Driving is meant to be a fairly straight forward activity for most of us; however car maintenance is usually an afterthought and we don’t act until something serious goes wrong. There are actually many small tests and checkups we can do to make sure our cars are working properly and there are no hidden faults which could turn into expensive repairs.
One of these expensive repairs is a blown tyre. Blown tyres can usually be avoided as a large percentage of them don’t come from us running over something sharp but usually other reasons like a slow puncture or driving on flat tyres. It is usually noticeable if our tyres are looking flat but many people think that this is OK and may put off filling them up or investigating the problem.
It is worthwhile checking your tyres regularly to check for nails or any weaknesses which should be pretty obvious. If you have scuffed the sidewall of your tyres when parking near a kerb you may find the side wall may have worn down or developed a weakness. It is vitally important that you do not drive on this tyre as a slight bump in the road could cause the tyre to blow out.
In this situation you should remove the problem tyre and replace it with your spare, once you can drive again you should go to a specialist tyre fitting garage or car service centre to get your tyre replaced. Some cars can drive on their spare tyre as usual but many will need the repaired wheel putting back on as soon as possible to resume normal driving.
Flat tyres are another common problem and can cost you in more ways than one. Flat tyres are not only susceptible to blow outs but they can also cost you extra money in terms of fuel consumption. Flat tyres are inefficient and will make your car slower, needing more fuel to accelerate. You should check the inflation levels on your tyres regularly to notice any sudden drops which could be a sign of a puncture of some sort.
Sometimes we may drive over a nail or other sharp object which gets caught in the tyre, slowly letting air out. These slow punctures can develop over time and become a hazard. Again, if your tyre has been damaged like this then you will need to remove it and get it repaired or replaced by a tyre specialist.
Keeping a close eye on your car’s tyres and other important areas such as your oil level will keep your car in the best working order. With regular checks you’ll also be more likely to spot any developing faults which can be picked up on before they worsen.
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