Car broke down on the road: what to do
Get off the road, get everyone safe, then work out what went wrong and who to call.
21 itemsStart
Flat tyre: change it safely
Change a flat tyre (flat tire) on your own, step by step, without getting under the car.
Before you touch the car (5)
- Stop on flat, firm ground, well away from trafficDo not change a tyre on a motorway or highway shoulder: call for help.
- Hazard lights on, handbrake on, in Park or first gear
- Everyone out and standing away from the road
- Block the wheel diagonally opposite the flat, with a chock or a large stone
- Get out the spare, jack, wheel wrench and locking nut keyNo spare? Many new cars carry a sealant kit: follow its leaflet, or call for help.
Take the flat off (7)
- Remove the hubcap if there is one
- Loosen each nut half a turn while the car is still on the ground
- Find the jacking point in the owner's manual
- Jack up until the tyre just clears the ground
- Never put any part of your body under the car
- Take off the nuts, keep them together, pull the wheel straight off
- Slide the flat under the sill as a backup if the jack slips
Fit the spare (6)
- Fit the spare on the studs
- Do up the nuts by hand
- Pull the flat back out and lower the car until the tyre touches the ground
- Tighten the nuts firmly in a star pattern, not around the circle
- Lower the car fully and tighten once more
- Put the flat and the tools in the boot
Drive on with care (4)
- Check spare pressure against the door sticker at the next fuel stop
- Keep to the limit on a thin spareUsually 80 km/h (50 mph). The limit is printed on the tyre.
- Re-check the nuts after about 50 km (30 miles)
- Get the flat repaired or replaced within a day or two
Written from www.gov.uk