Options after Flat Tyre Incident

Hi all,

Bad luck hit me today as one of my car's tyres (rear-driver-side tyre) went flat..
Didn't actually notice it until it started making funny noise yet I kept driving for 10 minutes ~70kmph as I thought it was someone's noisy muffler!
Upon inspection, it seemed that there were a spot where I could see a small piece of glass (still stuck) and another spot with small hole (I think).
I've changed it to the spare tyre for now but it's not a full-size one.

Anyway, I just want to get advice on what options do I have now?
Can a punctured tyre be fixed, if it's a good idea at all?
Or should I just get a new tyre?

If it's best to get a new tyre,
1. what is a good tyre (brand and model)
2. which shop(s) usually have a good price in Sydney?
3. is it advisable to get the same brand/model of the rest of the other tyres? Or brand/model does not matter as long as same specs?

Btw, my car is using Toyo tyres

TIA

Comments

  • +13

    10 minutes @ 70 kph - I'm surprised the tyre isn't shredded.

    • Does not look like it's shredded.. just pretty flat

      • How flat?

        Was it just low?

        Or has the rim marked the sidewall?

        • +11

          If the sidewall isn't damaged you can repair the puncture yourself:

          1. Buy a puncture repair kit. $20.45 from Supercheap Auto: http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/Product/SCA-Tyre-Repair-Kit…

          2. Fill up a spray bottle with water and add some detergent.

          3. Inflate the punctured tyre.

          4. Spray the suspected areas with the diluted detergent and look for foaming caused by air escaping. The usual culprits for punctures are nails or screws, the glass isn't likely to penetrate deep enough.

          5. Spray the whole surface of the tyre to ensure you find any other punctures. You can also submerge the tyre in water to check it if you have a bin/Styrofoam box/etc full of water.

          6. Pull the offending nail(s)/screw(s)/etc straight out with pliers/sidecutters, try not to make the hole any worse.

          7. Clean up the hole with the reamer/rasp from the kit.

          8. Load up the plug tool with a plug.

          9. Apply rubber cement to the hole and the plug.

          10. Push the plug straight into the hole until less than 20 mm of plug protrudes.

          11. Inflate the tyre.

          12. Repeat step 4. to confirm the plug has sealed the hole.

          13. Trim off the protruding plug with a sharp knife.

        • +13

          @Scrooge McDuck:

          waste of goddamn time, get a new tyre on it and be done with it cause that's what the OP will be doing after he has wasted $20 and time on that crap. I used it once at race track to try stay in the race.. does not work.

        • +3

          @Lenny Pepperidge:

          I used it once at race track to try stay in the race..

          You used this during a race? Was it an endurance race? How much time did you take?

          Didn't you have a spare?

          does not work.

          Perhaps you rushed it and did a crappy job…

          A mate of mine works at a tyre shop and uses this method frequently. Within my family, I know of two instances of this repair method being used; both were successes with no issue.

        • +2

          @Scrooge McDuck:

          That sounds like how they exacty did it years ago when I got heaps of puctures driving when those olympic facilities were being built nearby my place. They worked just fine and seem like industry practice to me.

          I have been warned they can leak overtime but I top up my tyres once a week on average. I'd say it's worth a go for $20!

        • +5

          @Scrooge McDuck: Tyre places repair punctures on the spot for $10.

        • +1

          @Lenny Pepperidge:
          The cement has a setting time that you may have overlooked.

          Furthermore, it depends on location of puncture.

          I would't recycle tyres for track. I always carry a couple of full spares.

        • +5

          @Lenny Pepperidge:
          I paid a someone to patch up a tyre for me ($30).
          It lasted the life of the tyre.

          Saved me $300

        • +8

          @Scrooge McDuck:

          The amount of time it will take the OP to do this, might as well just take it to a tyre shop and get it repaired by the shop for $50 in 5 minutes.

          save yourself time, effort and whole lot of elbow grease, depends how much you value your own time.

          totally off topic, but a friend of mine lives on a pretty big block of land and has lots of lawn to mow,

          however he works 6 days a week so he can afford to live in a beautiful house with his family.

          even though mowing the lawn might take him a couple of hours on a Sunday, he better values his limited time with his wife and kids and pays someone to mows the lawn for him.

          moral of the story, depends what you value your time.

