How to Fix a Puncture with a Tire Plug
Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 7:07 am
Today, I had the TPMS warning go off on my way to work which prompted me to check my tires. The air pressure gauge read less than 8 PSI. I filled it up and then later noticed a Phillips screw in the tire. I carry a puncture repair kit with me for these occasions so I thought to do a write up since I took photos.
Warning: Before I even get started, I want to be clear that this repair is intended as an emergency repair only. The use of "string plugs" like these is not ideal for tires. I'm opting to use this repair method because my tires are old shitty OEM Dunlops and I just don't care about what's best for them. I just wanted to deal with this promptly so I took care of it in my work garage.
The best repair method involves removing the tire from the wheel and patching the tire from the inside while also plugging the hole. Obviously it's not an option in emergency repairs like this. This guide is intended only for DIY emergency repairs. If you want what's best for your tires, put on the spare and have the puncture professionally repaired.
Given our cars have TPMS, avoid the use of tire sealants which can damage the tire pressure sensors. In essence, the use of tire plugs is the best emergency tire repair for our cars.
About the kit:
These kinds of kits are sold in most auto parts stores and places like Walmart, Target, etc. They're designed to seal puncture holes from nails and screws with very sticky tar-like string plugs that seal up the hole. Since the leading cause of tire punctures are objects like nails and screws, these kits are good to have in your car as emergency repair kits.
Tools you need:
- A puncture repair kit. The kit contains tire plugs and the tools needed to install them.
- A knife or razor blade.
- Your car's emergency jacking kit.
- An air pump.
- Pliers and screwdrivers are helpful for removing nails and screws.
Note: It's only good to do this repair when you have access to an air pump. This is because the process of repairing a puncture will cause most of the tire's air to leak out if it wasn't already flat. Unless you can pump it back up, it may not be worth fixing at the time. In this case, use your spare tire... assuming it's not flat from total neglect.
Getting started:
Step 1: Try to park the car on the most level surface available. Place the transmission in Park for Automatic or 1st for Manual. Pull up on the hand brake.
Step 2: Locate the nail or screw in the tire that is causing the flat tire.
Step 3: If you can, chock the tire that is the diagonal opposite tire. For example, for removing the Right Rear tire, chock the Left Front tire.
Step 4: Using the emergency lug nut wrench, loosen the lug nuts, but do not remove them. Do this to all lug nuts before jacking up the car. Use the key if you have wheel locks.
Step 5: Place the emergency scissor jack under the jacking boss location. Twist by hand until the jack meets the boss.
Step 6: Attach the jack crank tools to the jack. The Kizashi's kit uses the hub cap pry tool and the lug nut wrench joined together as the jack's crank.
Step 7: Jack up the car carefully until the tire clears off of the ground.
Step 8: Remove the loosened lug nuts off of the wheel and remove the wheel from the car.
Step 9: Inspect the tire and locate the puncture object. In my case, I located 2 objects. One was a screw and the other was a fragment of a nail. The nail was too small to cause a leak, but the screw was in there in all its glory.
Step 10: Using the appropriate tool, remove the puncture object carefully. Screws like this one may come out easily by unscrewing them with a screwdriver. Nails can be pried out with a knife or flat blade screwdriver. If you have pliers, you can work the nail out easily.
Step 11: Check the puncture hole to make sure it's cleared and clean. Allow the tire to deflate if it's not already flat. Flat tires are more flexible and easier to repair.
Step 12: Insert the rasp tool into the puncture hole and move it back and forth a number of times. Make sure you can push the tool through the tire. This process cleans the hole and makes the hole bigger. It may seem counter-intuitive but the point is to make the hole bigger for the sake of the plug.
Step 13: Remove a string plug from its packaging and thread it through the eyelet of the needle tool. Have the plug centered on the tool.
Step 14: If you have cement in your kit, coat the plug with cement. My kit did not include cement so I did not do this step. My string plugs are super sticky with a tar-like coating so cement may not be necessary. I've used this kit numerous times before with no cement and it fixed the punctures fine every time.
Step 15: Push the needle tool straight into the hole. The plug should enter the hole. Do not twist the tool. Push until 2/3 of the string plug is inside the tire.
Step 16: Pull the needle tool straight out. Do not twist. The needle tool's eyelet features a slit for the plug to slip out of. The remaining 1/3 of the plug should stay outside the tire once the tool is removed.
Step 17: Cut off the excess plug with a knife or razor. Don't worry about getting it perfect as the road will smooth it out.
Step 18: Inflate your tire to the correct pressure. It's 38 PSI for my Kizashi. For emergency roadside repairs, having an inflator is key. I'm using my jumpstarter/inflator I got from Costco that I always have in my Kizashi.
Step 19: Mount your tire back onto the car. Replace the all the lug nuts on the wheel, but do not fully tighten.
Step 20: Lower the vehicle using the jack.
Step 21: Tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern. I believe the torque spec is close to 100 ft-lbs of torque. Unless you carry a torque wrench with you, you'd just have to estimate it. It's pretty tight, but nothing to go gorilla-strength on.
Now you can drive off. Check the repair and air pressure the next time you stop.
