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It’s something everyone should know how to do but unfortunately not everyone does.

Here we have provided you with a small step-by-step guide to changing a flat tyre on your car, helping you to be prepared for the situation.

First of all, if you are driving when the problem occurs then you should reduce your speed to prevent any more damage or danger. Find a safe place to pull over with a flat surface, away from the road and ensure that your hazard lights are switched on.

Once stationary, put the handbrake on, turn off the ignition and leave your car in gear or ‘park’ depending on your vehicle’s transmission.

You should also try to place a warning triangle behind your car to make oncoming drivers aware that you are there.

Heavy objects inside the vehicle should be removed to make the car weigh as little as possible as this will make the process of jacking up the vehicle easier and decrease the chance of it slipping.

Check that the spare tyre is inflated and safe to use, then remove it from the car along with the tyre jack and wheel brace. Place on the ground by the tyre you are going to change.

Now if fitted, you need to remove the wheel trim by levering it off and if it has cable ties these may need to be cut.

Use the wheel brace and begin to loosen the wheel nuts by turning anti-clockwise for half a turn.

If your car’s wheel nuts have a cover on top of them, you will need a locking wheel nut adapter to remove them.

The next step will be to jack the car up ensuring that you use the recommended lifting point, which you can find in the handbook. Failure to do this correctly could result in the vehicle collapsing.

We then advise that you begin to raise the car so that the body lifts up and the car is on its springs but don’t let the wheel leave the floor yet. When the car is in this position, push the spare wheel under the body of the car so that if the car was to slip this would cushion the fall.

Now you can continue to raise the car until the wheel is just clear of the ground and begin to remove the wheel nuts in diagonal pairs whilst keeping the wheel in position and removing the top wheel nut last.

Remove the wheel away from the hub carefully, remember it’s heavy!

Now you have to fit the spare wheel, this is basically the reverse process of removing the original wheel.

Place the damaged wheel under the body of the car as you did with the spare to act as a cushion.

Place the wheel into position and secure it into place by refitting all of the wheel nuts in their diagonal pairs, starting with the top one first. Tighten all of the nuts by hand so that they are not fully tightened just yet.

Now, begin to lower the vehicle so that the new wheel just touches the ground and then use the wheel brace to tighten all of the wheel nuts fully.

Remove the punctured wheel from underneath the car and use the jack to finish lowering your vehicle.

You can now remove the jack and place the damaged wheel in the boot well or carrier (depending on which one your vehicle has) and place your tools back into the boot.

Finally, if you had to remove the wheel trim, you can now refit it and be on your way.

Remember to check what type of wheel your spare is as various wheels are limited to certain speeds.

Sometimes space saver wheels can also cause dashboard warning lights to illuminate but don’t be alarmed as this is just because of the different size of the wheel.

Remember to always be prepared and carry a torch in your car, in case situations like this occur in the dark.

If you are uncertain about anything we have mentioned or have any questions please call Prestige Vehicle Repairs and we will be happy to help you, simply call 01708 868864.