        • +1

          @Archi:

          It usually cost me $10-$20 to get it fixed at a tyre repair shop…

          I suggest OP bring it there and see if it can get fixed…

        • -1

          @Scrooge McDuck:

          oh ok blame me for a crappy product lol

          This was at a drag strip and I ran over a nail in the braking area which put a hole in my drivers front runner. We were in the semi finals but had to withdraw. It was given the time to seal and all that but still had slow leak.

          It was in our toolbox for years for this exact moment and it let us down, so I don't recommend it at all.

        • +2

          @Lenny Pepperidge:

          It was in our toolbox for years

          Perhaps the plug or rubber cement were off…

          In any case, I understand your negative impression but your sample size is only one; versus what seems to be a frequently successful repair method.

          Out of interest, to what pressure do you fill front runners?

        • @Scrooge McDuck:
          interesting read… and thoughts from some of other users comments.

          .

        • @4iedemon:

          I have a friend that owns a mechanic workshop that would do it free of charge.. but too lazy to travel the extra 40KM round trip to see him hahaha.

        • @Scrooge McDuck:

          the thing is still in my toolbox and it has no expiry date.. sure my case is a one off but i bought it for that exact reason and it failed

        • +3

          @Scrooge McDuck:
          agreed. Worked for me, as long as damage is to tread and not sidewall, should be good to go

        • +2

          @Lenny Pepperidge: I've used them approximately 6 times on my bike and never had a problem with them. At $200 for a rear tyre, that a lot saved. I've known experienced and fast riders to do bike track days on large capacity bikes with plugged tyres - and also had no problem.

        • -1

          @Archi: So he works 6 days a week to live in a house that's probably too big and he doesn't have enough time to mow the lawn.

        • @macrocephalic:

          don't think the house is too big.. just prefers to spend the extra time with his family I guess. instead of mowing the lawn and cleaning up after it for 2 hours… takes his daughter to the park. or has a nice breakfast with is wife and kids.

          his job demands a 6 day working week because he is a trades man. he earns his money so he can provide the best possible start for his kids.

          sounds like you are judging him.

        • +3

          @Archi: i have fixed 3 tyres with the mentioned method now. I can take a tyre off, fix it, and pump it and back on the car at home in about 20 minutes, maybe a bit less if I hurried. It cost me about 10 bucks for the kit many years ago, and I actually now cut the plugs in half because they still work fine so expecting to be able to fix at least 14 tyres for the 10 bucks outlay.

          In comparison the last time I took a tyre to someone to fix it took me well more than half an hour, cost me 25 bucks and I had to deal with some annoying prick of a mechanic. I'm my opinion doing this yourself is a no brainer

        • +1

          @KLoNe: Where about? In Sydney standard charges for puncture repair is $30.

        • +1

          @Scrooge McDuck:
          This is the only way tyres are repaired in South Africa and it works. The DIY repair kit is not available there so you pay good $ for some other guy to do this.
          @Scrooge McDuck: thanks for taking the time to detail the repair procedure.

        • . dupe

        • +1

          @Jackson:

          and I actually now cut the plugs in half because they still work fine

          I thought of this too (typical OzBargainer). You'd just want to make sure you don't push the halved plug too far in.

          Thanks for confirming it works. :)

        • @Jackson: I don't even take the tyre off my bike. It's usually pretty obvious where the leak is - there'll be a nail or screw hanging out of it.

        • @macrocephalic: i guess on my bike I have been lucky, never had an issue before, car seems to happen more often, I think it's because the passenger side tyres are common y close to the gutter where a lot of the debris is

        • @Jackson: Queensland legalised lane filtering a couple of years ago, so I spend a fair bit of time on the shoulder.

        • @Scrooge McDuck: yeah thought of this when I was hacking at the part sticking out thinking I could save having to do this by using half a plug. Plus that stuff can't be good for the environment, just look at it, looks like a synthetic rope shaped sticky turd, 3 benefits in one

        • @macrocephalic: i always try to filter on the right if possible, just cos people don't look left, but yes I do do it from time to time

        • @Jackson: I prefer to filter on the right as well - as there on-off ramps are normally on the left. There's still plenty of debris there though ;)

        • @Heb:

          Should you check tyre pressure every week?

