day off work for flat tyre?

[cosmobrown]

Coming home from working this evening I found I had a flat tyre. Someone had an electric pump and pumped it up so I could get home. Tyre pressure light came on again as I turned into my road.
We live fairly rural so no public transport.
I don't know what to do other than phone up places tomorrow morning and see if someone can get a tyre in for me in the afternoon?

It seems silly to have to cancel work (and give refunds) just because of flat tyre.
Any suggestions?

I learned this to my cost, although my tyre was pancake flat and the kit did work very well to get me home on Christmas Day

Do you know is the pump in the kit can be used to inflate a tyre without the "gunk"?

It's a shame he didn't teach you how to change the wheel as well, far easier than changing a tyre road side...

Absolute rubbish. Often they can be repaired but tyre fitters can’t be bothered to clean it up and would rather sell you a new tyre.

If you can't get them repaired, they're not repairable 🤣

I bought my daughter a pump that would inflate her tyre if she had a flat somewhere, I think it plugs into the car lighter area? And I do recommend AutoAid - £64 per year for all types of breakdown, including Home Start.

Sounds like your car is part of your work ?

If that's the case, it should be treated as an essential and have cover in place.

And if it's essential to your work, are you insured correctly ?

I was going to come on to say that most new cars aren't fitted with a spare or even a spacesaver as standard anymore, just a little tube of latex you spray into your tyre to get you to the nearest Kwik Fit or whatever (not that I've used them since they busted one of the wheelnut fastenings by overtightening it). It's a bit rubbish, really.

I'd definitely invest in a spare if I were you, OP, just so you can change it yourself on your drive if this happens again.

Totally agree, I didn’t have the strength to remove the bolts and had to get my Dad and brother to come and help, my Dad couldn’t get them undone either (mechanic before he retired) and my brother only just managed it.
Im all for being as Independent as possible but at 5ft tall and small framed i cant compete with his brawny arms and strength 😂

I had a slow puncture this week. Drove into the local garage in my lunch break and they fixed it in 20 minutes for £24.

I’d never change a tyre myself. My FIL changed my BIL’s tyre and it came off on the motorway. And this is someone who has put a car together.

If you live fairly rurally and need your car to travel between clients then it's perfectly reasonable to have to cancel your work for the day.

I used to have to drive as part of my job and I learned quickly to 1. Have breakdown cover with homestart 2. Have a spare wheel (a spacesaver will do if bootspace is an issue). Runflat tyres (e.g. on Minis) are a pain in the arse IMO as loads of places don't stock them and those puncture repair kits for normal tyres are okay but a faff in my experience.

There are a few 24 hour callout places that can come out and fit a new tyre if you're stuck. DH saw he had a flat tyre when he was about to go to work on a night shift, (a few months back, in mid May,) so he called the local tyre company's 24 hour call out number, and they came and did it for him. (You have to give them the number of the tyre and they get the correct one from their warehouse.) He didn't see the flat tyre til shortly before he was about to leave for work.

They were only three quarters of an hour - and it was done in half an hour. So DH was only about half an hour late for work. It cost £50 extra for the 24 hour callout, but DH would have lost £160 for his night shift if he hadn't gone in, (and just waited til the next day.) A taxi was not an option, as there are only 3 taxi drivers within 5-6 miles, no actual companies, and you have to pretty much book a week in advance for anything most of the time.

Occasionally we have rung for a taxi to see if we can get one now/soon, and got one within 1-2 hours, but it's been the middle of the day. Most times you can't get one. And they would very likely not come out at night. Unless it was a vulnerable person/a woman alone stranded, with no breakdown cover. Also, to DH's work, it would have cost £75 round trip to work, as he works 18 miles away. Half his bloody wage almost!

He did have to call someone out a couple of years ago too, as he popped a tyre on a massive pothole in the dark on the way to work at 9.30pm, on a BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY, and we didn't know at that point that our local tyre centre came out then, for £50 extra. (Normally, they charge £115 for a daytime call out..../to come to you and supply and fit the tyre.) So we paid £165 for the nightime callout.)

But yeah we didn't know they did this at the time. So I looked on the internet for him, and found a company 10 miles from him, and they came out, but not for 2 hours! So he was stood there in the dark on the side of a busy A road from 9.30pm to 11.30pm. They charged £325! (Bank holiday rates, and more expensive anyway!) We got it back though - from the council. Pretty stressful at the time!

tl;rd, I expect you're sorted now @cosmobrown but always keep a local tyre fitter's 24 hour callout in your phone!

Use a days annual leave

Thanks everyone. After a while searching I found the car comes with an electric pump. (I’ve only had the car 3 weeks). Google said not to use the gunk sealant so I’m sitting in tyre place now waiting for verdict if it can be repaired. The tyre was completely flat this morning. Fingers crossed I can get to work this afternoon.

In the olden days of course I could have put the spare wheel on! Did that a few times in my youth!

I'm sure your FIL has many virtues but this really is sheer individual ineptitude (or lack of experience) - my father was a very handy amateur mechanic and was adamant that changing a tyre is a thing that everyone should be able to do for themselves.

He also tried to teach me how to change brake pads but that really is a bridge too far.

One of the reasons for DH refusing to buy an EV was tyres. Heavier cars different tyres, no spares. Maybe different now.
We have a diesel, we bought a space saver wheel kit which includes a jack.
We already have a pump which works from cigarette lighter socket in car, it is good for bike tyres as well as routine tyre check.
We belong to Green Flag.
Had a puncture, phoned Green Flag they came out and changed the wheel. Waited an hour, changed in minutes. I drove to tyre place who repaired it and changed it back onto the car.
Yes fairly expensive, but fine for peace of mind.

Of course you have to change the wheel as well, but its just a way of speaking.
My father had a garage so he taught ne lots of car related skills, sadly most outdated now cars have changed so much. I was quite shocked to hear you can't change a wheel/tyre on an EV.

I "know" how to change a tyre but my dodgy back and knees don't allow it. Its why I have got a full call out service including home start.

self employed

This is why I always insist on buying cars with proper spare tyres.

@cosmobrown I am sorry for my post about the AA/RAC and if you wasted time as a result of my bad memory. MN has removed them for me, I’m so ashamed 🙈 At least you know they can come and change your battery though. I hope you get your tyre sorted this morning.

@CalzoneOnLegs no problem! Thank you for taking the time to post anyway!

all sorted now with only 1 hours worth of teaching to refund.
thanks everyone. It cost £20 in the end. 😁😁😁😁

@cosmobrown only one to refund that's great but I was thinking of all these children who haven't done enough practice this week and would have loved a lesson off 😁. I was more diligent as an adult doing my piano practice though.