If you drive long enough, you're going to end up with a nail, screw or rock in your tire. Read on to determine your next steps after you discover the piercing piece of trouble.
The biggest thing to bear in mind: it is NOT safe to drive with something in your tire for any length of time. You'll be risking way too much to take the chance.
Many cars have low tire pressure warnings on the instrument cluster (the area that also contains the speedometer, etc.). If your car doesn't feature a light to indicate low pressure, you should be sure to own a tire gauge and test your tire pressure often. If you're not sure what your tire's PSI (pounds per square inch) is, look at the sticker in your driver's side door or your instruction manual. Low tire pressure is often the first giveaway that there might be an unidentified intruder in your tire.
If you discover the offending object, DO NOT pull it out. It may have gone far enough into the tire to actually seal it temporarily so that you can drive to our auto repair shop, but you'll have to test it.
First, check to see if you can hear air escaping. If you do, it's time to put on the spare and bring the tire in to be repaired. If you can't hear anything, put some soapy water in a spray bottle and spray it on the nail. If it starts to bubble, again, it's time for the spare.
Don't be tempted to drive on a tire that is obviously leaking air. You not only are endangering your life with the chance of a blowout, but possibly ruining the tire completely, as well as the wheel itself. And never drive on a flat tire because you'll also ruin the rim. A minor patch job can easily turn into a major expense!
If there are no signs of leaking air, you can slowly (no freeways) drive on the tire to our shop.
If you need tire repair or replacement, give our auto repair shop a call today!