How to use a tyre repair kit
Tyre repair kits can be a useful way to patch up your tyre so you can safely drive to a local garage.
In a world where mobile tyre fitters will repair or replace your tyre at the roadside and by with you in a matter of minutes, these kits are going out of fashion somewhat, but they certainly do still have their place and it is always a good idea to have one in your vehicle.
Tyre repair kits us a tyre sealant and a compressor that help to seal the puncture hole and get you back on the move.
When NOT to use a tyre repair kit
You must only ever use a tyre repair kit when safe to do so. Never attempt to fix a tyre on the hard shoulder of a motorway, or at the side of any busy road for that matter.
If you suspect you have a puncture, pull over into a safe place well away from traffic or off the road entirely if possible.
In this article we will give you some general advice on how to use a standard tyre repair kit, but these kits can vary and if the instructions on the box are different to the ones you see here, always follow their instructions instead.
How to use a tyre repair kit
The first thing you need to do is to find your puncture. For a puncture to be repairable using a tyre repair kit it must be in the central third of the tyre and less that 4mm in diameter.
Any slashes or embedded debris should not be repaired in this manner.
Make sure that the puncture is at the top of the tyre before inserting the sealant from the kit through the air valve of the tyre.
Next, you will need to connect the compressor to the tyre. Depending on the kit itself, you may either connect the compressor to the valve or the sealant bottle itself.
The compressor should then be used to reinflate the tyre to a legal safe pressure. You should make sure that your tyre is holding air and is not deflating rapidly before you return to the road.
Call a mobile tyre repair company
If you are unsure if your puncture is safe to patch up, even simply to drive to a local garage, never take the risk.
Instead, leave your car where it is and arrange for an expert mobile tyre fitting Edinburgh expert to come and examine it. They will swiftly determine if the tyre can be replaced or a new one needs to be fitted.
Even better, if they are a REACT trained fitter, and you should only ever call a REACT trained mobile tyre fitter, they will be able to carry out the work at the roadside in many cases.
If you need to be back on the road quickly and safely, there really is no better option that a professional mobile tyre fitting and repair expert.