My right rear tire has been a little flat for the last few days. I kept thinking I should put more air in, but I kept not doing it. Thursday night after conferences were over, I came out to the parking lot to find the tire was dead flat. The rim was resting on the ground. Dang. Fortunately, I was walking out the same time as Debbie. She gave me a ride to a car parts place and I got a can of Fix-a-Flat. It inflated the tire enough so I could drive to a gas station and fill it up the rest of the way.
So now I’m driving on a temporarily patched tire. I don’t know how long I’ll keep it like this. I was saving for a couch, but now I have to buy tires? One time when I used Fix-a-Flat to mend a tire, I drove on it for several months…
I think you can just drive somewhere and get that tire patched. That should only cost a cheap lamp, not a whole couch.
Of course, don’t go by what I say – I’m a terrible car owner.
The last time I had a flat tire, the good people at the wal-marts fixed it for free. I was the last thing they did for the day before they went home, and they had just got done servicing some teen-age girl’s car. I think these somewhat crusty old men were actually relieved that I wasn’t a teen-age girl.
Also, I I got to do the underhanded pitch of the car keys to the mechanic, which I think both of us had been looking forward to.
You should only have to replace a tire if the tread is worn out, or if the sidewall of the tire is damaged.
A tire shop or a place like Wal-Mart will remove the tire from the rim, look inside the tire for what is causing the leak (usually a nail, screw or piece of wire), put a permanent patch over the hole from the inside and reinstall the tire. Figure between $25 and $40 (which is mostly labor) for the fix – much less than new tires. I’ve done this several times on the various cars we’ve owned. Call around to get a idea of what shops in your area charge.
To check the tread level, insert a penny into the treads at various places. Make sure Lincon’s head is upside down. If the top of his head touches or disappears into the tread, you’re good. If the tread falls between the rim of the penny and his head you need to replace the tire; there isn’t enough tread left to grip the road – especially if the road is wet.
Mike Rowe says you should use a quarter now, probably because of inflation…
That’s only if you’re concerned your tires are over-inflated.
HA! Inflation! Tires! You routinely crack me up, Miss Lauren. If you toured the country in a stand-up at, I’d come see you.