Handling Low Tire Pressure in Your Rental Car: Tips for Safe Travel

You can make your road trip more exciting and safe if you know first aid relating to your rental car. Besides checking the fuel gauge on your road trip, the next most important thing you should consider is accurate tire pressure. An uneven tire pressure has a lot of implications starting from lower fuel efficiency, engine holt, and, in worst cases, fatal accidents. Checking your rental car’s tire pressure is pretty straightforward. On your road trip, you will find all valuable facilities in the gas stations where you can have a general inspection of your car.

Let’s Find Out What To Do if a Rental Car Gets a Flat Tire or Low Pressure In This Post

Read the terms and conditions on your car rental contract for accidents and flat tires. It is always a best practice to thoroughly inspect the rental agreement before signing it. In particular, look for a clause for an on-road accident or flat tire. You must know who is responsible for a flat tire on a rental car; what if my rental car gets a flat tire and I get into an accident?

What happens if your rental car gets a flat tire and the car doesn’t have a spare in it? What happens if you get a flat tire in a rental car and the tool kit is missing? The car rental agent must address all these answers before you accept the offer and drive for your road trip in a hired car.

Check the Tires of Your Rental Car Before Leaving

The best way to avoid accidental flat tires in the middle of the road is to inspect them before leaving. Once you have loaded all the luggage, check your tires to see if any of them has changed their size. If there is a change in size, then chances are that the pressure in that tire is low, and you have to refill it immediately upon hitting the road.

Another essential thing to inspect is the visible wear and tear on the tire. You can quickly identify damages on the walls of tires, like cuts or bulges. If you find one, you must inform the rental company immediately and, if required, don’t take the risk and replace the car. Catering to both local residents and tourists, RealCar NYC is known for its seamless reservation process, door-to-door delivery service, and unparalleled customer support, elevating the car rental experience to new heights.

Check For Spare Tires and Replacement Kit

Every car has a spare tire and a replacement kit, mostly inside or underneath the trunk. Make sure to check its availability before you continue with your road trip. A spare tire and a replacement kit are real-life savers, especially if you have a flat tire on the road.

The standard car tool kit has all the necessary equipment to replace your tire.It is essential to know that a spare tire can never replace the actual tire. Therefore, it is only for transitionary intervals for you to reach a gas station to patch the flat tire.

Check the Tire Pressure of Your Rental Car Before Hitting the Highway

Everyone who hits the road for a beautiful road trip always makes at-least one stop before hitting the main highway. And that is in the nearby gas station to fuel the car and fill the snacks.

However, you must not forget to do one more thing before leaving: refill the air of all the tires, even the spare one. Most sedan cars have almost the same tire pressure. However, if unsure, look for a metal plate inside the driver’s door. You will find all the information about front and back tire pressure there.

Know How to Replace a Flat Tire

The dreadful thing happened: you are in the middle of the highway and get a flat tire. Even after all the care you can take, a flat tire can happen to anyone at any time. However, now you need to replace it. Remember your school physics lecture on how a jack works; you must apply that science here.

First, check for the following tools that are available inside your car:

● Lug Wrench

● Jack

● A spare tire

After finding these tools, next is to follow the following steps to replace your flat tire safely:

● Move to a flat and safe location. For example, if your car is in the middle of the road, get some assistance and slowly move it to the side.

● Once you are in the safe location, tell everybody in the car to wait outside it. Then, put your vehicle on the parking brake and turn on the hazard lights.

● With the help of a lug wrench, un-tight the lugs of the flat tire for replacement. It is vital not to lose the lugs all the way to avoid a further accident.

● Place the jack underneath the car near the flat tire. The right area to place the jack is on the metal frame near the flat tire. If you are unsure about the placement, read the car owner’s manual instructions.

● Now is the crucial step, and that is to lift the car with a jack. But first, lift the car until the flat tire is around five to six inches above the road.

● Unscrew all the lugs and free the tire from the wheel. Make sure to place the spare tire properly and screw back the lugs.

● Once the lugs are tightly positioned, slowly lower the jack until the tire hits the road.

● Get to the nearby gas station and patch the flat tire of your rental car before continuing your road trip. Again, a safe and delayed trip is much better than an unsafe and early trip.

Inform the Car Rental Company About the Flat Tire Incidence

It is crucial to inform the rental company from where you rented the car about the flat tire situation. Then, before replacing it, take a couple of pictures of the tire and the vicinity as evidence to defend your claim. Although a flat tire is not the rental company’s responsibility, if you can prove that the flat tire is none of your fault, you might get a refund or your car’s replacement.

Conclusion

If you notice a change in the tire’s diameter of your rental car, It is mainly due to low pressure, and the immediate action is to refill it as soon as possible. However, you will not be worried about a flat tire after reading the above post, and by following the instructions, you can change a flat tire yourself. We wish you a safe and sound journey.