“How long does it take for a slashed tire to deflate?” Have you ever wondered? If asked, what will be the first thing to come to mind?
Well, understand that things like this, do not undermine the importance of specificity because the answer to every case lives with it.
However, the time it takes for a slashed tire to deflate can either take from 15 seconds to as long as 20 minutes, depending on how wide the slashed hole is.
I will tell you how.
There are two possibilities. The first is, you can, on either a high or low speed, ride over a nail or other metal debris and have an instant tire slash that will cause your tire to give off air instantaneously.
This case is a fast leak.
The second is, you can cruise over a nail and have it tightly lodged into your tire.
Like in a case where your car hits the nail and it lodges so hard that air doesn’t get the chance to escape.
Or, even if air escapes, it will just be at almost an insignificant extent. This case is a slow leak.
It is one thing to have your tire slashed, it is another thing to know the right thing to do when your tire is slashed.
And this births the $1Billion dollar question; what do you do when you realize you have a slashed tire?
Table of Contents
Here is what to do when you realize you have a slashed tire
At the instant of your discovering that you have a punctured tire, it is never a good idea to shrug it off and keep driving.
Never, whether a slow leak or a fast leak. Understand that even if it is a slow leak, you are still on borrowed time.
Because the slightest shift that will cause a change of position of the nail will increase the extent of the tear which will be followed by a high level of air rush.
If you have a slashed tire, the thought of calling the police might come to mind. That sounds cool.
Not a bad idea. They are definitely going to come to your aid, but here is what to do yourself to fix it.
There are other ways you could go about it, but these are the two best methods as recommended by a network of Car Care Professionals.
I have tried both, and they have worked perfectly. I know a couple of people that have attested to the credibility of these two methods as well.
- The use of tire sealants
- Plug the tire while on the wheel
First Method: the use of tire sealants
Step 1: Park in a safe location
As soon as you notice that you have a slash, you are not advised to instantly put a break or make an abrupt turn.
Just reduce the velocity of the car slowly and park in a safe surrounding. It could be a wider shoulder-leveled road. But an empty parking lot will be a more ideal choice.
I recommend a leveled ground because it will be so perfect that the car will not continue rolling.
And I suggested a straight road over a curved one so that any oncoming car is more likely to see you and not hit you. Your safety matters.
It is never a good idea to try to fix a slashed tire on narrow roads. Are you thinking about the damage that will be caused to your car rim while using a slashed tire to search for a safe location?
Ok, compare it with getting hit by an oncoming vehicle and make your choice.
Step 2: Make sure the hazard lights are turned ON and the parking brake is in use
Another name for the hazard lights is called flashers. They are very good reflectors of light and will help drivers to easily see you.
Step 3: Use the sealant
Now you can use the sealant to seal the hole or tear created by whatever metal debris, nail, or sharp object that must have slashed your tire.
There are many types of sealants for different use on different substrates. Not all adhesives are good to conduct good adherence on all types of polymer materials.
But the ideal sealant for the case of tire slashes is the tyreJect Sealant.
It is ideal because it is specifically made for this cause, for cases of emergencies.
Two of its active compositions which are Aramid fibers and liquid rubbers allow for plugging of punctures from the inside and permanent seal while bonding to the tire respectively.
Please do well to understand that the use of sealants on slashed car tires is not a permanent solution. It is just an emergency quick-fixing method, like a car first aid before taking it for proper care.
Besides, tire sealants can only suffice for blocking smaller tire slashes. And note also, there’s one disadvantage of using sealants; it has the ability to cause damage to the tire’s monitoring system.
The practical process of using sealants are:
- It is through the tire system opening that you must pump the sealant into the tire.
- You must use a jack to support the vehicle for as long as the process lasts.
- Follow the directions as written on the sealant so as to know the amount of sealant that should suffice for each tire and according to the diameter of the puncture on the tire.
- You should be sure of the balance as soon as the sealer is applied. And to be sure, you must have had a prior check of the tire’s pressure. But just in case the sealer forms a puddle at the bottom of the tire, then there is a high propensity of imbalance as you are definitely going to be moving at higher speeds and at uneven terrains.
Second Method: Plug the tire while on the wheel
This is a better option relative to the option above. But this is not a good option for cases where there is internal damage.
If there is internal damage of whatever sort, please this will be a terrible idea.
Step 1: Start by removing the tire
The best and safer way of removing a tire from the care is through the use of your tool kit. Using other methods might suffice but not as much as this.
Step 2: Locate the slash
The slash is not always easily visible. Although, sometimes it is.
If you are ever faced with a situation where it becomes difficult to locate the slash, then use a pump to inflate the tire so as to help you spot the leaking area.
This is why it is always advised to have a pump in your car. WUYASTA double cylinder tire air pump should come in handy.
Step 3: Listen
Physically locating the slashed area shouldn’t be difficult, but if that is not the case, then you would be left with no option but to listen to what exact part of the tire the hissing sound would be coming from.