        • cool I'm glad your so handy. maybe you can come over to my place and repair a tyre for me. i can pay you 25 bucks. saves me from doing it and i can help another person with some extra spending money,

          reminds me another story…

          i go to a local café to buy my coffee in the morning, not every day, but maybe once or twice a week. the coffee is pretty average, but he tries very hard and cant really compete with the more trendy cafes in the area, but i like the personal greetings he gives and its almost great to support a local business… even though its average coffee, i don't mind paying the $3.00.

        • @gentlecrack: Brisbane. It's a local type place, but I'm not friends with the staff or anything (no mates rates discount). I've had it done twice.

        • @Lenny Pepperidge:

          It was in our toolbox for years for this exact moment and it let us down, so I don't recommend it at all.

          I find things like glue and cement and silicone often start to go after a certain time and it's never quite as effective no more. Not for me anyways lol!

        • @serpserpserp:

          Should you check tyre pressure every week?

          I doubt it but it's a strange habit of mine, when I top up I just got check my tyre pressures. Came from days when big bikes were my only form of transportation. Only had 2 tyres that kept me to the road and that was it! It is most likely over the top.

          I've never looked it up but I'd say at least once a fortnight would be recommended if not once a month. Depends on how your tyres go and how often you use it. I find the drivers side always seem to drop a psi or 2 quicker than the rest. If your tyres never seem to go down at least once a month is my opinion.

          Just keeps everything optimal and for those pedantic tyre people - helps you inspect the condition of the tyres every week.

        • @Scrooge McDuck: Pretty sure from memory it wasn't a lot more than that to get a tyre place to repair it for me last time I had a puncture.

        • @Scrooge McDuck: My local tyre place (Clues Bros) only charges $20 - $30 to fix a puncture.

          SOOOo much easier than doing it yourself.

  • +5

    Go to a tyre dealer, they can tell you if it can be repaired ( I doubt it can).
    If the other 3 are still ok, buy the same.

    • The other 3 are still ok, well should be anyway as I just did ~10k km..
      Which tyre dealer would you recommend?

      • +3

        Go to your closest one.

        You are just buying one tyre for a Mazda, prices will be similar.

        • -1

          You can't change just one tyre if the other one did 10k kms. It's unsafe.
          Ask your mechanics why he swaps both rear tyres with front ones when you service you're car.

        • @errorius: Why? The other tyres are still safe.

        • +2

          @macrocephalic:
          All tyres need the same amount of tread otherwise when you brake it's unsafe.
          Tyre shops will usually not change just 1 tyre, I guess it depends on the condition, whether tyres are worn evenly

        • +2

          @errorius:
          Not sure why you are getting downvoted.

          most tyre places won't replace just 1.

        • +1

          @Hirolol: Retailer will only sell customer two of item! Colour me surprised.

        • -1

          @macrocephalic:
          Its for safety

        • +1

          @Hirolol:

          swear to god bro!

        • @Hirolol: I find that difficult to believe. 10k km on a set of tyres shouldn't be enough to be replacing more than one, unless there is uneven wear on any of the tyres. I can see why it might be better to replace both, but it's unnecessarily wasteful to replace two.

        • @Euphemistic:

          yeh, i didnt clarify with this comment but in my other comments in this thread i said they may let him get away with it if the tyre is not too worn or if they are evenly worn.

        • @Scrooge McDuck:
          Lets say hypothetically someone is in a fatal accident and during the investigation it was shown that the problem was with the tyres AND the tyre shop had only changed 1 tyre or changed them unevenly (1 front and 1 back, or any combination for that matter) then they will get in trouble.

        • @Hirolol: I highly doubt that. If the tyre is legal, it is legal.

          I have two different tyres on the back of my car. Different brands and obviously so, one nearly worn out (but still legal) the other quite new. It passed rego inspection (NSW annual inspection) no question.

          Now I would normally replace two tyres at a time on a car, but if for some reason one was trashed and the other had only 1/4 of its life used up I'd be putting one new one on and not be concerned about any increased danger for driving. I isually would choose to put the most worn tyres on the back as well, as the steer tyres are most important.

  • +7

    Can a punctured tyre be fixed, if it's a good idea at all? Or should I just get a new tyre?

    Yes - can be fixed, but if you drove on it for 10mins@70km/h = 11km … it's probably dead.

    Is there any rim damage? If so, might need a new rim too.

    1. which shop(s) usually have a good price in Sydney?

