Puncture in a run flat?
Can you repair a run flat tyre?
Run flat tyre repair isn't generally advised, so we don't repair run flats: we fit a new one, in any brand and size, at your car. Some tyre makers allow one repair under strict conditions, but Continental warns that damage from driving on it flat may not be visible, even to a trained specialist.
- Michelin and Goodyear allow one professional repair, under conditions
- Continental advises against repairing its SSR run flats at all
- A long run at low or zero pressure can rule a repair out
- Typical range after a puncture: about 50 miles at up to 50 mph, but check your handbook
- We don't repair run flats; we fit a new one, in any brand and size
What the tyre makers say
There's no single rule. As Michelin puts it, each manufacturer is free to decide whether its run flat tyres can be repaired, so the answer depends on the name on your sidewall. Check your car's handbook as well.
- Michelin: its run flat tyres can be repaired only once, by a professional, following the same inspection and repair procedure as an ordinary tyre, unless the sidewall says the tyre can't be repaired.
- Goodyear: its RunOnFlat tyres can be repaired by a qualified tyre professional after a thorough inspection and a look at the tyre's history, once in the tyre's life. It won't support a repair outside the tread area, sidewall damage from a sharp object, inner liner damage, or a tyre driven a substantial distance at low or zero pressure. If in doubt, its advice is not to repair.
- Continental: it doesn't recommend any repair or reuse of a punctured SSR run flat, because damage from being driven under-inflated may not be visible, even to a trained specialist.
Why driving on it flat matters
Because the damage can be on the inside, where you can't see it. A run flat's reinforced sidewalls carry the car once the air has gone. Continental warns that the damage this does may not show on the inner liner or the sidewall, and Goodyear won't support a repair once the tyre has covered a substantial distance at low or zero pressure.
So when the pressure warning comes on, slow down and get it looked at rather than using up the full range.
It's one reason repairing a run flat isn't generally advised, and why we fit a replacement rather than repair one.
How far you can drive on a punctured run flat
Usually up to about 50 miles at no more than about 50 mph, but it varies. Michelin gives up to 80 km at up to 80 km/h, says the figures vary with the tyre and the maker, and says the real range depends on the load in the car, the outside temperature and the road.
Your car's handbook has the figure for your tyres. Treat it as the distance to somewhere safe, not a target, because a long run flat can rule out a repair.
You don't have to drive to a tyre shop on it. We come to your home, your work or the roadside, 24 hours a day.
A nail in a run flat: repair or replace?
A nail in the middle of the tread is the best case. If the tyre hasn't been driven far flat, there's no other damage and its maker allows repairs, it may be fixable. A nail in the shoulder or sidewall is a different story: Goodyear, for one, won't support repairs outside the tread area. Either way, we don't repair run flats: we fit a new one.
Be wary of a plug pushed in from the outside. The British Standard for tyre repairs, BS AU159, doesn't cover externally inserted plugs: it describes them as temporary seals that let you drive for a limited period until a permanent repair can be made.
Getting a new run flat fitted
We don't repair run flats; we fit a new one, in any brand and size. WhatsApp 07955 732337 with your tyre size (or a photo of the sidewall), where you are and your locking wheel nut details, and you get a price and an arrival time before anyone sets off.
We fit it at your home, your work or the roadside, and the wheel is torqued back on to the manufacturer's figure.
For an ordinary tyre with a nail in it, see mobile puncture repair: we repair from the inside to BS AU159 and re-fix the same puncture free for 3 months. Or book now.
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FAQs
More questions
Anything else? Call us. It's quicker than reading.
Can I repair my run flat tyre?
Sometimes. It depends on the tyre maker, where the damage is and whether the tyre was driven flat: Michelin and Goodyear allow one professional repair under conditions, while Continental advises against repairing its SSR run flats. Check your car's handbook too.
How long can you drive on a punctured run flat tyre?
Usually up to about 50 miles at up to 50 mph, but the figure varies by tyre and car, so check your handbook. A long run flat can rule out a repair, so get it looked at as soon as you safely can.
Can you fix a run flat tyre that has a nail in it?
We don't repair run flats; we fit a new one instead. Some makers allow a repair if the nail is in the main tread, the tyre hasn't been driven far flat and there's no other damage, but Goodyear, for example, won't support a repair outside the tread area.
Can I use a plug kit on a run flat tyre?
A plug from the outside isn't a permanent repair. BS AU159, the British Standard for tyre repairs, describes externally inserted plugs as temporary seals that let you drive for a limited period until a permanent repair can be made.
Do you repair run flat tyres?
No. Repairing run flats isn't generally advised, so we fit a new one, in any brand and size, at your home, your work or the roadside.
Flat tyre right now?
Call or WhatsApp. You'll get a price and an arrival time before we set off.