Flat Tire and No Spare? Here Are Your Options

The inflator and sealant kit

The kit pushes liquid sealant through the valve stem and then inflates the tire. It is built for one case: a small tread puncture with the object still in or just out. It is a temporary fix to get you to help, not a repair.

It does nothing for a sidewall cut, a bulge, a blowout, or a tire that has come off the rim. And it carries a trade-off. The sealant coats the inside of the tire and often the pressure sensor. Many repair shops decline to repair a tire with sealant inside, and the sensor may need cleaning or replacement.

If you use it, tell us when you call. We inspect the tire and tell you honestly whether a repair is still possible or a replacement is the next step.

Run-flat tires

Run-flats have stiff sidewalls that carry the car a limited distance at reduced speed after losing pressure. The tire maker's owner's manual states that limit, and it is often on the sidewall too. On most cars the pressure light is the only warning, so check it when the ride suddenly feels different.

Most run-flats are replaced rather than repaired after being driven with no pressure, because the sidewall carried the load the air used to carry. Use the allowance to reach a safe place, not to finish the trip.

Mobile repair or replacement where the car sits

This is what we do. Call with a sidewall photo and your location. If the puncture is in the tread and within repair limits, we repair it on site. If not, we help with a replacement tire fitted at the car where available. Repair availability depends on tire condition, damage location, tire size, and safety.

We do not promise that a tire in your size is on hand. We talk through options on the call, including whether a replacement can be sourced and when.

A tow to a shop

A tow is the right call when the car is somewhere unsafe to work, when the wheel is damaged, when more than one tire is down, or when no tire in your size is available in time. We say so on the call rather than send a technician to a job that cannot be done safely.

What to tell us on the call

• The tire size, from the sidewall or the sticker inside the driver's door jamb. A photo is enough
• Whether the tire is a run-flat. Markings vary by brand: RFT, ROF, ZP, SSR, DSST, and others
• Whether sealant went into the tire, from your kit or from a can
• Where the car is: a driveway, a lot, a hotel, or a mile marker and direction on the highway
• What happened: a nail, a curb, a bang at speed, or a slow loss over days

Should you buy a spare afterwards

After one roadside with no spare, many drivers want one. A full-size spare matches the other tires and has no speed limit of its own, but it needs trunk space. A compact spare is lighter and carries a speed and distance limit printed on it. Inflatable and folding spares exist for some models and need the manual's instructions.

If you buy one, check that it clears the brake calipers and that the jack and lug wrench fit your car. Check its pressure a few times a year. A spare that sat flat for years is not a spare.