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Working With An Auto Dealer

About a year ago, I realized we were going to need to invest in a new family vehicle. The car that we had was dying fast, and I was worried about my wife getting to and from all of the places that she needed to travel. We started looking around for different places to shop, and I found an auto dealer that was absolutely incredible. I worked with them to negotiate a fair price for the car, and I learned a few tricks along the way. This blog is all about negotiating effectively with an automotive dealer, so that you don't end up with buyer's remorse.

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Working With An Auto Dealer

3 Things You Need to Know if You Get a Flat Tire

by Milla Halko

Learning how to change a flat tire can be a beneficial step to take in life, because flat tires often occur at the most inconvenient times in life. If this happens to you, it is important for you to pull over and change the tire without driving on it. The farther you drive on the flat tire, the more likely it will be that you may damage the tire and other parts of the car. Here are several things you should know about driving on a flat tire.  

What You Should Do First

When you get a flat tire, you will have to pull over and park your car. The key here is making sure your car is completely off the road and away from traffic. If your car is not far enough off the road, you should turn your car back on and pull it over as far as you can. You should also turn your hazard lights on. By doing these things, you will alert other drivers that you are pulled over, and this could prevent an accident from occurring. As you pull your car over, go very slowly and avoid driving any more than you have to.

The Damage You Could Do

You can damage a tire by driving on it when it is flat even if it is not completely flat. If you want to have a chance at saving the tire, you will need to stop driving on it as quickly as possible. When a tire is flat, it does not necessarily mean it is shot. In fact, you might be able to have the tire repaired if it only has a small leak in it. Repairing a tire is less costly than replacing a tire, so you should do all you can to prevent causing additional damage to the tire.

The damage that can occur to a flat tire includes internal damage as well as external damage. When there is not enough air in a tire, it weakens the sidewalls of the tire. If this happens, you will be forced to replace the tire, because it will not be repairable.

The longer you drive on the flat tire, the greater the chance will be that damage will occur to the wheel on the tire. Tire wheels are usually made of metal, and they are very strong. When a tire goes flat and you continue driving on it, there will be too much pressure placed on the metal wheel, which can cause the wheel to bend. A bent wheel cannot usually be fixed.   

While the tire and the wheel are typically the first two things damaged from driving on a flat, there are numerous other parts of the car that could also get damaged from this. This includes the brake lines, suspension, calipers, and fenders on your car. This happens primarily when a tire begins shredding apart. As this happens, pieces of the tire may be rubbing against your car, and this friction is what leads to damage. This is why you should pull over as soon as you realize your tire is flat or low on air.

What to Know About Spare Tires

If you know how to change a tire and have a spare tire with you, you will be able to change the tire yourself. If you do this, keep in mind that spare tires are not meant to be driven long distances. To stay safe, you should avoid going over 50 miles with the spare. Spare tires cannot handle a lot of speed either, which means you should avoid going over 55 mph with your spare.

If you do not know how to change a spare or do not have a spare tire with you, you could call emergency roadside assistance for help. This is a great service to have if you run into car problems. If you do not currently have this service, contact a company like Airport Towing to see how much an emergency roadside assistance package costs.

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