What to Do When You Get a Flat Tire

Have you ever gotten a flat tire and needed to get a tire replaced? We all dread the day getting stuck next to the road with a flat tire. Below are helpful advice and tips from your Kia dealer on precisely what to do.

Pull Over Safely and Turn on Your Hazards

The moment you realize you’ve got a flat, look for a safe place to pull over. It must preferably be a spot with solid, level ground and far enough away from the road to change the tire safely. Before you do anything else, first turn on your hazard lights to be more visible to other motorists. If you drive an automatic vehicle, put your car in park, and if it’s a manual, shift into reverse to prevent your vehicle from rolling backward or forward.

Get the Jack, Lug Wrench, and Spare Tire Out of the Trunk

It’s imperative always to have wheel wedges, a quality jack and lug wrench, and a properly inflated spare tire in your trunk. Place everything you need in easy reach close to the area where you will change the tire.

Prevent Your Car from Rolling and Loosen the Lug Nuts

Use the wheel wedges, stones, or bricks in front and behind the tires to prevent your car from rolling. If your vehicle has hub caps, remove them. Loosen the lug nuts with the lug wrench counterclockwise without removing the nuts.

Jack-Up Your Car

Your car has special jacking points where you can place the jack to lift your vehicle without causing damage to the bodywork. Check your owner’s manual for information on your car’s jacking points. Use the jacking point closest to the flat that you want to change. You only need to jack your car up enough to lift the wheel off.

Remove the Lug Nuts and Remove the Flat

Loosen the lug nuts until you can remove them. Put the nuts in your pocket or somewhere safe so you don’t lose them. Take the flat off and put it under the car for protection if it slides off the jack.

Fit the Spare Tire

Put the spare in front of the wheel well. Now, check carefully and line up the rim and the bolts. Push the tire in until the bolts push through the rim. Place the nuts onto the bolts. You don’t use the lug wrench to tighten the nuts at this stage. Use your fingers and, in a clockwise direction, turn the nuts as tightly as possible with your fingers.

Lower Your Car and Tighten the Nuts

Use the jack to lower your car so that the spare touches the ground. You can now tighten the lug nuts clockwise with the lug wrench until the wheel is flush against the hub. If you have four nuts, tighten them in opposing pairs and if there are five nuts, tighten every other one until each nut is perfectly tightened. If your car has hub caps, replace them and pack the wheel wedges, jack, lug wrench, and the tire you’ve just changed in your trunk.

Get New Tires in Frederick, MD at Our Car Dealership

And there you have it. You can now easily change a tire. Visit DARCARS Kia of Frederick today for a range of top tire brands and expert tire installations performed by qualified Kia technicians.

Tags: Fixing a Flat Tire, Flat Tire Steps
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