The essentials

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Each week, Essentials offers practical advice for teens on some aspect of life.

CHANGING A FLAT TIRE

As a newly licensed driver, I had my first experience with a flat tire. I was at a loss about how to change it, but my dad came to my rescue. I wanted to be able to fix it myself the next time it happens, so I asked Jeff Bottoms, of Marc Younts Tire & Autoworks, for tips on this motor vehicle mishap.

1. Get prepared. Find a level place to stop. Put on the emergency brake and your hazard lights. Get all the tools you need, including: a spare tire, lug wrench (this will more than likely be held in place by a retainer bar and wing nut, simply loosen the wing nut and move the retainer bar to get the lug wrench out), jack, owner's manual and a flashlight (if it is dark).

2. Get safe: Chock the wheel by putting something on either side of it diagonally opposite the flat tire. (You can use a variety of items but most people use a brick, large rock or a wheel chock that can be purchased at any parts store.) This provides extra safety so the car doesn't roll.

3. Get loose. With your lug wrench, remove the hubcap (if you car has one) from the tire. Then, using your lug wrench loosen the lug nuts that are holding the wheel in place. You probably won't be able to do this by hand since they were tightened by a mechanic with an air-powered wrench, but you can do it using your foot.

Put the lug wrench on any of the nuts with the handle facing to the left ( you want to turn the wrench counterclockwise, remember: righty tighty, lefty loosey).

You can stand on the wrench and bounce up and down to loosen the lugs. Don't loosen them all the way, just loosen each nut a couple of turns. Don't remove any of the lug nuts yet.

4. Get off the ground. Use the owner's manual to find the safe and correct location to place the jack under the car. Place the jack in this location and turn the handle. This process of turning will take several minutes. In the end, the car should be off the ground so that a fully inflated tire can easily fit under the car. Now you can completely take off the lug nuts, being careful not to lose them. Take the flat tire off the car and put in the trunk or back of the car.

5. Get in place. Place the spare tire on the car by lining the lugs up with the holes in the wheel. Make sure the air valve is facing you. Replace the lug nuts but do not tighten them all the way. Slowly turn the jack handle the opposite direction from when you jacked up the car until the tire is back on the ground.

6. Get secure. Tighten the lug nuts completely. Start by turning the five nuts by hand in no particular order, then using the wrench and your hands, tighten as hard as you can.

NOTE: The order of the next steps of the final tightening is very important.

a. Pick any nut, put the wrench on the nut (just like when you removed the nuts ) with the wrench handle facing to the right. Stand on the end and bounce, continue until the nut won't move.

b. The next nut you tighten is the one that is diagonally opposite from the first one. Tighten this nut until it won't move. Continue to tighten the lug nuts by using the diagonal method (meaning the third nut you would tighten will be diagonal from the second nut you tightened, until all five nuts won't move.

c. Finally, make sure the nuts are all secure.

7. Get moving. Clean up your supplies and put them back where you got them. That way they will be easily located the next time you need them.