We repair punctures where the car is parked, and tell you plainly when the tyre has to be replaced instead.
Abingdon is about 46 miles in a straight line from our only base at Brent Cross, NW2 (further by road). Call and we will tell you straight away whether we can take the job; if we can, the arrival time is given on the call.
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Postcode districts | OX13, OX14 |
| Main roads | A34, A415 Marcham Road and Ock Street, A4183 Oxford Road, A4130 |
| Stations (station car parks are private: permission first) | Radley, Appleford |
| Shopping centres and retail parks (private: permission first) | Fairacres retail park, Grovelands Shopping Centre |
| Business and industrial estates (private: permission first) | Abingdon Business Park, Elms Farm Business Park |
| Distance from our base | About 46 miles (straight line) |
We need firm, level ground with room to work beside the car: a driveway, a legal parking space on a quiet street, or a car park where the owner allows it. Supermarket, retail park and station car parks are private ground, so the owner's permission comes first.
A puncture can be repaired only when the damage is in the central part of the tread and no wider than 6 mm. That is the limit in BS AU 159. The fitter takes the tyre off the wheel and checks the inside, because a tyre that has been driven while flat can be damaged on the inner wall even when the outside looks fine.
A repairable hole is sealed from the inside with a combined plug and patch. If the damage is on the sidewall or shoulder, the hole is too big, or the inside is damaged, the tyre is not safe to repair and we say so before fitting a replacement. Our main puncture repair page, linked below, explains the standard in more detail.
If the tyre goes down on a fast road, get to the nearest safe place to stop off the carriageway. If you cannot leave a running lane, put the hazard lights on, get everyone out behind the barrier if it is safe, and call 999. We never work on the carriageway of a motorway or main road, on a hard shoulder, in a smart motorway emergency area or on a slip road.
Once the car is parked in a side street or car park, do not drive it further on a flat tyre: that ruins the tyre from inside and turns a repair into a replacement. Leave any nail or screw in the tread, as it is partly sealing the hole.
Have these ready when you call:
A repair and a new tyre are priced differently, so we confirm the price on the call before the fitter sets off.
The shoulder and the sidewall are never repaired. They flex with every turn of the wheel, and the sidewall has no steel belt behind it for a repair to hold against, so a patch there can let go without warning.
The tyre is replaced rather than repaired when:
A repair is only as good as the tyre around it. If the tyre is old, cracked or close to the legal limit, a new tyre can be the better buy even when the hole itself could be repaired, and we say so on the day.
A tyre that needs air every few days usually has something in the tread, a leaking valve, or a poor seal where the tyre meets the rim, often from corrosion on an alloy wheel. A tyre pressure warning light that keeps coming back after the tyres have been pumped up is a common sign.
Tyre sealant from an emergency kit is meant to get the car to a safe place, not to fix the tyre. The sealant has to be cleaned out before the inside can be checked, and some sealants make a repair impractical, so say on the call if a can has been used.
Run-flat tyres let the car keep moving for a limited distance after a puncture, but that driving can damage the tyre from inside. Some run-flat makers advise against repairing their tyres at all, so the fitter follows the maker's guidance for your tyre.
Call or WhatsApp with where the car is, the registration and the tyre size from the sidewall. A photo of the tread where the damage is helps judge whether a repair is possible.
You hear what the job involves and the options for your car. Nothing is booked until you say yes.
The fitter comes to your home, your workplace or a safe place to park, raises the car on a jack and does the job beside it.
Before the fitter leaves, the wheel is checked for security and the tyre pressure is set to the maker's figure.
“A pleasure having them come down and save me. Big shout out to Hiwad, really responsive, recommend him to anybody.”
“Had two tyres replaced and was really impressed. Friendly and efficient, job completed quickly. Highly recommend!”
“Good and reliable service in all conditions.”
Cars and light vans need at least 1.6 mm of tread across the central three-quarters of the tyre, around the whole circumference.
For a car, each illegal tyre can bring a fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points; the maximum fine for a van is higher.
Push a 20p coin into the main grooves at several points around the tyre. If the outer band of the coin is visible, the tread may be close to the limit and should be measured properly.
A tyre is also illegal with a cut longer than 25 mm or a tenth of its section width, whichever is greater, that reaches the ply or cord, a lump or bulge, exposed cords, or the wrong size or type for the car.
The last four digits of the DOT code on the sidewall give the week and year of manufacture, so 2319 means the 23rd week of 2019.
Rubber hardens and cracks with age even on a tyre that has done few miles, and many tyre makers advise replacing any tyre ten years old or more.
There is no fixed figure that suits every car, so the price is built from a few things and told to you before you decide.
The price is the same at any hour. Asking for a price does not commit you to anything.
When you compare prices, compare like with like: the same brand and pattern, the same load index and speed rating, and whether balancing and a new valve are part of the job.
These are the neighbourhoods, postcode districts and main roads on record for this area. Whether we can take a particular job depends on the diary and the distance from our base, so the call always decides.
Yes, if the site allows it. Places of this kind in this area include:
Tyre repair vs replacement: which do you need?
Should you repair a damaged tyre or replace it? Here's how to decide, based on UK safety standards, the repair zone rules, and the real cost difference.
Tyre sealant: good idea or bad idea?
Tyre sealant can get you moving after a puncture, but it has real downsides. Here's when to use it, when to avoid it, and why it isn't a proper repair.
Send the tyre size if you can read it. The price is given on the call.
