Got a flat tire? You'll survive. Here's how to prepare for the inevitability, then tackle the task with ease and speed.
Tips for Dealing With a Flat Tire Quickly
Updated on Jan. 13, 2025
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Buy A Spare Tire
This sounds obvious, but actually, a lot of today’s cars only come with a patch kit. “While it might seem like a hassle to carry a spare, having one in your trunk can actually save you time, money and frustration,” says Evaldas Zabitis, an automotive expert at carVertical.”Tire repair kits often fall short; they might not work at all, ruin your tire or only be effective for small punctures in the tread, not the sidewalls.”
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Use Caution with Small Spare Tires
If your car does come with a spare, chances are it’s smaller than the rest of your tires. While these space-saver tires can feel like lifesavers, spare-tire manufacturers are serious about their 50 mph maximum speed limit.
“They are only meant to be cheap spares, and the maximum distance they can and should be driven is between 30 and 50 miles,” says Robert. “The only reason most carmakers offer a spare tire is to make sure that you reach the repair shop.”
And once you do, get your flat tire repaired or replaced right away.
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Assemble the Proper Tools
Check your car now to make sure it has all of the proper tools to deal with a flat tire quickly, including a jack and lug-nut wrench, and consider upgrading those tools to more quality versions, since the ones that come with the vehicle are often substandard.
“Having the right tools makes the whole process much easier and faster,” says Zabitis. “Make sure your jack is in solid condition and stable, as it’s crucial for safely lifting your car. As for the wrench, choose one with an extended handle; it’ll give you the extra leverage you need to loosen stubborn lug nuts without breaking a sweat.”
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Assemble a Mission-Critical Kit
Beyond your spare tire, jack and lug-nut wrench, keep these mission-critical items in your vehicle at all times as part of your emergency kit.
- Wheel chocks: Keep your car from falling off the jack, especially on slopes.
- Plug-in flashlight or headlamp: Dark nights can make seeing what you’re doing impossible.
- Gloves: Good to have all year long, but critical for handling cold metal in subzero temps.
- Tire inflator: You’ll need this to fill low spares and top off tires repaired with Fix-A-Flat.
- Fix-A-Flat: Especially f you’re not confident you can change a flat tire, buy two cans of aerosol tire sealer from any auto parts store and keep them in the vehicle. The cans are sold in several sizes for compact, standard and truck-size tires.
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Pack a Tire Inflator
If you don’t routinely top off the air pressure in your spare tire, don’t be surprised if it’s severely under-inflated when you need it. Driving on a severely under-inflated full-size spare is unsafe, and driving on an under-inflated space-saver spare is downright dangerous.
Solve that problem by keeping a plug-in tire inflator in your vehicle at all times. To use it: Start the engine and plug the unit into your power port. Bring the spare tire up to the recommended pressure (found on the decal inside the driver’s door area) before installing it on the hub.
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Know Where Your Keyed Socket Is
To avoid theft, many cars have one special lug nut on each wheel that requires a special “keyed socket” to loosen it. These are often stashed in the car’s glove box.
If you can’t locate the key when you have a flat tire (or another driver in the family isn’t aware of it), it won’t be possible to remove the wheel. You’ll have to use Fix-a-Flat, call for roadside service or have the vehicle towed to a shop. That can cost hundreds of dollars, so make a point of keeping the key in a safe place, and be sure everyone who drives the car knows about it.
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Know the Signs of a Flat Tire
Sometimes, it’s difficult to know whether you have a flat tire, so always be in tune with changes in the way your car feels while driving. Signs of a flat can include steering pulling to one side, uneven handling or that tell-tale thumping sound, says Danny Stanford-Ravet, founder of Racing Owl Motorsport.
“With some luck, it could just be a puncture, and a quick repair at your local garage will get you back on track without emptying your wallet,” he says.
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Pull Over Promptly
As soon as you suspect you have a flat tire, find a safe place to pull off of the road. This will help ensure your safety, so you don’t lose control of the car, plus potentially save you hundreds of dollars in damages.
“If you keep driving on a flat, the tire’s internal structure will break down rapidly, rendering it fit for the trash,” says Stanford-Ravet. “What might have been a simple $15 repair turns into a full-blown replacement.” (Note: Driving on a flat can also damage your wheel.)
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Park the Car On Level Ground
If you have a flat tire, pull off of the road, away from the danger of traffic, and onto firm, level ground. For safety, you’ll also need a solid surface under the jack, like asphalt.
“If you’re on dirt, mud or grass, place a wooden plank or another hard object under the jack to create a stable base,” says Zabitis. “Without that extra support, the jack could sink into the ground or even break, making the whole process unsafe.”
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Assess The Damage
Once you’re safely off the road, check the tire to see how deflated it is. If it’s just a small leak (3/16-inch or less in diameter), a can of Fix-A-Flat might be enough to get you to the shop, and that’s the fastest way to deal with a flat tire quickly. You’ll likely need to change the tire if it’s something big, like a nail.
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Fix-A-Flat to the Rescue!
You can greatly increase your chances of a successful seal if you can find the puncture site and move the vehicle until the leak faces downward. If you see what caused the puncture — say, a nail — don’t remove it; it will help seal the hole. Also, note that it won’t work on sidewall punctures, blowouts or any other catastrophic failures.
