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How to check and change a tyre

Tip 7008, filed under car maintenance tips.

The short answer

Check pressure cold, monthly, against the figure in the door shut. To change one, loosen the bolts before jacking, use the jacking point in the manual, and re-torque after.

  1. Check pressures when the tyres are cold, before driving, using the figures on the sticker in the driver's door shut or the fuel flap.
  2. Include the spare, which is always flat when you need it.
  3. To change one: handbrake on, in gear, wheel chocked, on level ground.
  4. Loosen the wheel bolts half a turn before jacking, while the tyre is still on the ground.
  5. Jack at the manufacturer's jacking point only. Anywhere else buckles the sill.
  6. Fit the spare, lower it, then tighten in a star pattern and get the torque checked properly as soon as possible.
What will ruin it

Never get under a car supported only by a jack. Axle stands exist for this reason and people are killed by this every year. And check whether you have a spare at all: many new cars have only a sealant kit, which does not work for a sidewall cut.

Why it works

Underinflated tyres wear at the edges, use more fuel and handle badly, and they are responsible for a significant share of blowouts. It is the cheapest safety check there is.

Gas work requires Gas Safe registration by law and most electrical work is notifiable. Where a tip says to call somebody, that is the advice. Full disclaimer.