News

by: Parker Ashton

Imagine a worst case scenario: You are miles away from home, alone on the road, and you hear a loud noise coming from your tire, followed by vibrations in the steering wheel. You pull over on the side of the road, and you realize you have a flat tire. You are not in a position to put on your spare tire, or, you may not even HAVE a spare tire. No tow trucks, automotive service centers, or passers-by anywhere near you. This is an emergency scenario where it would be safe and smart to have an aerosol can of flat tire fixer in your car. You simply spray in the contents into your tire and you are back on the road. This is exactly the kind of situation these flat tire fixes were created for, a temporary fix in an emergency. However, never rely on flat tire fixes, as changing out the flat to a spare is always the best option for a temporary solution.

Remember that you never want to drive for an extended period of time on a flat tire. The longer you drive on a tire with even minor, repairable damage, the more likely it is that the tire will need to be replaced. Flat tire fixers are designed to provide a temporary fix, but many motorists become over confident once the flat is repaired and continue to drive on the tire, or they drive too far on it. Anytime you have a flat, even if you have a temporary solution for it, you should go get the tire inspected and repaired to ensure the safety of the tire as well as potentially repairing it correctly and permanently.

Flat tire fixers work by filling the hole with a solution that reacts to the air, causing a chemical reaction and hardening, which plugs the puncture. However, if left too long, the rest of the chemical solution will begin to cure or stay liquid inside the tire. Both will throw your tires off balance and may affect other components of the tire, such as the air valve, and especially if you have TPMS (Tire Pressure Management Systems), it will throw off the air pressure, potentially causing more damage or wear to the tire. Leaving flat tire fixes inside the tire can cause the tire to rot on the inside, creating blowouts, fiber separation, or rusting- which will result in the need for a new tire.

Flat tire fixers are great in an emergency scenario to be used as a temporary fix only. If you do get a flat tire and are unable to switch it out with the spare, use the flat tire fixer and schedule an appointment with your local mechanic or auto technician immediately. With fast action, most tires may be able to be repaired and saved. There are options for tire plugs and patches that will provide long term, and safe fixes for flat tires, without compromising the life of the tire.