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how to independently maintain your car

One of the most difficult adjustments I had to make after my divorce was learning how to maintain and repair my own vehicle. That was one thing that my husband had always taken care of for me. Since the divorce, I have learned quite a bit about maintaining a car myself. I have picked up a few tidbits of information that has helped me avoid being overcharged for simple things that I can quickly do myself - like jump-starting my dead battery and changing a flat tire. If you need to learn how to independently maintain your vehicle for the first time, take a moment and visit my site.

How To Use A Tire Plug

6 October 2015
 Categories: , Blog

A tire plug is used to block a puncture in a flat tire, allowing to continue driving on the damaged tire until you are able to reach a mechanic to have your tire repaired or replaced. Tire plug repair kits are sold at most automotive stores and gas stations, and you should always have one in your vehicle in case of a roadside emergency so that you don't have to wait at the side of the road for a tow truck if you don't have a spare. Thankfully, using a tire plug repair kit is a fairly simple process that you can do yourself on the side of the road.

Before You Begin

You'll need a pair of needle nosed pliers, a car jack, a tire iron, a pair of scissors, an air pump, and a tire repair kit. You should have all of these items in your vehicle at all times. They can be found at most hardware or automotive stores.

Using a Tire Plug to Repair a Flat Tire

Place the car jack near the tire with the puncture, and lift the vehicle up off of the ground.

Use the tire iron to remove the lug nuts holding the tire to the vehicle. Slide the tire off of the mounting.

Rotate the tire until you find the object that punctured your tire. Use the pliers to pull the offending item out of the tire.

Then, take the probe from the tire repair kit and apply the rubber cement also included in the kit to the tip. Work the probe into the puncture a few times. This will clean out the hole and also widen it so that the plug can adhere properly.

Take the plug itself and thread it through the eye of the needle tool so that the needle is centered halfway along the plug (when you insert the plug, the middle should go in first, with the ends lifting up and coming in last).

Then, press the needle tool into the puncture, pressing hard. Do not twist the tool, but simply apply more force until roughly a quarter of the plug is still sticking out of the tire.

Pull the needle tool straight out of the tire as hard as you can. Again, do not twist. This will set the plug in the hole.

Cut the plug so that it is roughly even with the surface of the tire. Then, use the air pump to inflate the tire as much as you can. Alternatively, most gas stations have coin operated air pumps that you can use to inflate your tires. Driving on an underinflated tire is dangerous and can lead to further punctures or blow outs, so be wary. 

For more information on roadside service, contact a company like Ruhls Diesel Repair.