Puncture: can the tyre be repaired, and what to do meanwhile?

A tyre losing air is the small problem that always comes at the wrong time. Good news: in most cases, a nail or a screw in the tread can be repaired, for a fraction of the price of a new tyre. Here is how to tell, and what to do right away.

Repairable: the three conditions

1. The hole is in the tread, the central part that touches the road. Tyre fitters call it the “repairable zone”: roughly the central three quarters of the tyre’s width.
2. The hole is no wider than 6 mm. A nail, a screw, a piece of metal: yes. A rod, a large bolt: rarely.
3. The tyre is otherwise healthy: not driven flat, not worn past the wear indicators, no cut or bulge, no previous repair in the same spot.

Not repairable: it has to be replaced

• The hole is in the sidewall or on the shoulder (the curve between the sidewall and the tread). These areas flex constantly: a repair would not hold.
• The tyre was driven flat, even for a few hundred metres. The sidewalls get crushed and the inner rubber crumbles: the structure is damaged even if nothing shows on the outside. That is what we check when we take the tyre off the rim.
• There is a cut, a bulge or several holes close together.
• The tyre is a run-flat: most manufacturers do not allow it to be repaired.
• The tread is worn out: repairing a tyre at the end of its life makes no sense.

How a proper repair is done

We take the tyre off the rim, remove the object and inspect the inside. If everything is sound, we fit a vulcanised plug-patch from the inside: the stem fills the hole, the head bonds to the inner liner and restores the seal. Then refitting, balancing and pressure. Allow half an hour, €45 all inclusive, at your door.

A string plug pushed in from the outside, without removing the tyre, is a get-you-home fix: it may get you back, but it does not let anyone check the inside of the tyre and it does not last. A lasting repair is always done from the inside.

What to do on the spot

• Do not drive on a flat tyre. If the tyre is deflated, stop as soon as it is safe to. A few hundred metres are enough to damage it beyond repair.
• Leave the object in place. A nail that stays in limits the leak and shows us exactly where to repair.
• Slow leak (needs topping up every two or three days): inflate it and drive gently until the appointment, or better, have us come to you. Do not ignore it: the hole gets bigger.
• Spare wheel: fit it and keep the punctured tyre in the boot, we repair it at your home. Mind space-saver spares: 80 km/h maximum and a few dozen kilometres.
• Sealant spray: it gets you going, but the foam often leaves the tyre beyond repair and clogs the electronic valve. Tell us if you have used one.
• On a motorway or dual carriageway, do not attempt anything: get behind the barrier and call your breakdown service. We do not work on those roads.

And after the repair?

A tyre properly repaired from the inside drives like a normal tyre, with no speed limitation. Just keep an eye on the pressure over the following month. If the same tyre punctures a second time in the same spot, it will need replacing.

Send a photo of the tyre on WhatsApp and we will tell you straight away whether a repair is possible and when we can come.