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Repairing a Flat Tire Using a Tire Plug Kit

Overview:
These instructions are designed to help a novice user fix his or her own flat tire using a tire plug kit. The
instructions cover step by step actions from removing the tire, all the way to remounting the tire.

Audience: Public
Removing the Tire
1. Pull vehicle to a safe, level place to remove the tire if possible.
2. Locate the jack, lug wrench, and any other tools that should be located in the trunk
of your car or under the back seat.
3. Turn the lug nuts 1/2 – 1 turn while still on the ground so the tire remains still.
4. Place the jack under the car in a safe place such as can be seen in
Figure 1.

Figure 1- Example of jack location.

5. Use the provided handles to turn the jack in a clockwise rotatiorotation n

6. until the flat tire is off the ground.
7. Remove the tire and move it to a work area that is a safe
distance away from the car.

Source: https://www.veloster.org/threads/front-rear-jack-
points.31521/

Finding the Leak

1. If the tire is completely flat, inflate to the proper pressure.
2. Inspect the tire for visible issues such as nails or screws.
3. If the leak cannot be seen, it is possible to locate by listening for hissing.
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4. If you still cannot locate the issue, use a soapy brush, or run water over the tire and look for
bubbles. This can be shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2- Locating a leak using water/soap.

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Find-a-Leak-in-a-Tire

5. Once you have located the leak, use a marker or chalk to mark the spot to ensure you do not
loose the spot.

Repairing the Leak

1. Start by removing the nail or screw if it is still lodged in the tire. This may require pliers or other
tools to dislodge the item.
2. Most plug kits come with a cleaning tool like can be seen on the left side of Figure 3. Use this
cleaning tool to clean the hole by sliding the tool in and out of the hole.
3. Place a single plug, such as the ones shown in Figure 3, into the slot in tool that can be shown
on the right.

Figure 3- Example Tire Plug Kit

4. Cover the plug in the rubber cement that is also shown in Figure 3.
This rubber cement ensures a good bond between the tire and the plug.
5. Push the tire plug tool fully into the hole until the tool bottoms out,
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then pull the tool back out. The plug should now be stuck in the
hole in the tire.

Remounting the Tire

1. Inflate the tire to the rated pressure using an air gauge to check. The pressure rating can usually
be found in the driver’s side door or in your owner’s manual.
2. Place the wheel back on the axle and tighten the lug nuts until the tire starts spinning from the
turning of the lug wrench.
3. Lower the jack back down by turning the handle counterclockwise.
4. Tighten the lugs the rest of the way.
5. Place the tools back into the trunk or wherever they were located making sure they are secure.
6. Drive safely.