Flat Tire Repair at Johnny's Automotive
Flat on the rim means don't drive it. Low and still holding means add air and come see us. We find the leak first, and it's often the valve stem, not a nail.
I've got a flat right now. What should I do first?
Before anything else, work out whether it's flat or just low. Those are two different situations. A tire sitting on the rim is not a tire you drive on, not even a mile. The sidewall folds under and grinds itself apart from the inside, and once the rim is carrying the weight you're risking the wheel too, which costs a lot more than the tire did. If it still has some air and is going down slowly, that's the better version: add air, watch the gauge, and come straight in.
If it won't hold air, the next question is what your car actually carries. Plenty of vehicles built in the last several years have no spare at all, just a small compressor and a bottle of sealant in the trunk. Sealant can get you rolling again on a small puncture in the tread, and if you use it, tell us when you arrive so the tech knows what they're opening. Run flats will travel a limited distance at reduced speed, and those limits are in your owner's manual rather than up for guessing. If there's no spare and no kit, a tow is the cheap answer.
When you get here, we find the leak before anyone talks about fixing it. The tire comes off the wheel and goes in water, or gets soaped down, so the bubbles point at the exact spot. It's often not a puncture at all. A corroded valve stem, a tired seal on a pressure sensor, or air escaping where the bead sits against a rim that's corroded on the inside will all empty a tire overnight while the tread looks flawless.
From there it's a straight fork. If the injury is in the repairable part of the tread, it gets the proper repair from the inside, and our tire repair page walks through what that involves. If it isn't repairable, you'll hear that from us along with the reason, and then we'll talk honestly about what makes sense from there. We're not going to patch something we wouldn't drive on ourselves.
Six shops, Haines City, Winter Haven, Lake Wales, Frostproof, Sebring, and Wauchula, so one of them is near wherever you're sitting.
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Problems we fix
Our experts diagnose and resolve any issue.
Walked out to a tire sitting flat on the ground
Don't drive it in. A tire with no air in it destroys itself in the first few hundred feet and can take the wheel with it. Put the spare on if you have one, or call for a tow, and let us find the leak with the tire intact.
It's down every morning but holds fine all day
Classic slow leak. Temperature swings make it look worse overnight, which is why it seems to fix itself by afternoon. Something is letting air out, and dunking the tire finds it in about a minute.
The tire went flat and there's no spare in the trunk
More and more cars ship without one. Check for a compressor and a bottle of sealant under the cargo floor, since that's what replaced it. If there's nothing back there, a tow beats driving on the rim by a wide margin.
I used the inflator kit and it's leaking again
Sealant is a temporary measure, and it's meant to be. It buys you the drive to a shop. Let us know it's in there when you arrive so the tech is expecting it, and we'll clean the inside out before anything gets repaired.
The tire lost all its air right after I hit a pothole or a curb
Sudden loss after an impact points at the bead or the wheel more often than at a puncture. A hard hit can bend a rim just enough to break the seal, and it can also cut the sidewall. Both get looked at with the tire off.
I drove on it a few miles before I realized it was flat
Worth telling us up front. Running flat damages the inside of the tire and heats up the parts you can't see, so the inspection matters more than the size of whatever punctured it.
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Learn moreFlat Tire Repair questions, answered
Common questions about our flat tire repair services.
Can I drive a short distance on a flat, or should I call a tow?
If it's completely flat, don't drive it. A few blocks is enough to ruin a tire that might otherwise have been repairable, and it can damage the wheel underneath. If the tire is low but still holding shape, put air in it and drive straight here without detours.
My car came with a sealant kit instead of a spare. Should I use it?
For a small puncture in the tread, yes, that's exactly what it's for and it will usually get you to us. Follow the directions on the bottle and keep your speed down. Just tell us you used it when you arrive, since sealant coats the inside of the tire and has to be cleaned out before anything can be repaired or a sensor can be reseated.
How far can I drive on the small spare?
Compact spares have a speed limit and a distance limit, and both are printed right on the spare itself or in the owner's manual. They're built to get you somewhere, not to finish the week. Handling and braking change with one on the car, so take it easy and get the real tire sorted out.
Do I need an appointment for a flat?
Come in and we'll work you in. It helps to call the closest shop first so they know you're coming and can tell you what the bay looks like that afternoon. We've got six locations across Central Florida, so if one is slammed, another one may be a shorter wait.
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