From my experience, this method provides a permanent repair although it may not be the best kind. Your tire condition and driving situation should determine if this type of repair is appropriate. Regardless, it sure beats being stuck with a flat.
Warning: Before I even get started, I want to be clear that this repair is intended as an emergency repair only. The use of "string plugs" like these is not ideal for tires. I'm opting to use this repair method because my tires are old shitty OEM Dunlops and I just don't care about what's best for them. I just wanted to deal with this promptly so I took care of it in my work garage.
The best repair method involves removing the tire from the wheel and patching the tire from the inside while also plugging the hole. Obviously it's not an option in emergency repairs like this. This guide is intended only for DIY emergency repairs. If you want what's best for your tires, put on the spare and have the puncture professionally repaired.
Given our cars have TPMS, avoid the use of tire sealants which can damage the tire pressure sensors. In essence, the use of tire plugs is the best emergency tire repair for our cars.
About the kit:
These kinds of kits are sold in most auto parts stores and places like Walmart, Target, etc. They're designed to seal puncture holes from nails and screws with very sticky tar-like string plugs that seal up the hole. Since the leading cause of tire punctures are objects like nails and screws, these kits are good to have in your car as emergency repair kits.
Tools you need:
- A puncture repair kit. The kit contains tire plugs and the tools needed to install them.
- A knife or razor blade.
- Your car's emergency jacking kit.
- An air pump.
- Pliers and screwdrivers are helpful for removing nails and screws.
Note: It's only good to do this repair when you have access to an air pump. This is because the process of repairing a puncture will cause most of the tire's air to leak out if it wasn't already flat. Unless you can pump it back up, it may not be worth fixing at the time. In this case, use your spare tire... assuming it's not flat from total neglect.
Getting started:
Step 1: Try to park the car on the most level surface available. Place the transmission in Park for Automatic or 1st for Manual. Pull up on the hand brake.
Step 2: Locate the nail or screw in the tire that is causing the flat tire.
Step 3: If you can, chock the tire that is the diagonal opposite tire. For example, for removing the Right Rear tire, chock the Left Front tire.
Step 4: Using the emergency lug nut wrench, loosen the lug nuts, but do not remove them. Do this to all lug nuts before jacking up the car. Use the key if you have wheel locks.
Step 5: Place the emergency scissor jack under the jacking boss location. Twist by hand until the jack meets the boss.
Step 6: Attach the jack crank tools to the jack. The Kizashi's kit uses the hub cap pry tool and the lug nut wrench joined together as the jack's crank.
Step 7: Jack up the car carefully until the tire clears off of the ground.
Step 8: Remove the loosened lug nuts off of the wheel and remove the wheel from the car.
Step 9: Inspect the tire and locate the puncture object. In my case, I located 2 objects. One was a screw and the other was a fragment of a nail. The nail was too small to cause a leak, but the screw was in there in all its glory.
Step 10: Using the appropriate tool, remove the puncture object carefully. Screws like this one may come out easily by unscrewing them with a screwdriver. Nails can be pried out with a knife or flat blade screwdriver. If you have pliers, you can work the nail out easily.
Step 11: Check the puncture hole to make sure it's cleared and clean. Allow the tire to deflate if it's not already flat. Flat tires are more flexible and easier to repair.
Step 12: Insert the rasp tool into the puncture hole and move it back and forth a number of times. Make sure you can push the tool through the tire. This process cleans the hole and makes the hole bigger. It may seem counter-intuitive but the point is to make the hole bigger for the sake of the plug.
Step 13: Remove a string plug from its packaging and thread it through the eyelet of the needle tool. Have the plug centered on the tool.
Step 14: If you have cement in your kit, coat the plug with cement. My kit did not include cement so I did not do this step. My string plugs are super sticky with a tar-like coating so cement may not be necessary. I've used this kit numerous times before with no cement and it fixed the punctures fine every time.
Step 15: Push the needle tool straight into the hole. The plug should enter the hole. Do not twist the tool. Push until 2/3 of the string plug is inside the tire.
Step 16: Pull the needle tool straight out. Do not twist. The needle tool's eyelet features a slit for the plug to slip out of. The remaining 1/3 of the plug should stay outside the tire once the tool is removed.
Step 17: Cut off the excess plug with a knife or razor. Don't worry about getting it perfect as the road will smooth it out.
Step 18: Inflate your tire to the correct pressure. It's 38 PSI for my Kizashi. For emergency roadside repairs, having an inflator is key. I'm using my jumpstarter/inflator I got from Costco that I always have in my Kizashi.
Step 19: Mount your tire back onto the car. Replace the all the lug nuts on the wheel, but do not fully tighten.
Step 20: Lower the vehicle using the jack.
Step 21: Tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern. I believe the torque spec is close to 100 ft-lbs of torque. Unless you carry a torque wrench with you, you'd just have to estimate it. It's pretty tight, but nothing to go gorilla-strength on.
Now you can drive off. Check the repair and air pressure the next time you stop.
From my experience, this method provides a permanent repair although it may not be the best kind. Your tire condition and driving situation should determine if this type of repair is appropriate. Regardless, it sure beats being stuck with a flat.