Oh no, it’s happened. You drive down the road, park your car, and discover a slow leak in one of your tires.
A small puncture has formed in your wheel. This can usually happen from a nail or screw that has popped off a road, and found itself in your tire.
You have a flat tire – day ruined. Luckily, compared to the other options, the cost of the tire patch is not expensive or unbelievable.
While this may not seem like a big problem; it can turn into a bigger problem if it is not fixed right away. This can lead to future issues servicing your damaged tires, and the flat tire will damage the rims if driven too long.
If the tire is driving with low inflation, you may also lose the amount of handling it can provide, increasing the chance of an accident and jeopardizing any other passengers involved.
Your fuel mileage will decline too due to the additional effort made by the tire. Lastly, driving a tire that is flat can cost you the tire and the wheel – repairable states.
All of these problems will cost you a lot of money if you ignore the tire leak for any number of reasons.
Thus, having a nail or screw in your tire patched with an easy and low cost tire option is the best approach – the price point of a low tire patch cost can play a part in your decision whether to use a patch to repair damages.
What Causes Flat Tires?
Flat tires are caused by various road debris such as nails, screws, knives, broken glass, industrial debris, or a stick that has been knocked off of a tree into an inconvenient angle.
While it feels ridiculous that your car could possibly drive over one of those listed items since they are all so small, they are extremely hard to see on the road before driving over them.
There are other causes for a flat tire such as overinflation, collision, hitting a curb, a failing valve stem, hot or cold weather, potholes, and vandalism.
It may seem slightly oxymoronic that overinflating can be a cause of flat tires, but they absolutely impact the performance of your vehicle and the tires wear unevenly.
If your tires wear unevenly for a long period of time, this can create a range of tire issues and flat tires. In a worst-case scenario, it is possible for overinflation to destroy the tire from the inside.
Another common source of flat tires, can stem from potholes, which can take on the form of rough road conditions. Swerving to miss the pothole can lead to an even worse outcome, like losing control from the sharp turn and swerving off the road or colliding with another vehicle in another lane, and instead choose to drive on or over it.
Sometimes, you can damage (bend) the rim with the pothole. A bent wheel can sometimes cause you to slowly lose air in the tire. The wheel should not be bent and needs to be straightened by a shop, as well as getting your wheel alignment checked.
The causes for a flat tire can seem endless, as the most common source of flat tires is simple, small nails and screws you may run over. The solution for this flat tire is obtaining a tire patch.
What Should You Do If You Have A Flat?
If you think you have a flat tire that is repairable easily with the low tire patch cost, then you need to do a couple of things first to make a good decision.
Make Sure You Have a Flat Tire
First, you want to make sure you have a flat tire. You can do this my checking the air pressure in your tires as soon as your tire warning light comes on your dashboard. A low tire pressure warning can indicate a slow leak in one of your tires.
Be aware that outside air temperature can affect the air pressure in your tires, so it is not a good idea to take the tire off yet.
You should fill your tire with air, and then inspect your tire to see if you can find anything to cause the leak, such as a small hole or rips. If you put your ear to the tire, you can sometimes hear the air escaping.
If you see a small spot that has a puncture, then it may be best to go with what could be a cheap tire patch cost.
Change The Flat
The first thing you could do once you know for sure that your car tire is flat, is to simply do the tire change yourself, or put the tire patch on.
An option to help you know if your tire really is flat is the tire pressure sensor – this will help you measure what need to do next. Here are a few steps you could take if you want to have a full tire change.
- First, turn on your caution lights to warn others drivers that you need to pull over or park and change your tire.
- Second, once your car is parked, loosen the tire lugs without taking them off completely.
- Third, jack the car up and remove the flat tire.
- Next, get the spare out of the trunk of your car and place it into place. Use the jack to slowly lower the car.
- Finally, tighten the lugs to ensure your wheel was put on tight.
If you do not feel comfortable doing a tire change yourself, then you should not use this method. You have the option to check for small holes in your tire that are repairable with a tire patch, especially with the low tire patch cost.
When To Use A Tire Patch?
If looking at the tire and the hole or puncture is less than ¼ in diameter, I recommend using a tire patch. Also, the cost of a tire patch is much less than other tire repair options.