    Costco is good. BobJane/BridgeStone/GoodYear/other big tyre chain are hit and miss. Price for 1 tyre + fitting + balancing probably wont vary too much between different shops.

    1. is it advisable to get the same brand/model of the rest of the other tyres?

    Which tyre is it? front/rear? How many kms have the current tyres done? Do you know if they tyres were rotated during the services?

    I would probably change front two or rear two, unless the other tyres are almost new already.

    • Do I need Costco membership to change tyre there?

      It's rear driver-side tyre.. my car is FWD.. ~10k km hasnt been rotated AFAIK

      • Do I need Costco membership to change tyre there?

        Yes

      • +1

        Front engine front wheel drive car means that the front wheels carry the drive, and steering, and most of the weight. Don't stress too much. Just get that tyre replaced (unless the rest are pretty bad also).

  • +1

    You can check with the tyre place if your tyre can be fixed. It it can be fixed I don't see any reason to replace it.
    Also if it needs to be replaced you might have to replace all 4 depending on the amount of thread on other 3 tyres.
    As far as brand model I would recommend to have same brand/model for all 4 tyres for even traction/breaking.

    • The other 3 should still be in good condition as only did 10k km..
      Do shops usually sell Toyo tyres? It does not seem mainstream brand to me but hey I am no tyres expert!

      • +2

        They are pretty mainstream. Every Tyrepower store sells Toyo tyres, so if you have one nearby I'd recommend just going there. :)

  • +1

    Jesus Christ… Please don't go bargaining for tyres… At 70km for ten minutes, your tyre's most likely shagged. Replace it and ask the tyre retailer if the one opposite is OK, or replace to match… Depending on your car and tyre wear, you may need to rotate or reposition tyres as advised.

    • +1

      Please don't go bargaining for tyres

      Huh? What's wrong with haggling for tyres? Just don't buy the cheapest available.

  • Driving for 10 minutes at 70kmh on flat tire would have definitely damaged the tire wall. This damage is not repairable and you will need a new tire. In NSW your tires need to match (in terms of make (brand), model, etc) - you can have all four matching, or the rear two or front two match.

    Seeing as your 3 other tires will be ok, then it is advisable to stick to the Toyo brand and model of your existing tires.

    • Is there a law in NSW that says that, i.e. you can have all four matching, or the rear two or front two match. ?

      I am also concerned that since I drove it for ~10 mins, the wheel might be damaged..?

      • -2

        yes, road-worthy laws state that your tires must match.

        All your concerns will be alleviated when you take your car in to be looked - you will be told what the damage is to both tire and wheel if applicable.

        • +4

          yes, road-worthy laws state that your tires must match.

          reference?

        • @sp00ker: I didn't make the claim, but I did find a one-line reference in here: http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/roads/safety-rules/stand…

        • @abb:

          Don’t mix tyre types or sizes if you can possibly avoid this. Never mix radials with cross-ply tyres on one axle. If you
          have only two radials, they must be on the rear wheels. Always make sure that both front tyres and both back tyres
          are the same

          That paragraph reads more like "recommendations", rather than a 'law'.

          Think about it - how would all those cars with a space saver spare be allowed on the road, if all tyres had to be matching.

        • -1

          @sp00ker: It is a recommendation, because Volvo and some of the european cars now supply a "compact" spare wheel, which is like the size of their normal wheel but the width is halved. Its quite funny when you see it…. its like a car with a bicycle wheel on it.

        • -1

          @lplau:

          I know what a space saver is.

          My point is that 4 matching tyres was never a legal requirement.

        • -1

          @sp00ker: Never said otherwise, just showing a real world example of not having 4 matching tyres.

          Also another example would be some cars with larger rims, the manufacturer would put a smaller rim spare usually smaller by 1-2". So it must be legal if manufacturers are doing that.

          They do recommend different speeds to drive at though for safety reasons, as the car may be unbalanced.

        • -1

          @lplau:

          Never said otherwise, just showing a real world example of not having 4 matching tyres.

          Huh? A real-world example, by copying what I already said?

          Also another example would be some cars with larger rims, the manufacturer would put a smaller rim spare usually smaller by 1-2". So it must be legal if manufacturers are doing that.

          That's the same example as the 1st one … next you'll be tell me some manufacturers put in a larger rim as a spare and that's a new example.

