“But I have roadside assistance,” you say… Yes, but what if you’re in the middle of nowhere, out of cell phone range and can’t call for help? If your vehicle is equipped with a flat tire, you never know when being able to change it might come in handy, even be a lifesaver. With that in mind, we’ve put together this simple step-by-step guide that will get you back on the road, safe and sound in about 15 minutes. The only question we can’t answer is why flat tires only happen when you are running late and wearing your very best clothes.
When you first purchase your car, check to see if it comes with a spare tire and tools. Many newer vehicles don’t have a spare tire, but may have a compressor and a tire sealant kit if there’s no spare tire. Once you have confirmed what you’ve got, every six months or so, check your trunk to make sure you have all of your tire changing tools and that the spare tire is in good repair. Keep your owner’s manual someplace handy like in the glove compartment. It will show you what tire tools come with the car, show you where to use the car jack on your vehicle’s frame, and inform you about proper tire pressure for your model of car.
Sometimes people forget to replace their tools properly. Make sure your spare tire is ready to go and secure. Make sure your jack is in good condition and not rolling around in the trunk. Make sure you have your tire wrench and a standard screwdriver. A rubber mallet can come in handy, too.
It is a good idea to carry a few old towels or a floor mat to help keep your clothes from getting ruined by kneeling by the side of the road. A piece of plywood that’s big enough for the jack to sit on will keep it flat and secure if the car is sitting in mud. Always carry a tire gauge to check your tire inflation pressure and a couple of cans of fix-a-flat sealant in case you just have a slow leak. Keep a pair of mechanic’s gloves or rubber gloves with your tire kit. They will keep your hands from turning completely black from handling your tires. You never know when you’re going to get a flat and it could happen in the middle of the night. Make sure you have a good, working flashlight. A rain poncho is another great idea since it always seems to be raining when you get a flat.
There is no sound more worrying than the dull “thump, thump, thump” of a suddenly-flat tire. It is a sound that produces instant dread. When your car suddenly feels like you are driving through mud, you have probably lost air in a tire. The steering may be suddenly sluggish or the it may pull to one side. Here’s what to do:
First, don’t panic. Take a deep breath, calm yourself and look for a place where you can carefully pull off the road. If you are on the freeway, look for the nearest exit. You need a safe place to pull over and stop. Hopefully, someplace that is well-lit if it is at night. You want to stop where the car is on level ground – no hills, please. Parking on asphalt is far better than dirt. You don’t want your car rolling when it is on the lift jack. If convenient, you could even try pulling into a gas station and have them change the tire for you. However, the whole point of this article is to teach you to change your own tire, right? So let’s get back to it.
Once you have stopped on a safe, level spot, put the car in park (or in gear, if you drive a manual transmission), set your parking brake, turn off the ignition and put on your emergency hazard lights. Step out of the car and take a look at all four tires. Sometimes road debris can damage more than one tire and it is best to know what you are dealing with. If you have a tire that is just low on air, use the sealant to add air and drive to the nearest tire center or Lithia dealer to have the tire repaired.
Examine the tire. You may see what caused the damage. If your tire is flat, flat, flat, open your trunk and get out your jack, wrench, and spare tire. If you are on a busy street while changing the tire, it is best to have three reflective roadside safety triangles to place several yards away to alert other drivers as they approach you and your car.
If your car doesn’t have a spare tire, and if the tire is sufficiently damaged that the sealant and some air won’t fix it, you’ll have to call roadside assistance or for a tow.
Before you use the jack, use a standard screwdriver to pry off your hubcap (if applicable) and use the inside of the hubcap as a container to hold the lug nuts. Secure the wrench onto one of the lug nuts and turn it counterclockwise. Loosen the lug nuts with your wrench. There are usually five of them, though some vehicles have four and others have six. You just want the lug nuts to be loose enough to be able to turn them by hand.
Get your spare tire out of the trunk and place it next to the tire you are changing so that you can swap out the tire and wheel quickly and safely when the time comes.
Most cars come with a small scissor jack to lift the car enough to change the tire. You will want the jack to make contact with a part of the metal frame under the car. Don’t let it come in contact with any of the plastic body pieces. Locate the reinforced jacking points under the car – It is best to consult your owner’s manual to see the best placement of the jack, nearest the damaged tire.
Place the jack on top of a piece of plywood (if you have one) to keep it level. Once placed, use the jack to raise the area near the flat tire. Take your time and make sure the jack’s placement is secure before you crank it high enough for the tire to clear the ground. You will want the tire to be a few centimetres off the ground. Most importantly, make sure the jack is straight and level (perpendicular with the ground). You don’t want the car to fall off the jack.
Turn all the lug nuts counterclockwise and remove them. Place them somewhere you won’t lose them. If your car doesn’t have hubcaps, place the lug nuts in a secure location such as the glove compartment so you don’t lose them.
Now, nothing else is attached to the wheel and tire and you can carefully pull the entire wheel and tire towards you. Grab it firmly and pull the tire and wheel off the vehicle. Set the flat tire and wheel under your car as a safety precaution. If the car falls off the jack, it will land on the tire and wheel instead of you.
Roll your spare tire over to the car and notice the position of the lug nut posts on your vehicle. (Some vehicles may have holes instead, and wheel bolts instead of lug nuts.) Line up the lug holes and place the spare wheel and tire on the posts. Push the wheel in as far as possible. Make sure the spare tire’s valve stem (where the air goes in) is facing you.
Take a lug nut and rotate it clockwise on the spare wheel to keep the tire and wheel in place. Don’t tighten it yet. Then put all of the other lug nuts on and hand-tighten them.
Now, this is important: The lug nuts have to be tightened in such a way that they keep the tire even. You don’t want a wobbly spare tire. The wheel has to sit straight on the hub. Tighten each lug nut by hand, but don’t tighten them all the way yet.
Use the jack to slowly lower your vehicle until the spare tire starts on the ground. This will hold the tire in place as you tighten all the lug nuts – but the jack is still holding the weight of that corner of the car.
Using the wrench, tighten the lug nuts in a “compass pattern.” In other words, tighten the lug nut closest to the “north” compass position first, then the lug nut closest to the “south” compass position, then the west compass point and then the east compass point.
You want all the lug nuts to be fairly tight at this point. Next, repeat the same pattern of tightening north, south, west and east to completely tighten all the lug nuts. Assuming you have five lug nuts on your wheel, another way to do this is to tighten every other lug nut in increments, going around the wheel in order to assure that the tire is on straight. Use the wrench to go around the wheel in the same order twice to make sure you are all tightened up and good to go.
If all the lug nuts feel equally tight, go ahead and lower the car. Lower the jack to the ground and remove it from under your car. Go around the wheel with your wrench one last time, making sure all the lug nuts are tight. Replace the hubcap by popping it on with the heel of your hand. Go all the way around the hubcap to make sure it is secure.
Put all your tools and the flat tire and wheel in the trunk. The last step is to remove your reflective safety triangles and store them in the trunk as well. Your old tire may be repairable. Your local Lithia dealer can help you with that. Be sure to replace your spare tire as soon as possible. You don’t want to be without a spare in the event of another flat.
There are a few things that go hand-in-hand with getting your driver’s license. Things that we should all know before operating a motor vehicle. Some are very simple things like which way to turn your tires when parking on a hill. One of them is definitely how to change a flat tire. No matter how safe and road-conscious you may be, a piece of road debris, glass or a small piece of metal such as a nail or bolt, can occasionally find its way into one of your tires and cause a flat. 