If the can is frozen, thaw it with the defroster or floor heater vents until the contents move freely when shaken. Then, fill the tire by following the directions on the can. If the rim doesn’t lift off the ground after using a second can, the puncture is too large to be sealed, and you’ll have to call for help.
Top off the air pressure as soon as possible. If you have a tire inflator on hand, do it now. This is a temporary fix, so get the tire repaired professionally ASAP. Tire sealant must be removed within three days or 100 miles, whichever comes first.
Inform the tire shop you’ve used tire sealant so no one breathes in the propellants. The shop may charge extra to clean the sealant from the tire.
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Plug It With a Patch Kit, If You Must
If you don’t have a spare, but your car instead came with a tire patch kit, you still have a good chance of fixing it, at least long enough to get to the tire shop.
But beware: Many DIYers think they can permanently repair tire punctures with just a plug. They’re wrong. A tire plug is just half of the repair. The tire’s interior liner must also be patched, and that means a trip to the tire store. Skip the patch, and you risk a catastrophic blowout.
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Don’t Break Your Plastic Wheel Covers
Carmakers use two methods to secure plastic wheel covers: spring clips and screw-on plastic lug nuts. To change your tire, you need to know which one you’ve got.
If you’re unsure, try turning one of the plastic nuts with the socket end of your tire iron. If it rotates, you have the screw-on type. Unscrew all the plastic nuts and lift off the cover.
If the nut doesn’t turn, you have the snap-on style. Those must be pried off, and that’s where some people get into trouble. If you jam the tapered end of your tire iron into a weak area on the cover, you’ll break it to pieces. So pry behind one of the larger spokes and twist until the cover pops off.
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Save Your Back When Loosening Lug Nuts
There’s no way you can loosen the lug nuts once you raise the vehicle — the tire will just spin. Instead, break loose — but don’t remove — the lug nuts while the tire is still on the ground.
To save your back, place the tire iron on each lug nut with the handle in the 9 o’clock position. Place both hands on the tire iron and push down with all your might. If that doesn’t work, use a downward bouncing motion with your weight to break the nut loose.
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Jack It High Enough for the Spare
It’s a common mistake to only jack up the wheel high enough to get off the flat tire. Then when you go to put on the spare, you have to jack it up more since the spare is filled with air and therefore requires more clearance.
“Always use the jack and lug wrench to raise the car to a safe height where you can easily remove the tire,” says Robert. “This will also save your back from a whole lot of pain.”
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Remove a Stuck Wheel
If you don’t rotate your tires every 5,000 miles, your wheels may bond to the hub by rust. Here’s a way to knock the wheels loose, submitted by one of our readers: With the lug nuts loosened about three-quarters of the way, grab the spare by the center hole and use it as a battering ram. Swing it horizontally with all your might so it strikes the stuck wheel at the 12 o’clock position. Repeat the blows at 3 and 9 o’clock positions until the wheel breaks free from the hub.
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Subscribe to Roadside Assistance
If you are unable to change your flat tire, a tow can be very expensive if you don’t have a roadside assistance subscription like AAA.
“Many insurance companies nowadays offer roadside help at no extra cost,” says Zabitis. “With this service, you can call for help if you get a flat tire, and they’ll either replace it for you or tow your car to the nearest tire repair shop, all for free.”
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Monitor Your Tire Wear
Prevention is key to preventing flat tires. That flat I talked about in the intro, well, it likely happened because my tire tread was too low.
“Unless you accidentally drive over a nail or a sharp object, a flat tire usually occurs due to significant wear or tear,” says Robert. ” Tires have grooves to keep sharp objects from causing massive damage to your tires. When the wear is significant, your tire has no protection to save it from the heat on roads or sharp objects like nails and debris.”
Also, driving more conservatively, especially on roadways with potholes and debris, can help prevent flats, says Zabitis.
FAQ
How long should it take to change a tire?
If you know what you’re doing and have the right tools, it should take 15 to 30 minutes. But that depends on a few circumstances.
“Are your wheel nuts playing fair today?” says Stanford-Ravet. “Are you the sort of person who has tools neatly organized in a clean garage? Or someone often caught rummaging through the trunk of your car on the side of the motorway, trying to convince yourself you definitely put the lock nut in there?”
How often should you change your tires?
It depends on how far you drive, the quality and type of your tires, how aggressively you drive, how much weight you carry in your car, how well you maintain your tire’s air pressure and what sort of general terrain, weather and road quality you’re dealing with, but typically a set of tires will last up to five or six years. Even if they’re not worn out, manufacturers recommend changing them at least every 10 years.
“From years in the trade, we’ve learned that a car sitting on tires for years can create a flat spot, which won’t be very comfortable,” says Stanford-Ravet. “The vast majority of people won’t reach the expiry before needing a change.”
About the Experts
- Danny Stanford-Ravet is founder of Racing Owl Motorsport, with a background in engineering and a passion for all things motorsports.
- Evaldas Zabitis is an automotive expert at carVertical.
- Ralph Robert is an expert writer for the Way.com blog and auto app, and an auto enthusiast who has been writing about cars for seven years.
