Car care
This is the second car-car project page. The information is (deliberately) basic.
If you are serious about becoming a really good driver you will have already started to get into the habit of daily vehicle checks and completed one weekly check.
Remember, if you are developing your driving skills you need to ensure that you have something to drive that will not let you down! Even the most modern vehicles still need some driver checks - and even brand new cars get punctures!
It's possible that you have never changed a wheel on your current vehicle - or at all. The best time and place to learn wheel changing is on a dry day and on a flat road, car park or driveway - not on a dark night in the rain on a deserted moorland road where there is no phone signal!
A safe wheel change process
OK. So changing a wheel is something that you don't do unless you absolutely have to! And you can bet it will be raining or snowing, on a narrow road or in busy traffic.
Some drivers never get a flat tyre. I find that they tend to come in threes! I can go ten years without a puncture and then I get three in the same month.
You can drive around hoping that it won't happen, call the AA or stand and luck helpless at the side of the road. Or you can learn how easy it is to change a wheel.
It will take about 25 minutes the first time you do it (unless of course you drive a big yellow digger - then it will take all morning!). The steps to take are outlined below.
Find out about your car
On a warm sunny afternoon, park your car on the driveway or a flat car park and take out all the wheel changing bits and pieces. There should be a jack to lift the car up, a spare wheel and a wheel brace (this is a kind of spanner thing!).
Take all these things out of the car before starting the wheel changing process. And make sure that the handbrake is firmly applied (in an automatic also select 'Park').
Any occupants should also exit the vehicle before the wheel change process begins (either for a priactise wheel change or in the event of a real wheel change emergency).
8 simple steps to wheel changing...
1. Wheel trim
Take off the wheel trim - the wheel trim is the bit that makes the wheel look pretty. Some cars have alloy wheels (shiny gray coloured metal) - these don't usually have wheel trims.
The wheel brace will often have a flat end that can be used to ease off the wheel trim, if not a screwdriver or similar tool or object will do the job.
Note: not all cars have wheel trims. If you have allow wheels the trim might simply be a small circular disc, alternatively the wheel nuts might be exposed.
2. Loosen the nuts
Loosen the wheel nuts with the wheel brace (spanner thing!). They are sometimes quite tight (Join the AA, RAC or similar).
By sliding a length of steel pipe, 40 to 60cm long should be enough, on to the end of the wheel brace, you can get more leverage.
If you lack strength, for whatever reason, it might be worth investing in a long handled wrench (spanner thing!) to keep with the wheel change stuff in your boot.
IMPORTANT: At this point you are simply loosening the nuts a little bit - no more than one turn. The reason for doing this before the car is jacked up is because the vehicle will be less stable on the jack than it is on the ground.
3. Handbrake check - Jack up the car
Make sure that the handbrake is on. If changing a rear tyre it is a good idea to 'chock' the front wheels with bricks, stones, wooden blocks or whatever you can find by the roadside.
Leaving the car in gear (with the key out of the ignition) will also help to prevent accidental movement.
Jack up the car.
Be careful to ensure that the jack is located at the correct point beneath the car – it is important that you check the vehicle handbook when locating the jacking point, it will vary from car to car.
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTES:
Never place any part of your body beneath a car supported only by a jack.
Never start the engine while the car is on the jack
4. Take off the wheel
Remove the wheel nuts and take off the wheel.
Make sure that you put the wheel nuts in a safe place; they have a habit of rolling off into the grass, or worse, down a grid!
Be careful when removing the wheel, the tyre might have debris embedded that could cause a nasty cut – with this in mind it is worth keeping a pair of thick gloves in your wheel change kit..
5. Replace the wheel
Put on the spare wheel.
Note: when replacing a flat tyre you might need to raise the car a bit higher on the jack to make room for the spare.
It can sometimes be a bit tricky to get the wheel in place, be patient (or you might damage the threads on the wheel studs – the bits that the nuts screw on to).
It might help to get one stud in place and then gently swing the wheel in to place.
6. Replace the nuts
Replace the wheel nuts. Finger tight at first and then just a bit tighter using the spanner thing (wheel brace).
Note: if the nuts have a beveled edge it goes on the inside with the flat edge to the outside.
If you kept the nuts in a safe place they should all be present. If one has rolled down a drain you can manage with three – but drive slowly and carefully until the fourth nut is replaced.
If more than one is lost, you can 'steal' one from another wheel.
7. Lower the jack
Lower the car to the ground and then tighten the wheel nuts.
It's good practice to tighten the nuts in stages. half tighten a nut, do the same with the nut diagonally opposite, repeat with the other two nuts (assuming that there are four); then repeat the process to fully tighten the nuts.
Generally speaking, you should get them as tight as you can using the wheel brace. Ideally you will get the wheel checked at a garage to ensure that the nuts are tightened to the correct manufacturers setting.
8. Replace the trim
Real life punctures
If you have a flat tyre you will notice that the car is nor responding to steering and braking correctly. Stop as soon as possible.
If necessary, drive the car slowly to a safe location to change the wheel. Doing this might incur the cost of a ruined tyre. Not doing this could incur the cost of serious injury or worse!
Make sure that your jack is on a firm surface. If you are on grass or a soft surface you will need a large object such as a good firm plank or large flat rock to spread the load. Bits of stone, wood or metal are not enough to support the weight of the car.
Falling cars can break arms or legs and crush people to death – and cost lots of money to repair! If you are unsure, call out a breakdown truck.
See and be seen
Be very aware of other traffic, use a warning triangle and wear something bright (a fluorescent waistcoat only costs a few pounds and can be kept in the car).
Learn from the experts - emergency vans and personnel are always 'hi-vis' for a good reason!
Note: Hi-vis vests are now a compulsory in car accessory in some countries.
Use hazard lights if changing a wheel by the roadside.
Important pointers:
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Call emergency services if on a motorway or similar fast road.
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At night get help from another driver. He/she can park their car behind yours offering extra protection and light from the headlamps.
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Make sure you put everything back in the car when you finish!
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If your car has a 'skinny' space saver spare wheel keep your speed below 50 mph. These wheels are only designed for temporary use and should be changed at the first possible opportunity.
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Get your puncture repaired as soon as possible and, if you are in any doubt, have someone check that your wheel is fitted properly.
Daily and Weekly car care
In addition to your wheel change project, you need to continue with your daily and weekly checks. You might find this easier to do if you schedule a specific time every day and each week.
The habit of regular checks should become a regular part of your life, just like getting dressed or eating your dinner.
If you forget to get dressed you might face a little embarrassment. If you miss a couple of meals you might feel hungry.
If you neglect you vehicle checks you might never get an opportunity to be embarrassed or hungry ever again. Although this stuff is pretty basic. It can be the difference between life and death.
That's a plain and simple fact.
If you wish to re-read the vehicle-check information from earlier in the course, click here.
You can download further copies of the vehicle check from the menu above.
Remember, you need to get into the habit of making your daily and weekly checks, so if you haven't been doing so, start now!
