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Tips & advice
by: Dean Gibson
22 Apr 2021
22 Apr 2021
Tyres are a very important part of your car – after all, they’re the only components that remain in contact with the road surface. Because they’re your link between the car and the tarmac, it’s crucial that you keep on top of the tyres, and make sure they’re in a safe and roadworthy condition.
It’s definitely worth knowing what to look out for if you have a slow puncture.
As its name suggests, a slow puncture means your car’s tyre gradually loses pressure over time, which means you could end up driving lots of miles before you notice there’s a problem.
You also run a higher chance of having a serious accident later down the line if you don’t realise one of your car’s tyres has an air leak. Drive too long with a slow puncture, and you could be on the receiving end of a major tyre failure that can put the safety of yourself, your passengers and other road users at risk.
There are early warning signs that can alert you to a slow puncture problem. While you’re driving your car, it may start drifting to the left or right sides of the road as the tyre deflates, and you may also hear a regular ticking-style noise if the slow puncture is caused by a piece of debris pierced and stuck in the tyre. Many cars nowadays also now come with tyre pressure monitoring sensors, which can alert you with warning prompts on the dashboard if the system detects a loss of tyre pressure – though, as not all cars are fitted with this tech, it’s best to not rely on this alone to warn you of a slow puncture problem.
If you catch a slow puncture early on, it may be possible to carefully drive the car for a short distance, as long as there’s still enough air in the tyre to keep it sufficiently inflated. However, because more air will leak out the more you drive the car, you should only do this if the journey is absolutely necessary. Regardless of how bad the puncture is, you should have the faulty tyre repaired or replaced as soon as possible.
So what are the signs of a slow puncture? Well, the Highway Code tells drivers to give their car a visual inspection before driving off, and hopefully, that will help you spot a slow puncture before it turns into something worse. If a tyre looks a little out of shape when compared with the other tyres on the car, that could be a sign of a flat or a partial deflation.
Another visual clue could be odd wear to the sidewall. If a tyre is dirty and has low pressure, then the sidewall will be in contact with the tarmac, which will 'scrub' the tyre clean, giving a better visual clue to a slow puncture by creating a black sidewall that you can pick out clearly through the dirt.
Of course, the other giveaway would be a piece of debris stuck in the tyre itself. We're not saying you should get on all fours to give the rubber a proper inspection, but is there a screw or a nail that's obviously embedded in the tread or the external sidewall? If it's in the tread, it should be easy to spot, as the head will be polished clean if it's in contact with the road when you drive.
Every car owner should at least have a tyre pressure gauge that allows them to check their tyre pressures accurately. Our tests have shown which ones are the best, and if you buy a foot pump or automatic tyre inflator, then you should be able to easily see if a tyre is losing pressure.
• Complete tyre care guide
When you're driving, there will be audible clues to a slow puncture. It could be that a piece of debris in the tyre 'click-clicks' on the road for every revolution of the wheel. Or there may be additional road noise coming from a tyre that has less air pressure in it - if you think something isn't right, turn off the radio and shut the windows so you can hear things properly and identify if you have a slow puncture.
Modern cars are now required by law to have tyre pressure monitors fitted as standard. These use sensors in the wheel that detect a loss of pressure. As soon as one tyre drops a couple of pounds of pressure in comparison to the other four tyres, a warning will flash up on the dashboard to alert the driver.
If you do have a slow puncture, it's best to see if a repair is possible from your local garage, tyre fitter or a big chain like Halfords or Kwik Fit, and get it fixed as soon as possible. Driving on a slow puncture for any longer than necessary is dangerous because that slow puncture is more likely to become a fully flat tyre the longer you keep using it.
The usual culprit of a slow puncture will be debris that has pierced the rubber. If it's a nail or screw that has gone through the tread of the tyre (the flat part of the tyre that is in contact with the road), then it will be possible to repair the tyre with a rubber plug that a repair shop can fit.
However, if the damage has happened to a high-performance tyre a repair of this type may not be possible, as some tyre speed ratings are not recommended for repair due to the higher stresses put upon them.
If the damage is to the sidewall of the tyre, then it cannot be repaired regardless of the tyre type. This damage will be to the main structure of the tyre that supports the tread, so it will weaken the tyre, which will affect its ability to perform properly.
You may be tempted to do a home repair with a puncture repair kit, which you will find in cars where a spare wheel is an optional extra. However, the 'gunk' that's used to seal the hole is only a temporary fix until the tyre can be properly repaired, so you'll end up having to get the tyre fixed anyway.
