Your algorithm of actions is as follows:
- Stop the engine and place the vehicle in gear to prevent it from rolling anywhere.
- For safety reasons, place stones under the whole wheels.
- Use a jack and raise the flat tire part of the vehicle.
- Remove the bolts securing the wheel to the hub, after removing the discs, if any.
- Install the new wheel onto the hub by carefully tightening the mounting bolts.
- Lower the vehicle with a jack and remove stones from under the remaining wheels.
If you have a small compressor or mechanical pump, pump up the supplied wheel and move on. It is advisable to take the removed punctured wheel immediately to the tire fitting in order to repair the tire as soon as possible, if possible.
For deep punctures or when a tire is cut from the side of the wheel, you will most likely need to get rid of it and get a new spare tire.
No jack and tools
There are situations when a spare tire is available, but you forgot to buy a jack or just laid it out as unnecessary. In this situation, you will need outside help.
It's good if the puncture occurred in an area in which you have many acquaintances - you can call them and they will come to the rescue. If your acquaintances are busy or the puncture occurred on a suburban highway, you will have to stand in the pose of a voter, waiting for one of the drivers to stop to help you.
There is another option - to call a taxi, having previously told the dispatcher about your problem... Surely, any taxi driver in the trunk will have the necessary list of tools and a jack, which are so necessary for a puncture.
Money question
Of course, when you stop the car to borrow a jack or repair kit, be prepared to pay a certain amount. 5-10 dollars will be enough, depending on the degree of assistance provided. You may come across a noble driver who will not require a fee, but, as practice shows, these are becoming less and less.
By the way, you can try to buy a spare wheel from a stopped driver if you don't have one.
How much will it cost to repair a flat tire? The tire technician will make a free inspection of the puncture, after which they will issue a verdict. Repairing a tire damaged from the side will cost $ 10-20. A patch is installed there, and the tire can serve for some time as a spare. A puncture in the center of the tire will cost a little less - up to $ 15. A special harness is installed at the puncture site, which creates a vacuum and does not allow air to escape from the tire.
How to avoid punctures
Most often, punctures happen due to poor-quality road surface. Yes, if the puncture occurred as a result of falling into a pit, you have every right to financial compensation from the road service. But this will take a lot of time from you, and, most likely, you will have to go to court, since it is unlikely that you will be able to collect payment on a voluntary basis.
Most of the holes appear in the spring when the snow melts. Therefore, if you see deep puddles on the road that cannot be avoided, reduce your speed to a minimum. The impact will not be too strong and is unlikely to puncture or damage the wheel. As for metal objects and glass, they shine well in the sun, so it will not be difficult to go around them during the day.
Compliance with these simple rules will help reduce the risk of puncture to a minimum. But even if a wheel puncture happened, you can try to find an adequate way out of this seemingly difficult situation.
