Few things are as inconvenient and frustrating as getting a flat tire, especially when you’re in a rush or on your way to work. Below are tips on what to do when you are stranded next to the road with a flat.
What Should You Do if You Get a Flat Tire in Frederick, MD?
Pull Over in a Safe Place
When you get a flat, drive slower and immediately look for a level area where you can pull over safely as far away from the road and the traffic as possible. Turn on your hazard lights to make your vehicle more visible to other motorists.
Make Your Car Visible
Place a reflective warning triangle ten feet directly behind your car to make your vehicle even more visible. Take extra precautions and place a triangle behind the right side of your car and another one approximately 100 feet away in line with the middle of your bumper.
Loosen the Nuts
Place your car in park or shift into reverse if you drive a manual to prevent your vehicle from rolling back. Take the lug wrench, jack, spare tire, and wheel wedges out of the trunk and place the wheel wedges in front of and behind the tires to secure your car. Loosen the lug nuts counterclockwise, but don’t remove them altogether.
Jack Up Your car
Find your car’s jacking point close to the tire you want to change. Jack your car up enough to remove the wheel. Loosen the nuts further, remove them, and take the flat off. Place the flat under the car to protect your vehicle if it slides off the jack.
Mount the Spare
Place the spare in front of the wheel well, line up the rim with the bolts, and push the tire inward until the bolts poke through the rim. Fit the nuts onto the bolts and turn them clockwise by hand as tightly as possible without using the wrench.
Lower Your Car
Use the jack to lower your car until the spare touches the ground. Tighten the nuts with the wrench until the wheel is flush. Tighten four nuts in opposite pairs and tighten every other one if there are five. Lower your car until the wheel is on the ground. Remove the jack and give the nuts a final tightening.
Collect your reflective warning triangles, wheel wedges, wrench, jack, and flat and place them in the trunk. Be extra cautious, look for oncoming traffic, and use your turn signals when getting back on the road.
Don’t drive with your spare for more than 50 miles. Stop at DARCARS Used Car and Service Center of Frederick today for a wide selection of quality brand tires and expert installations to ensure you are safe on the road.
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