Of course, there is almost always pressure on the tire, so you can always trace the precise leaking part of the tire through the sound.
Step 4: Use the plug
The step that precedes using the plug is identifying the area of air leakage. This spells out that after identifying the slashed part of the tire, you use the plug.
You can find the plugging tool in the car’s tool kit. Just make sure to carefully push in the plug such that only a bit of it sticks out as pushing it out too much is sure to cause an imbalance in the long run.
Step 5: Get the slashed tire filled
It is safe to get the slashed tire filled with air to a considerable extent after having plugged the leaking area.
Then you round up the process by placing the tire back on the vehicle.
Slashed tire or blowout? How do you differentiate these two?
I have noticed that, on many occasions, people have confused flat tires with a blowout, such that they even use the two terms interchangeably.
I have heard people mistake the terms for synonyms.
But the truth still stands, they greatly differ. They are not the same. And I will tell you why.
You hear the loud “BOOM”, the “FLOOP” or the “WHOOP” sound, then followed by your car imbalance, and your steering is so hard to turn. This is definitely a blowout.
Generally, whether slow leak or fast leak, slashed tires just only lose air pressure. But the case of a blowout is one that comes with a spontaneous loss of air pressure.
Faster than the fast leak of a slashed car tire, and in most cases, it is a large tire burst where the recommended methods of tackling the hurdle of a slashed tire as explained earlier CANNOT suffice.
You will need a change of tire here.
However, these days, blowouts have stopped being a common occurrence. All thanks to the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that most modern vehicles now enjoy.
The monitoring system has been very helpful.
There are two major instant occurrences that happen during a blowout
- Sound
- Sensation
Sound
The first thing that your sensory nerves pick up when a blowout happens is the deafening bang that gets to your ears.
This is owing to the tire’s spontaneous air release even as the walls of the tire cannot stand the pressure and tears off as well.
And it switches to the flopping and flapping sounds the punctured and deflated tire makes continuously upon its contact with the ground.
Sensation
At the instance of the blowout, you will notice your vehicle tilting to one side and beginning to slow immediately, followed by a type of unusual vibration.
You also notice that the car begins to swerve, especially if it is the front tire that blows out. This will have the vehicle going back and forth in a swaying motion.
If you must prevent your tire from blowing out, then you must know the root causation factors of tires blowout.
Most times, tire blowout occurs as a result of little or no maintenance. One thing that prolongs tire lifespan is making sure that the tires are properly inflated. It is very important to take note of this.
You should know that when you drive, the walls of a tire become more flexible than it normally is.
And this propels the heat within the rubber to build up therein, the wheel also makes a dig on the tire’s sidewall, which eventually results in an inevitable blowout.
Overinflated tires too are a major cause of the blowout. Overinflated tires have a higher susceptibility to being both slashed and punctured.
Another culprit that causes blowouts and easy tire slashes are overloading a car and exceeding the maximum weight that it is supposed to carry.
Can you drive on a slashed tire?
Technically, you can drive a car on a slashed tire, but just be sure to have your car needing more repair than just changing a tire as you should have initially done.
Not only is driving on a slashed tire a very terrible idea that will cause you discomfort during the driving process, but will also cost your car a great extent of the damage.
It is sure to cause structural damage to your steering, brakes, wheels, alignment, and suspension system. Or even an accident.
Except on rare occasions where it involves a slow leak and you are not driving for a longer distance. Even at that, driving on a slashed tire is a big NO.
So, if it is not advisable to drive on a slashed tire, what should you do if you find yourself in a situation as such? Maneuver and park at the nearest safe spot where the problem can be properly addressed.
There is only one way to avoid driving on a flat tire. What is it? Do not get into one in the first place. How do you not get into one?
I will direct you back to the one primary rule that governs tire maintenance; always make sure that your tire pressure is regularly checked.
Should a slash be repaired or replaced?
Well, it all boils down to the intensity of the slash or puncture the tire is having.
Oftentimes, there is a need for a change of tire after a major slash. Other times, if the slash is the type that is very insignificant, it can be fixed.
If the puncturing intensity on the tire is one that does not measure more than ¼ of an inch (16 millimeters) then you should opt for a simple fix.
Also, on occasions where the tire is having up to two punctures or slashes, as long as the slashes are up to 16 inches apart, it is still repairable.
But when the slashes on a tire exceed two, then it is advisable that you opt for an entire change of tire.
This is because trying to fix a tire with more than two slashes will always end your effort in futility as it is sure to get damaged in no distant time after the “fix.”
The bottom line is, replace your tire if:
- The number of slashes you’re having on a tire exceeds two
- The slashes are not more than 16 inches apart
- The diameter of the slash is more than ¼ of an inch.
Conclusion
It is important to note that the key aspects of this article are recommendations of car care professionals that have served for years.
I sought this from credible sources because I understand that this case is crucial, and as such, I do not undermine the need to have it treated as one.
Please do well to follow the recommendations above as they have been written to help serve you. I am certain this will help in no small way.