Harborne is about 95 miles in a straight line from our only base at Brent Cross, NW2 (further by road). We have no base or van stationed nearby. 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. If the car is unsafe where it is, your breakdown cover may reach you sooner.
A flat tyre sorted where the car is, repaired or replaced
A flat tyre is not always a simple puncture. The cause can be a nail or screw, a damaged valve, a leak where the tyre meets the rim, or a bent wheel. Do not drive on a flat tyre: a short distance can ruin the sidewall and turn a repairable puncture into a replacement. Leave the car where it is, if it is safe and legal, and call us: if we can take the job, the fitter comes to it.
The fitter finds the cause, then repairs the tyre if the damage allows it. If not, we tell you and quote a replacement: common sizes are often on the van; other sizes are sourced for the job. A space saver spare can get you home, but only for a short distance at the reduced speed the handbook gives. Our main flat tyre page, linked below, has more detail.
Leave the car where it stopped if it is safe and legal there, such as a driveway, a quiet street or a car park where the owner allows it; the fitter needs firm, level ground beside the flat wheel. If it is somewhere unsafe, call your breakdown cover first.
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.
From our area records and OpenStreetMap.
What
Detail
Stations nearby
University (National Rail), about 0.8 miles; Selly Oak (National Rail), about 1.4 miles
What the job includes
Help working out whether the tyre can be repaired, from a photo on WhatsApp
A repair at the car when the damage allows it
A replacement tyre when it does not
The spare or space-saver put back in the boot
Pressures set on all four tyres before the fitter leaves
Only change a wheel yourself if the car is on firm, level ground well away from moving traffic. If the car is beside a fast road, leave the wheel alone.
If the spot is safe:
Put the handbrake on, select first gear or park, and switch on the hazard lights
Get everyone out of the car and away from the road
Loosen the wheel nuts half a turn before jacking the car up
Use the jacking point shown in the handbook, never the bodywork
Never put any part of your body under a car held up only by a jack
Check the spare's pressure, and tighten the nuts again once the car is back on the ground
What to have ready
Before you call
Have these ready when you call:
Where the car is, and whether it is somewhere safe and legal
The tyre size from the sidewall, for example 195/65 R15
Whether you can see a nail, a cut or damage to the wheel
Whether the car has locking wheel nuts, and where the key is
Whether the car has run-flat tyres or a space saver spare
Not quite your situation?
Staying safe
Staying safe until the job is done
While you wait for the fitter
Stop somewhere off the main flow of traffic, switch on the hazard lights and, if you have one, put on a high-visibility vest.
Get everyone out on the side away from the traffic and wait behind a barrier, on a pavement or well back from the road.
If the tyre may still be repairable, say so before using a sealant can, and leave any nail or screw where it is.
Keep your phone on and charged, and tell us about anything that makes the spot hard to find.
Tyre failure on a motorway
If the car can still be driven safely, carry on to the next exit or services and stop away from traffic before you call.
If you cannot leave, use an emergency area or the hard shoulder, stop well to the left and, if it is safe to, get out on the side away from the traffic.
Wait behind the barrier, not in the car. Rule 277 of the Highway Code says not to attempt any repairs on your vehicle on a motorway.
Call 999 if you are in danger or stuck in a live lane. Otherwise National Highways can be reached on 0300 123 5000.
Repair or replace
Repair or replace: how the decision is made
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:
The damage is in the shoulder or the sidewall
The hole is wider than 6 mm, or it is a cut rather than a hole
The inner wall shows damage from running flat
A new repair would overlap an earlier one
The tread is already at or below the legal minimum of 1.6 mm
The tyre has a bulge, a split or exposed cords
Step by step
From your call to the finished job
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Tell us what happened
Call or WhatsApp with where the car is, the registration and the tyre size from the sidewall. Say whether there is a usable spare.
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Agree what happens next
You hear what the job involves and the options for your car. Nothing is booked until you say yes.
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Work at the car
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.
Checked before the fitter leaves
Before the fitter leaves, the wheel is checked for security and the tyre pressure is set to the maker's figure.
“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!”
DFDavid FordhamGoogle review
★★★★★
“Had two tyres replaced and was really impressed. Friendly and efficient, job completed quickly. Highly recommend!”
PNPegah NourmandGoogle review
★★★★★
“Good and reliable service in all conditions.”
LOLeo OduorGoogle review
Tyres and the law
Tread depth, tyre age and the law
The legal tread limit
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.
The 20p test
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.
Other defects that make a tyre illegal
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.
How old is your tyre?
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.
Pricing
How the price is worked out
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.
What goes into the price
The tyre itself: size, load index, speed rating and whether it is a run-flat
The tier you choose: budget, mid-range or premium
The work: a repair, one new tyre or several, and any locking nut removal
The location of the car
Around the area
Neighbourhoods, roads and nearby towns
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.
Can the fitter work in a hospital, station or retail park car park?
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:
Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Metchley Lane side)
Harborne Pool and Fitness Centre
Will a flat tyre need replacing?
Not always. If the damage is in the repair zone and the tyre was not driven flat, it may be repairable.
The pressure light is on but the tyre looks fine. What should I do?
Measure the pressures with a gauge before going further. A modern tyre can lose a lot of pressure before it looks flat.
How fast can I go on a space saver?
No faster than the limit marked on the wheel itself. Space savers are for short, gentle trips to a repair, so have the proper tyre sorted soon.
How far can I drive on a flat tyre?
Ideally nowhere. Even a short distance can destroy the tyre and damage the wheel, so stop as soon as it is safe to.
Can I bring the car to you instead?
No. Rescue Tyres is fully mobile and works from one base at Brent Cross, NW2, which is not open to walk-in customers. The fitter comes to the car.
Are you insured?
Yes. Rescue Tyres is fully insured, has fitted more than 2,000 tyres and is a UK registered company.
Can you work on the street outside my house?
Yes, if it is legal to park there and the car is not blocking traffic. A quiet residential street is usually fine; a busy main road or a red route is not.
How soon can the fitter get to me?
It depends on how far the car is from our only base at Brent Cross, NW2, and on the jobs already booked.
Can you fit tyres at my workplace?
Yes, if the site is happy for the work to be done there and there is room around the wheel. Tell us the address and where the car is parked on site.
That horseshoe-shaped dashboard light is your tyre pressure monitoring system. Here's what it means, the steady vs flashing difference, and how to respond.
The spare is the most forgotten tyre on the car, and often flat when you need it. Here's how to check and look after your spare, plus space-saver rules.
All tyre help here
Every tyre service, done at the car
Call to check we can take the job
Tell us where the car is
Stay safe, keep off the flat tyre and tell us where the car is. The price is given on the call.
