A flat tire can happen at any time due to tire wear or damage from a sharp object on the surface. If you get a flat, you don’t have to wait for a mechanic or a town truck, you can change the tire yourself. As your Honda dealer, we want to tell you how to change a tire quickly and easily.
Find Somewhere Safe
Changing a tire isn’t complex, but it does require your attention. A flat is more likely to happen when you’re driving, which means you will need to find a safe location to stop. Switch on your warning lights and gradually slow down as you look for a place to pull over. The best location is as far from other moving vehicles as possible, as this significantly reduces the chance of being hit by another vehicle while you’re focused on changing the tire.
Find the Spare
Your Honda will have a spare tire and, depending on your model, it may be a regular-sized tire or a donut. A donut is a smaller tire that’s intended to get you mobile so you can reach a dealership and get a regular-sized replacement. When you get the spare, also grab the jack and the lug wrench. These two items will usually be stored near the spare.
Remove the Lug Nuts
Lug nuts connect the tire to the wheel hub. They’re tightly secured, and you’ll likely need significant force to open them. One of the easiest ways to do this is to connect the lug wrench to a lug nut and then stand on the wrench to exert extra pressure to loosen it. Loosen each nut in turn, but don’t remove them.
Jack Your Car
Positioning the jack correctly is vital, as you don’t want to damage your Honda. Your car manual will show you the location of the jacking points. These are reinforced metal plates located near each of your wheels, and they’ve been engineered to support the weight of your car. Once you’ve found the jacking point closest to the flat, use it to lift your car off the ground until the bottom of the flat barely touches the ground.
Replace the Tire
Unscrew all the lug nuts, then lift the tire off the wheel hub. Fit the spare in its place and tighten all the lug nuts by hand. Once all the nuts are in place, lower your Honda to the ground and remove the jack.
Finish Up
Use the lug wrench to tightly the lug nuts as securely as possible, then pack the jack, flat, and lug wrench in the trunk. You’re now ready to drive away. Now you know the simple steps to change a tire. Visit us at Perry Honda in Bishop, CA, for a new tire.
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