How to Plug a Tire.

Hi my name is Austen Wieser. Do you ever feel helpless because you don’t know how to fix a flat tire? I’m here to help you feel less helpless and fix the problem at hand. We have all had a flat tire or have been in a vehicle with someone that has gotten a flat tire, luckily for you I have the information needed for you to fix a flat. Today I’m going to show you the steps needed to put a plug in a flat tire. Now you know how to fix a flat tire.

First on the agenda for plugging a tire is the materials you will need. You will need to buy a tire plug set; you can find these online or at your local auto parts store. You will also need a spray bottle with some soapy water.

The next step is to find the leak in the tire. To do this you will have to get close to the tire and listen for the leak. I know that sounds weird but you if it is a big enough leak you will hear is hissing sound. To find a leak like that run you hand all around the tire and if the noise stops than you know you ran your hand over the leak. If there is no noise coming from the tire than there is a small leak in the tire and you will need to use the spray bottle with soapy water in it to find the leak. To do this just start spraying the whole tire down with a liberal amount of soapy water. After covering the tire in soapy water let it sit, then look all around the tire and check for any bubbles that are forming on the tire. If there are bubbles accumulating in one spot and it keeps bubbling you have found the leak.

Next take out your kit and grab the puncture tool. I will show pictures to make sure the right tool is being used. Take the puncture tool and place the point of it in the hole that was already there from the leak. Then press hard into the hole and pull the tool back out. This makes a hole just big enough for the plug to fit in.

The next step in the process is actually putting the plug in the tire. To do this take the tool that has a slot in the end, then find the plugs in the set. The plug will be in plastic wrapping so you will have to remove the plastic from them. Take a plug and thread it through the tool. The plug should have centered in the tool that way it has equal sides and will be able to stick well to the tire. Take the tool and put it in the hole you made with the puncture tool, this will be a little hard to get through so make sure to use a lot of pressure. The tool should pop through the tire all the way to the handle. After that pull the tool out quickly and the plug should stay in the tire.

The final step is to make sure that thetire is not still leaking. To do this take the spray bottle and spray around the area you put the plug in. if there are air bubbles coming up than the plug did not do its job and it may not be able to be fixed by a plug. But most the time leaks are able to be fixed by plugs.