How to Use a Tire-Patch Kit

Roads and highways are littered with various sharp objects that sometimes make their way into one of your car's tires. If left unfixed, this can result in a flat. There are various ways to fix this problem, one of the most effective being a tire-patch kit. A tire patch can offer an almost permanent solution to your affected tire. Here is how to use a tire-patch kit.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tire-patch kit
• Pliers

1. Replace the affected tire with a spare tire if at all possible. Patching a tire is essentially easier when it is not on the vehicle. It is also much safer to fix the tire in the comfort of your own driveway.

2. Examine the affected tire and locate the foreign object. Remove the object from the tire. You might need to use pliers to dislodge the object. Discard the foreign item.

3. Cover the tip of the patch-kit probe with a few drops of rubber cement. Insert the probe into the puncture on the tire. Using a twisting motion, move the probe in and out of the puncture. This serves to apply the rubber cement while cleaning the tire puncture.

4. Remove one of the repair strips from the kit and thread it through the needle eye of the probe, stopping at the center of the strip. Once again, apply a few drops of rubber cement to the tip of the probe.

5. Push the probe and repair strip into the puncture (this can be tricky with smaller punctures) until only about a quarter-inch of the strip is sticking out of the tire's surface.

6. Make a 1/4 turn with the probe handle and pull the probe out of the tire. The patch should remain in the tire when you remove the probe.

7. Trim the repair strip that is sticking out of the tire down to about 1/8 of an inch.

8. Use an air compressor to replace any air that may have leaked out of the tire. Your tire should be re-inflated and ready to get back onto the road.