Help!!!

hec2308

Sorry for this extremely naive, panicking post but I've always found advice on here so useful.

The situation is my partner and I share the one car. I haven't driven for a while and have got back into it the last month or so, but it's my partner's car and he is the "expert" as it were. He is currently on a plane to Prague for a lads holiday so is not contactable.

I need the car from today until the end of the weekend to help care for my grandparents, I drove to work today and noticed that the front left tyre is incredibly flat. I've pumped it up and haven't gone back out to check yet if it's a slow or a fast puncture, but worst case scenario if I need to take it to a garage to get a new tyre later on today what questions should I ask? I don't want to come across as naive and dim about cars as I actually am and get ripped off in the process. Is there anything I should know and/or do?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Gloomendoom

Have you checked to see if there is a spare tyre in, or under, the boot?

If there is, fit that and sort out the puncture when your partner gets back.

Quentin

Take it to a tyre place and tell them you have a puncture - they will check it out, and either repair it (if that's possible) or advise you need a new tyre fitting. Get a quote

Either agree to that or ask them to put the spare on and go away and shop round for a replacement tyre

curty510

if it is punctured and flat, you may be able to get a tyre fitter come to you and replace the tyre, which will save you fitting the spare. Google mobile tyre fitters in your area, i have also found mobile fitters to be less expensive.

dannyrst

Google black circles, put your details in and find a local independent garage listed (not kwik fit or halfords). Get the number and contact them directly, ask if they can check the tyre for repair. If they can't repair it, ask them to fit the spare (if you can't do this yourself) and buy one of the tyres off black circles and have it sent to them and go back for fitting when it suits you.

martinthebandit

curty510 wrote: »

if it is punctured and flat, you may be able to get a tyre fitter come to you and replace the tyre, which will save you fitting the spare. Google mobile tyre fitters in your area, i have also found mobile fitters to be less expensive.

This is the simplest and easiest solution.

Giles_K

In this case, I would say mobile tyre fitters - assuming the tyre can't be pumped and repaired. It sounds like you need a tyre as soon as possible, so an option that isn't going to cost you an arm and a leg sounds preferable.

One thing to bear in mind with buying a new tyre is that you will end up with one tyre that is not worn down, meaning there's a difference in quality (minor, but arguably noticable)

waamo

Whatever you do avoid Kwik Fit like the plaugue they have a strange knack of finding all sorts of faults that will cost an arm and a leg.

The same is also true of Halfords.

hec2308

Thanks everyone. The tyre hadn't lost any pressure between half 8 this morning and half 12 but have got someone to check it out anyway. Local garage (not Kwikfit) has said that the front two tyres are bald and one of the rear ones needs replacing as well. He's quoted three tyres for £272. What an effing nightmare. If they were that bad I have no idea how it passed it's MOT in September.

I haven't agreed to it yet, going to check out this black circles thing. Thank you.

AdrianC

hec2308 wrote: »

Local garage (not Kwikfit) has said that the front two tyres are bald and one of the rear ones needs replacing as well.

Check them yourself. There should be 1.6mm of depth in the grooves across the width, bare legal minimum. Less than that is three points if Mr Plod catches you, and less than about 2-3mm starts to drastically affect grip and braking distances.

You can do a quick-and-dirty measurement with a 20p

The border's about 3mm - so if you can see more than a small proportion, your tyres are badly worn. If you can see more than half, your tyres are illegal. The driver is the one who's committing the offence, no excuses.

If they were that bad I have no idea how it passed it's MOT in September.
September was two months ago. Tyres wear as they're used.

d0nkeyk0ng

If three tyres needs replacing, I'd replace all four at the same time TBH.