Another potential cause of a slow puncture is a corroded wheel. If a steel wheel is rusty, it might cause gaps where the parts of the wheel are welded together. On alloy wheels, corrosion is very different. If it's very severe, it could cause the metal in the wheel to become porous, allowing the air to slowly seep through the metal.
That's an extreme case, but it's also common with cars featuring magnesium alloy wheels, as magnesium is naturally porous.
• Best tyre tread depth and pressure gauges
You could also suffer a slow loss of air if the wheel is kerbed or damaged in some other way. If the rim has a dent in it, that might be enough for air to seep out. Whether a wheel is damaged or corroded, you could seek advice from a wheel refurbishment company on whether a repair is viable, or replacement is the only solution.
In any case, the best advice is to stay on the lookout for slow punctures and other damage by checking your car tyres on a regular basis. If you detect a slow puncture, don’t ignore it as you’ll only be increasing the chance of a bigger problem developing at some point in the future. Get the tyre seen by professionals and either repaired or replaced as soon as possible.
Think you have a slow puncture? Take a read of our test to find the best tyres to help find a replacement.
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Content of Article
Stage rational use of space. Some use it as a warehouse for various things, and some seek to organize a profitable business that will constantly or seasonally generate income.
In this article we will tell you about tire fitting in the garage, how to open this type of activity and what equipment you need to have.
Any own business begins with the registration of permits in the administration of the garage cooperative and tax authorities. First of all, you need to register as an individual entrepreneur and regularly report on your activities.
If you decide to start your work illegally, then in the event of the arrival of tax inspectors, you will have to pay a decent fine and still formalize your activities.
For your information. The price you pay for illegal work can be many times higher than the profit, which at the initial stage can be very low until you acquire regular customers.
The dimensions of the room at the initial stage do not matter, however, it must meet the following requirements: equipment surfaces.
Another important point is the location of the garage. The best option would be the location of the garage near the gas station or the roadway with the possibility of free arrival of vehicles. A large garage cooperative will also be an advantageous place.
For your information. If the garage is located far from the road in a place of minimal human activity, then you should think carefully before opening a tire shop.
In this case, it would be better to organize seasonal storage of tires or rent a garage.
Tire Fitting Equipment
In order to provide quality service and get loyal customers, you need to equip the premises and purchase equipment that will match the services you provide. An example of arranging a garage is shown in the photo above.
Of the mandatory equipment you will need:
For your information. Tire fitting equipment is quite expensive and at the first stage it is recommended to rent it. You can find equipment that is rented with the possibility of subsequent redemption.
If you decide to buy new equipment, it is better not to regret and purchase units from well-known manufacturers. With a limited amount of funds, you can opt for cheaper Chinese-made machines, however, under heavy loads, the equipment may fail.
Each machine must have instructions for use and safety regulations for operation.
Advertising sign to attract customers
If you do not have experience with tire changing equipment, you will need to look for a qualified person who will do all the work himself. If you plan to do all types of work with your own hands, without experience, then you can take an internship at a large service center or hire a specialist for a while who will carry out all the work and at the same time share experience.
Important. In cases of hired workers, it is not uncommon for workers to provide services without recording part of the income.
In order to avoid this, carefully select staff and establish a trusting relationship with each other.
Once you've set up a tire garage, hired staff, and officially started working, you need to start an advertising campaign to get people to know about you. You should not save money on advertising, because at the first stage your income directly depends on it.
Advertise in local newspapers, place ads on city websites and car forums. Install advertising signs of the appropriate content and be sure to make a sign for the garage itself.
It is very important to provide high-quality and fast services, this will help you get regular customers who will recommend your services to their friends on the principle of word of mouth. At first, you will work for your reputation, and then the reputation will work for you.
To consolidate the material, we recommend watching a video clip about the process of vulcanization and tire fitting.
Author: Yurasov Sergey
Published:
Tire fitting is one of the equally important technological operations in the car, it determines the comfort while driving, tire wear rate, as well as driving safety. It is from the correct balancing of the wheels that the efficiency of the running gear of the car depends.
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Entrust the wheels of your car to our specialists, because it is with us that you will be offered:
For any work we will offer you the best prices with the possibility of discounts and pleasant bonuses for our regular customers. And, of course, tire fitting will always be the fastest!
Removal and installation of wheels on the car is carried out by a hoist that correctly lifts the car from specially designed places, and a pneumatic tool that securely fastens the wheel to the car hub.
Our service is equipped with modern equipment and high-quality materials, which allows dismantling, tire beading and wheel balancing in just a few minutes without compromising quality.
The combination of the professionalism of our employees with the use of the best equipment, tools, and modern materials guarantees our Clients premium tire service!
Editing and repair of discs is carried out on specialized equipment to restore the initial geometry of the wheels.
