This is a typical example of the work we handle, based on how this kind of job is normally carried out. It is not a record of an individual customer’s visit.
A slow puncture is one of the most common tyre problems drivers in Bicester run into. It is often noticed in the morning, when one tyre looks lower than the others, or when a pressure warning appears on the way to work. The cause is frequently a nail or screw picked up from the road or a building site, still sitting in the tread.
The situation
Signs that a slow puncture may be repairable include:
- a tyre that loses pressure over hours or days rather than suddenly
- a visible nail, screw or other object in the main tread area
- no obvious damage to the sidewall or shoulder of the tyre
- a tyre that has not been driven any distance while flat
What to do before we arrive
Leave the object in place: pulling it out usually makes the leak faster. If the tyre is holding some air, avoid driving on it, as running a tyre very soft can cause internal damage that turns a repairable puncture into a replacement. Tell us where the car is parked, whether it is at home in Bicester, at a workplace or in a car park, and roughly where the object is on the tyre.
How the tyre is assessed
Whether a puncture can be repaired depends on the tyre, not just the hole. The tyre is removed from the wheel so that it can be inspected from the inside as well as the outside. We check:
- where the damage is: repairs are limited to the central tread area
- the size of the injury
- any internal damage from running at low pressure
- the remaining tread depth and the general condition of the tyre
- whether there are previous repairs close by
The repair itself
Where the tyre is suitable, we carry out the repair to BS AU 159 standards. That means repairing the tyre from the inside after removing it from the wheel, not pushing a plug in from the outside. The tyre is then refitted, inflated to the correct pressure and the wheel balanced before it goes back on the car.
If it turns out not to be repairable
Sometimes the inspection shows the object has gone in at the shoulder, or the tyre has been damaged inside. In that case we explain why and can discuss a mobile tyre replacement instead, so you are not left with an unsafe tyre.
Get this sorted
For the full service details, see our mobile puncture repair service. We provide this 24/7 across Bicester and the surrounding towns, or you can go back to the Mobile Tyre Fitting Bicester homepage.