Getting a flat tire is not an enjoyable experience. Before you reach for the phone to call a tow truck, though, find out if you can’t change the tire yourself! You might not think that changing a flat tire is an important part of car maintenance in Charlotte – until you’re stuck on the side of the road with one.
Knowing how to change a flat tire is important, though. Not only is it good safety knowledge to have in case you’re in an area where a tow truck can’t get to you, but it can also help you save time and money! Instead of paying for a tow and waiting on the side of the road for them to come, you can take care of this service yourself in a few easy steps.
Change a flat and get on your way with our Charlotte car maintenance tips!
There are a few things drivers can do to help prevent flat tires such as maintaining the tire pressure and making sure to replace old tires with new auto tires in Charlotte.
To help avoid stressful situations, and to help you get back on the road quickly if you get a flat tire, make sure you have all the tools needed for this car maintenance in Charlotte in your vehicle at all times! This includes:
- Spare tire
- Lug wrench
- Jack
After you’ve collected all these supplies, you’re ready to start tackling this car maintenance.
Step One
Find a flat surface and pull over to it. Make sure that there’s enough space so that you can easily access the flat tire that needs to be changed. If you’re on a road or highway, the Toyota techs at our Charlotte Toyota Service Center recommend trying to get to a gas station if possible so that you’ll be out of the way of traffic and have plenty of room to work with.
Step Two
Take the lug wrench and loosen the lugnuts on the tire, but don’t take them off right away. In order to loosen the lugnut, turn them counter clockwise and take your time. They’ll probably be fastened to the hubcap tightly so it might take a few minutes!
Step Three
After loosening the lugnuts, get ready to jack the car up off the ground. To do so safely, make sure the jack is resting underneath a sturdy part of the frame. Your owner’s manual will be able tell you specifically how to perform this part of this Charlotte car maintenance if you have any questions!
Step Four
Once the car is jacked up, it’s time to remove the nuts and the flat tire. After this is done, take the spare tire, slide it on, and then screw the lugnuts back into place. Just like you needed to take your time removing them, feel free to go slow when you put them back on. You want to make sure they’re screwed in tight!
Visit us for your Charlotte car maintenance needs!
After you’ve replaced the flat tire with a spare and are on your way, don’t forget to come visit our Toyota Service Center to get replacement tire ASAP.
You can call our Service Department ahead of time to make an appointment and to find out what kind of Toyota Service Coupons we’re offering! Give us a call at (888) 378-1214!
