If a tyre has let you down and the repair cannot wait, phone rather than send a message, so the diary can be checked while you are on the line. Urgent jobs are fitted in if the diary allows.
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 |
| Distance from our base | About 46 miles (straight line) |
A private car park, such as the one at Fairacres Retail Park, needs the owner's permission before a tyre can be repaired there, so tell us which car park and which part of it when you call. A drive or a legal space on a residential street in Northcourt, Peachcroft, Caldecott or Fitzharris is usually simpler.
If the car can still be driven slowly and safely, move it off the main road into a side street or a car park before you call. If it has stopped on the A34 or another busy road and cannot be moved, put the hazard lights on, get everyone out on the side away from the traffic, and stand well back. If the car is stuck in a live lane or you are in danger, call 999. Otherwise call your breakdown cover.
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. We can come to the car once it is off the road.
If you can fit the spare safely away from the traffic, that gets you moving, and the damaged tyre can be dealt with later at a booked time. A space-saver is for short, slow journeys only. If you have used a sealant kit, tell us on the call: the tyre still has to be cleaned and checked from the inside.
Because this is a long trip from Brent Cross, there will be times we cannot fit the job in. If so, we tell you on the call rather than leave you waiting. If the car is unsafe where it is, your breakdown cover may reach you sooner. If it is parked safely, you can book the repair for a later time instead.
An urgent job is fitted into the day's work when the diary allows. We run more than one van, and if one is already working nearby that can help, but we never promise a slot we cannot keep.
On the call we tell you honestly whether we can take the job and, if we can, when to expect the fitter. If we cannot, we say so at once so you can make other plans, such as calling your breakdown cover.
The more you can tell us, the easier the job is to plan: the tyre size, where the damage is, a photo on WhatsApp and exactly where the car is.
Most punctures from a nail or screw in the middle of the tread can be repaired. The decision is made with the tyre off the wheel, because the outside of a tyre does not show everything. BS AU 159, the British Standard for car tyre repairs, sets out which damage can be repaired and how the repair must be done.
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.
A tyre that has been driven while flat is the other common reason. Even a short distance on a flat tyre can crush the inner wall, and that damage is often invisible until the tyre is off the rim.
The tyre is replaced rather than repaired when:
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.
“From start to finish, Hiwad was incredibly professional and helpful.”
“Had two tyres replaced and was really impressed. Friendly and efficient, job completed quickly. Highly recommend!”
“Good communication, excellent work and takes the initiative. Happy to go the extra mile, highly recommended if you're in a tyre-related bit of bother!”
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. Supermarket, retail park and station car parks are private ground, so the owner's permission comes first. Places of this kind in this area include:
Can a puncture be repaired? The UK rules
Not every puncture means a new tyre. Learn which punctures are safely repairable under the UK standard (BS AU 159) and which ones always need replacement.
Nail or screw in your tyre? What to do, and when it can be repaired
Don't pull it out, it may be sealing the hole. Here's the safe way to handle it and whether it can be repaired.
Send a photo of the tread and where the car is; the damage is checked before anything is decided. The price is given on the call.
