Puncture repairs
Puncture Repair
Getting your tyre repaired.
There’s nothing more annoying than getting a puncture, especially when you rely on your car every day or you’re about to go on a long journey. Punctures can happen suddenly or over a period of time and a tyre that’s loosing pressure can be doing so for a number of reasons.
Why is my tyre losing pressure?
A tyre can lose pressure for a number of reasons, the obvious being that a nail, thorn or foreign object has punctured it. It can also be a faulty valve or the rim that’s leaking air that causes a tyre to go flat.
Common reasons for a flat tyre
- A nail, thorn or foreign object has punctured it
- There is a build up of corrosion on the wheel which is causing a rim leak
- There is a fault with the valve
Tyre repairs
Can my tyre be repaired?
Location of the puncture
If the puncture is in the middle of the tread of the tyre then it can usually be repaired. The British Safety Guidelines we adhere to BSAU159 recommend that punctures within the central ¾ of the tread can be considered safe to repair.
If the location of the puncture is near the edge or on the sidewall of the tyre then unfortunately we aren’t able to repair this and you will need a replacement tyre.
The size of the puncture
Punctures larger than 6mm in diameter are not able to be repaired
The condition of the tyre
We always check the general condition of the tyre prior to carrying out a puncture repair.
If the tyre has bulges, cuts, has cords exposed or is close to the legal limit of 1.6mm of tread and so near the end of its life we wouldn’t repair the puncture. Whilst some tyres with low tread could be repaired, it wouldn’t usually be cost effective to do so and we would recommend the tyre to be replaced.
Can you repair a flat tyre that's been driven on?
Unfortunately, drivers sometimes have no choice but to drive on a punctured tyre for a short period. This often results on the tyre’s sidewall becoming damaged which means that the tyre wouldn’t be safe to repair.
We often don’t detect this damage until the tyre is removed from the wheel, it’s at this time that our technicians can see the internal damaged caused by the tyre being driven at low pressure.
Unfortunately this damage means the tyre is no longer safe to repair.
Can run-flat tyres be repaired?
Runflat tyres are specialist tyres with reinforced sidewalls, meaning in the event of a puncture they remain inflated ensuring the driver can carry on with their journey until they get to a garage.
Runflat’s are commonly found on BMWs and Minis although are occasionally fitted to other prestige vehicles.
Whilst runflat tyres have obvious safety benefits, we do have to be a little more cautious when assessing whether they can be repaired. This is largely due to the technology of the runflat tyre which makes it more difficult to see if any damage has occurred to the tyre structure or for how long it’s been driven on with the puncture.
We can repair runflat tyres but will only do so if we know it is safe; whilst it’s annoying if you have to replace a punctured tyre your safety has to be the top priority.
If you need further advice on puncture repairs then don’t hesitate to contact your local branch or call our team on 0345 2997 955.