How to Fix Common Car Problems: Jump Start, Changing a Flat Tire, and Using Fix-A-Flat.

Car need a jump? Flat Tire? If you answered yes to either of those two questions you are in the right place.  I created this tutorial on how to get your car up and running again. 

In this tutorial:

Part One: How to Jump Start a Car.
Part Two: How to Change a Flat Tire
Part Three: How to Use Fix-a-Flat

**NOTE** The steps are labeled confusingly. If the title is "Step 11: Steps 13&14:..." then it is step 13 and 14 for that part of the tutorial. Sorry for the inconvenience. 

This part of the tutorial is directed at jump starting your car. You might want to wear rubber gloves because you may get dirty, but they are not necessary.

Things Needed:

1. Non-Working car
2. Working car
3. Jumper Cables

Step 1: Get another car(Yellow Truck) and some jumper cables and park working car next to or in front of non-working(Gray Car) car.

Step 2: Pop the hood on both cars. For information on how to pop your hood, check the owner's manual.

Step 3: Locate the battery of the non-working car(Gray Car). (Check owner’s manual for exact location)

Step 4: Find the positive(Red Cap) and negative(No Cap) terminals on the non-working car’s battery.  Always start with the non-working car’s battery because it is likely to have little to no charge on it.

Step 5: Connect the red/yellow jumper cable clamp to the positive terminal(Red Cap) of the non-working car’s battery. DON’T connect the black cable to the negative terminal on the non-working car yet.

Step 6: Locate the battery of the working car(Yellow Truck). (Make sure key is not in the ignition)

Step 7: Find the positive(Red Cap) and negative(No Cap) terminal on the working car’s battery(Yellow Truck). Again, make sure the car is not running and no power is going to the car.

Step 8: Connect the red/yellow jumper cable to the positive terminal(Red Cap) on the working car’s battery.

Step 9: Connect the black jumper cable to the negative terminal(No Cap) of the working car’s battery.

Step 10: Connect the black cable to the negative terminal(No Cap) of the non-working(Gray Car) car's dead battery. Be careful not to touch the non-connected end of the jumper cables together, they will spark.

Step 11: Start the working car.

Step 12: Try starting the non-working car.  When it starts, LEAVE it running.  Do not shut off the engine because your battery is getting charged.

Step 13: Shut off the working car (Yellow Truck) and disconnect the cables in reverse order from the working car (negative first then positive).  Again, make sure the positive and negative cables don’t touch because they will spark.

Step 14: Keep non-working car (Gray Car) running and disconnect the cables in reverse order from the non-working car’s battery (negative first then positive).

Step 15: Close both cars’ hoods and pack up jumper cables.  Keep the non-working car running for a lengthy time (30-40minutes). Don’t shut off the engine unless you are at a place where you can get your car fixed because it is likely your car will need a jump again if you shut it off.

This is the part of the tutorial that is directed at changing a flat tire.

Things Needed:

1. Tire Iron
2. Spare Tire
3. Jack
4. Flat Tire

***NOTE***If the tire has a nail or small puncture try using Fix-a-Flat.

Step 1: Make sure the car is parked on a flat area and that you have enough room to complete the tire change.

Step 2: Locate the spare tire, jack, and tire iron. This is usually in the trunk of the vehicle, but double check your car manual.  Above picture shows Jack (Top left), Spare Tire(Center), and Tire Iron(Top Right).

Step 3: Take your tire iron and loosen the lug nuts about 2 turns on the flat tire by turning them counter clockwise or left.  DO NOT take the lug nuts completely off of the tire.

Step 4: Place your jack under the frame of the vehicle by the flat tire.  Other places may be used, refer to your owner’s manual for other locations to place the jack.

Step 5: Slowly jack the vehicle off the ground.  Do this until the tire is completely off of the ground. 

CAUTION: DO NOT rock or shake the vehicle when it is jacked up because it is in a very unstable position.

Step 6: Take off the lug nuts, one at a time, with your hand or with the tire iron and place them in your pocket or a safe place where you won’t lose them.

Step 7: Carefully take the flat tire off of the vehicle and set it to the side.  The flat tire can be heavy, remember to life with your knees and not your back.

Step 8: Place the spare tire on the vehicle, taking the place of the flat tire.

Step 9: Screw the lug nuts, one at a time by hand, back on the vehicle securing the spare tire. 

Step 10: Completely tighten the lug nuts in order, per diagram.

Step 11: Slowly lower the vehicle to the ground and completely lower the jack.

Step 12: Place tire iron, jack, and flat tire back to their original place.  The flat tire might not fit in the space that the spare tire was in.  If not, place the flat tire in the trunk of the vehicle.

This part of the tutorial is directed towards using Fix-a-Flat.

Things Needed:

1. Tire with small puncture
2. Can of Fix-a-Flat

*All pictures were taken from Fixaflat.com  

Step 1:  Move vehicle to a flat area that is away from traffic and has room to complete the steps safely.


Step 2:  Make sure you park the vehicle where the nail or item causing the flat is on the bottom of the tire or in the 6 o’clock position.

Step 3: Connect the can of Fix-a Flat or Similar to the tire through the valve stem.

Step 4: Push the button on top of the can to release the contents of the can into the tire until it is fully inflated.  This may take from a few seconds to a minute.

Step 5: Disconnect the can of Fix-a-Flat or similar from the tire.

Step 6: Drive to a repair shop to replace or fix tire.