        • -1

          @sp00ker: Huh? Am i missing something here? Why so defensive when somebody is agreeing with you?…. Haha i MUST be missing something here…

        • @sp00ker: Ahhh i think i know where it all went wrong…. HAHA didn't actually see that you mentioned the space saver in your original post.

          And my English is actually first language for your information.

      • +2

        Is there a law in NSW that says that, i.e. you can have all four matching, or the rear two or front two match. ?

        yes its called fashion police

        • LOLS!

    • +2

      Tyres*

    • +4

      There have been rules that the type of tyre must match and there were rules for what type of tyres could be on the front and rear when three types of sidewall construction were in use - Cross Ply [old] Bias Belt [ rare] or Radial, as each type had different handling characteristics and mixing them on the same axle was dangerous. I doubt that you can buy anything but a Radial belted tyre these days. Other than that I'm pretty sure that the sizes of the tyres should be the same, but brand and model is taking it a bit far unless one is driving at high speed on a race-track.
      As for a tyre that had been driven on when flat, other than to move off the road immediately for safety when changing it, I wouldn't dream of trusting my life to it. A blow-out, which you are risking, is a far different incident than a puncture.

    • Tyre not tire

  • +2

    I imagined the OP continuing to drive like this.

  • +2

    Paying to have it patched is false economy as i see it, as you'd doubtlessly weakened it by driving on it for that distance.

  • +3

    Take your mother with you.

  • +4

    Replace the tyre
    I don't understand how people can be so stingy when it comes to car maintainence / repairs
    I do not want to be sharing the road with rolling deathtraps

    70km at 10km, you've stuffed it, I am amazed it didn't roll off the rim and stuff the axel / wheel bearings / rim

  • +1

    I'm in Sydney too but out at Burwood. There are loads of cheapie tyre shops in punchbowl (Crazy tyres were cheap) who did my cheap puncture repairs years ago. It was like $10 for a puncture repair for a mid size sedan. They also can replace tyres with a good range of second hand tyre (90+ tread only a year or two old) around $20 or they sold new chinese tyres too about half the price of the mainstream tyres I had on my car. Add another $5-$10 for todays pricing or call around your local lower social economic suburb with loads of mechanics around. There's always one nearby if you look.

    Yes some would argue don't do it, second hand tyres are nasty or chinese tyres aren't worth it. Really depends on your car and what you use it for and your financial situation. If you're just after something to run till your other rear goes whatever, might be a good temporary solution than attempting to fix an unrepairable tyre.

    But ever since costco opened up the road in Homebush I tend to go there nowadays get it sorted whilst i do my shopping to save time and they at least were fixing the tyres I bought from them for free too! :)

    • Its the only piece which keeps your car controllable on the road and saves both yours as well as other's lives. I'd value life more than money, but up to you…your life, you might have no value for it.

      • Never said I use it mate. I agree with you.

        But just figured I'd point out to the OP he/she can decide what to do as an alternative even if it's temporary till they buy a new set of top dollar expensive tyres that seem to make all the difference to saving someones precious attitude and life.

        Just trying to be a bit more helpful than you pointing out the obvious - duh!

        • +2

          No need to backtrack brosef.

          Some people on the internet are just plain self-righteous, overly conservative and looking to put down people who break from the pack.

          The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.

        • -2

          Don't really need to pay top dollar for a good set of tyres. Just buy a brand which has good safety record based on the condition you drive most. Every known brand has tyres across the entire price range.

        • +1

          @shadowarrior:

          All brands have to start somewhere. Yeah the Korean cars were considered dangerous at some stage but really how bad were they in the end? Those Kias never ended up with a terrible safety record here in Oz and I think is one of the best selling brands last year.

          The cheap nexens got a bad rep from my local tyre shop but now a lot of smaller chains sell them ok and from memory come standard on some new hyundais if i'm not mistaken.

          Not everyone has to buy brand name well known items I support independence and free view. It's what makes the world unique and fun! I personally wouldn't want to impose my own views on the OP but am happy to provide some alternative helpful solutions to a fellow frugal ozbargainer!

          Or we'd all be the same, want the same and be very very boring.

      • +2

        Its the only piece which keeps your car controllable on the road and saves both yours as well as other's lives.

        Pretty sure there are loads of other critical pieces bud.

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