It’s never fun to have a Flat Tire at Night, but it can be especially bad if you can’t see outside after you stop. Do not worry. You can choose from many things. You can choose from many things. This guide will help you understand each one and walk you through the process. And what you should do if you get a flat tire at night.
- Do not worry. Put on your safety belts, slow down, and look for a completely safe place to stop.
- If you don’t know what to do and can’t get any friends or family to help, call roadside assistance or your insurance company.
- If you’re not in a hurry and want to change the tire now, you can. If you’re parked legally, you can also leave it for tomorrow.
What Should I Do Now?
Don’t freak out and turn on your lights.
Put on your safety gear as soon as you think your tire might be wrong. To turn on the hazards in most cars, press the button with the red triangle on it in the centre dashboard.
People behind you will know something is wrong and you need more room.
Slow down right away
It’s bad for your car to drive on a flat tire. It makes it more likely that you will damage the sidewall or bend the rim, which will cost a lot more to fix than a broken tire. When you’re on three tires, you lose a lot of control over how you drive, so go as slowly as you can while you look for a safe place to stop.
Do not push it if you only have three tires on it. You are more likely to blow another one.
Stop somewhere completely safe.
Look for a well-lit area that won’t be in the way of any other cars because it’s dark outside. People might be more aware if your car is white or a bright color, but you can’t be sure they will be. If you need to fix tires, “Go where you’re safe.”
Anywhere you see a tire shop, mechanic, gas store, or parking lot, you should pull over. If not, find a place to park. Do not park on the street if the flat tire is on the driver’s side and you plan to change it yourself. You will be sticking out into the road while you work.
Note: Don’t stop on a highway at night. Take it slowly to the next exit and get off, unless there is a shoulder with more than one lane or a place set aside for cars that have stopped. The lights must also be very bright if you want to change the tire yourself.
What should I do if I can’t change my tire?
Don’t be afraid to ask a helpful friend or call for help whenever you need it.
If you know your grandfather is awake and can help you with anything that has to do with cars, call him up and ask him to come over. You could also call for roadside help if you have it. Maybe your insurance will even pay for this! Take a look at your insurance card. If there is a number for roadside help, call it and tell them what’s going on.
You could also pay extra for OnStar, AAA, or another type of roadside help. Call them if you do.
For those who live in big cities, you can look online for a roadside help service. You can get free roadside assistance in places like New York, San Antonio, and Chicago.
Doctor of tires Howard Fleischmann says not to drive on a flat tire because “it will destroy the tire.”
Should I change the tire at night?
No, you can wait until tomorrow as long as you follow the rules for parking.
If you choose to wait, park your car somewhere that won’t get towed for not following the rules. Drive a few more blocks if you have to in order to find a legal and safe parking spot. Turn off the car when you park and don’t forget to change the tire tomorrow.
If you need to park at a nearby business, leave them a note telling them you’ll be back soon to get your car.
Look around your car for something like an old envelope. If you don’t have a marker, a pen will do. Say in a short note that you’ll be back soon because your tire is flat. Do not take it off the dash.
Roll the window down a bit and put a plastic bag, towel, or T-shirt in the middle. Then roll it back up. Can’t leave a sign? This shows that the car hasn’t been left behind.
How to Change Your Tire
Get the jack and replacement tire out of the trunk.
To find your spare tire kit, open your trunk and look under the tiled floor. You should have a replacement tire, a jack, and a tire iron that you can hold in your hand. Take everything out of the trunk and put it next to your apartment.
It’s not hard to change your tire at night, but you will need some light. To get help, turn on a lamp or use the one on your phone.
You can’t change your tire if you don’t have a full spare, a jack, and a tire iron.
Just so you know, the tire iron is also often used to lift the jack up.
2. Take the wheel nuts off of the flat.
To loosen all the lug nuts that are keeping your flat tire in place, use the tire iron. The lug nuts should be on pretty tight, so you might need to put some weight on this. You won’t break anything, so don’t worry. Loosen the lug nuts until they’re weak enough that you can turn them by hand, but don’t take them off.
To get to the lug nuts, you might have to pry off a hub cap. You can use your finger or a flathead tool to
3. Get your car off the ground with your jack.
Find a thin metal fence that fits the hole on top of your jack under the door that is closest to you. The frame of your car is this. Place the top of the jack below this point and start to raise it. Keep raising the car until the flat tire is far enough off the ground for you to put the spare on.
As your car gets off the ground, you might hear a scary creaking sound. You don’t need to worry about it settling.
For most jobs, you’ll use the tire iron to turn the nut on the jack’s end to raise the middle spring. But different jacks will have different ways of raising them.
If you can’t find where the jack is, look in your instructions. A special platform for the jack comes with some (mostly new) cars.
4. Take off the wheel nuts and the flat.
Take all of the lug nuts off with your hands and set them away. Next, carefully lift the flat tire off the frame and pull it away. Leave it alone while you finish this step.
Watch out for where you put your lug nuts because it’s dark out. To put in your extra, you’ll need them.
Put the flat tire in the trunk or back seat when you’re done. Most likely, a worker will be able to fix the hole and pump up the tire again.
5. Put the extra in place and tighten the lug nuts.
Place your extra tire on the same bolts that you used to take off the flat tire. After that, put the lug nuts on with your hands. Make sure the nuts are tight enough so that the tire sits flat against the axle.
While the tire is still air filled, don’t try to tighten the nuts all the way.
There is usually an inside and an outside to most spares. The air opening side should be on the outside.
6. Lower the car, take the jack away, and tighten the nuts.
Put your spare tire in the wheel well and connect it to the axle. Then, use your tire iron to start lowering the car. To move the jack nut up, turn it clockwise. To move it down, turn it counterclockwise. Keep lowering the car until it’s flat on the ground, then slide the jack out of the way. Then, use the iron to make the lug nuts as tight as you can.
When you have a spare on, follow the 50/50 rule. You can only go 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) for 50 miles (80 km) before you have to switch out the spare tire for a regular one.
How can you keep your tires from going flat?
Always make sure your tires are full and keep an eye on the road.
Your tire quality and where you drive are the two main things that make it more likely that you will get a flat. Make sure you buy good tires and check the pressure often to make sure they aren’t too low or too high. Pay close attention to where you’re going too. It’s easy to lose attention or only see the car in front of you, but watch out for other cars too!
A Flat Tire at Night is more likely to happen near building sites, on roads with lots of holes, or on gravel roads.
At least once a year, have your tires checked. This way, your mechanic will be able to see if any issues or strange things are going on.
You shouldn’t go faster than 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) or drive for more than 50 miles (80 km). That’s how likely it is that your spare will blow too high.