Next, you will want to take note and consider the location of the puncture. If the puncture is located between two of the tire treads then you are safe to use a tire patch.
If the puncture or hole is beyond the shoulder or side of the tire, using a tire patch could mean damage inside, because you are overlooking a bigger issue. Other times, this could involve replacing a tire which is significantly more than the low tire patch cost!!
Lastly, you will want to check the overall condition of the tire. If the puncture is in the repair zone, you may be safe, right? Wrong!
If the tread reads 3/32 of an inch or less, you shouldn’t choose to use a tire patch to fix the tread even though the tire patch cost is low.
To find the tread you have, you can use a tire gauge and/or the tire tread indicator bar. After knowing what the properties of tread width your vehicle uses, you can finally decide whether the tire patch is good for you.
How Long Do They Last?
Once you have applied a tire patch for tires that are greater than 4/32 of an inch, you just made an inexpensive decision to repair your damaged tire. This repair can last you the lifetime of the tire.
This further validates using a tire patch; not only do you have a low tire patch cost, and you have a long time fix and guarantee regarding that issue.
How Much Does A Tire Patch Cost?
Most companies and auto stores charge around $25 for a tire patch and rebalance, if you are lucky enough to catch a puncture early, the repair shop should charge you between $15-$30.
Some chain stores can charge only $20 or less, and some even have a tire patch cost of zero. Some will offer a free service if they sold you the tires and tire patches would be relatively free.
Some mechanics may include tire sealant in the invoice for only an average of $10-$15. Just be sure you don’t drive to the offer on the sealed tire (50-100 miles).
If you don’t want to repair your damaged tire, there are other disposal methods and recycling activities you can do with your vehicle old tires.
Too Big For A Tire Patch?
The mechanic will be able to figure out if the hole is too big for a tire patch, most suspensions systems that auto body shops are accustomed to working with, require matched tires in the front and back.
Because of this, it is recommended by professionals to change all four tires, or when changing one tire, to change either two in the front or two in the back at the same time, otherwise, the tread on the tires will wear unevenly.
How much a flat tire fix cost on the average is irrelevant to the car that you have, and is only important if the tire patch cost isn’t the only repair bill you will need to ensure the rest of your trip to the mechanic.
So while, per tire, the tire patch cost and the tire plug patch are the most economical tire repair options, it may only be necessary to replace a tire if it has been significantly damaged.
Median Tire Prices
The lowest tire price consists of the sedan or hatchback. The median tire price for a sedan is $137, in the second identical priced median tire price is the minivan car model.
Next lowest cost is the SUV, which will cost $162 to repair. Fourth on the list is the pickup truck with $175 worth of repairs, which the most expensive is the sports car median tire price of $187 and repair median price.
When you realize that you do not need to replace your car tires and only need a patch or plug, you will be shocked by the low tire patch cost plus the high median tire prices of all the models.
Plugs vs. Patches
Tire plugs are another option that you might choose. Although tire plugs are probably slightly cheaper than the complete cost of a tire patch, they may also not function as effectively as the tire patch.
Plugs are another temporary fix that does not last as long as the patch. Keeping your car performing and maintaining repairs can also get more money for your car later if you decide to sell.
The pros of Plugs vs. Tire Patches
Many users will say that plugs the cheapest and fastest option. A plug can be a nice option for those that break down, and need a quick fix to get back on the road.
Newer plugs also have become more technologically sound improving some tie stability when compared to older plugs.
The limitations of Plugs vs. Tire Patches
There are limitations of the plug methods. If the hole is near the sidewall many will advise you to get a tire patch since the plug may not completely eal off the damages. Patches are also better if the puncture is not perpendicular, such as diagonal holes and slashes.
Some experts say that a plug should not be done without a patch unless the shop actually removed the wheel to look at the problems and damages at the same time.
A damaged valve stem may cause the wheel to begin to leak. A thorough inspection and diagnostic eval of the damaged tire can also address some additional damages that the plug method does not pick up at once.
The best solutions are a combination of a plug and a patch that stabilizes and seals the puncture hole.
DIY Tire Patch Cost
A do-it-yourself tire repair kit typically runs about $5 to $20 for the tools, supplies, and plugs. If you happen to get a larger kit that includes a sealant and pump to reinflate after the tire was flat, these kits are approximately $20 to $50.