Tyre Puncture Repairs
Repairing a tyre is not as straightforward as you first might think. To perform the repair correctly and in accordance with the British Standard BS AU 159, a complex, multi-stage process must be adhered to, ensuring that once complete the tyre is safe to operate to its original capabilities.
Can my tyre be repaired?
To give your tyre the best possible chances of being repaired, the most important thing is that you stop driving on it, as soon as you notice the tyre is flat. Driving for even a short distance on a flat tyre will damage the tyres airtight inner liner, which will prevent a tyre repair from being carried out.
Assuming the tyre has not sustained damage to the inner liner, the primary factor affecting how what type of repair the tyre can have is the location of the puncture.
British Standard BSAU159 states that for a minor car tyre puncture repair, the puncture must be within the central 60% to 70% of the width of the tyre, depending on tyre size. This part of the tyre is known as the minor repair area.
Outside of this area is the major repair area. In this area, the tyre is still possibly repairable, but the tyre must be sent away to an accredited major repairer / re-moulder. Very often the tyre will be away for some days or weeks, making a tyre purchase necessary in the interim. It can also be quite expensive, with some major repairs costing as much as £40. For these reasons only a very small number of customers ever even consider having a tyre major repaired.
Runflat tyres
We do not offer a minor car tyre puncture repair on runflat tyres. Due to the construction of run-flat tyres, with their reinforced sidewalls, it is almost impossible to accurately determine whether there is any internal sidewall damage as a result of driving on the tyre at low pressure. The sidewalls of runflat tyres would not show creasing like standard tyres would, but could never the less have some internal sidewall separation dramatically weakening the tyre.
To find out more about why it is important for car tyres to be repaired to the British Standard BS AU 159 and to see what is involved in a British Standard Puncture Repair, have a look at these two articles.
The RIGHT and WRONG way to repair a punctured tyre.
What is a British Standard Tyre Puncture Repair?