I accidentally spotted a screw on the front tyre of Pirelli Tyre. No pressure warning and might have been there for some time. It's my understanding tha tthese are self-sealing (whatever that means) so question is do you think I should get a screwdriver and get it out or would you bring it to a tyre shop?

Unfortunately if that has gone through you will need a new tyre, you need to get it checked asap

Not necessarily.

The Self Seal tyre once it seals when you take the screw out and inflate the tyre might well be able to have a repair.

By those that know how to with a 'Self seal tyre'. 

 

Which ones are fitted, Continental or Pirelli or A.N. Other.

 

 

Edited 24 March, 20242 yr by Rooted

pirelli scorpion

A tyre can only be repaired if the puncture is in the middle 70% of the tyre. don't see why a self sealing tyre would have different regulations.

 

it is recommended to get them checked if you find a nail or object in them  even though they also say you can continue to drive i think that is just a get you home feature, not a you can keep driving till the tyre breaks down policy.

Every time I have had this, (my winters, in particular are screw magnets) the tyre always deflated very quickly when I removed it.

In my multiple cases, the tyre had sealed to a certain extent around the object while it was in place - where I was losing about 0.5 bar over 3 to 4 days.

Provided the puncture is far enough away from the sidewall, a tubeless tyre repair is permissible.   

Edited 24 March, 20242 yr by Warrior193
typo

Do you have a spare tyre? If not, don't unscrew it!

It may not go deep enough to leak, I had one recently where the screw was bizarrely short, and the tyre did not deflate at all after removal.

It is a special way you do the plugging of a Self Seal tyre.  Not just plugging like a tubeless tyre.

Easily found on Youtube.  

It is linked in the Self Seal tyre threads. 

I'm not sure, but is 'foreign body in tyre' not an MOT failure?

Don't put a vehicle in for a MOT with a Foreign Body in a tyre, or a Screw in the tyre then.  Incase a tester notices it....

 

Balance beads are Foreign Bodies inserted inside the tyre, not a mot failures. Common with Offroaders and Motor Cycles. 

Edited 24 March, 20242 yr by Rooted

On the subject of tyre repair

 

I went to a local place who found the puncture because the nail/screw was still there.

 

Without removing the tyre he used

 

 

Luckily i saw it happen. He did only ask for £5 but i asked him to do it properly like he is supposed to with something like

 

 

He said "but that's £12"

 

I said i would rather you comply with the your duty of care and remove the tyre for inspection before you repair it properly.

 

He did but i will not go back there.

 

 

The plugs in the first kit are an emergency get you home product if you get a puncture the tyre should be checked over by removal,

 

7 minutes ago, Warrior193 said:

I'm not sure, but is 'foreign body in tyre' not an MOT failure?

Surprisingly not.

Not my car, but one I got through MOT recently without noticing the screw (not nail) in the tyre:

 

 

 

5 hours ago, dubincalling said:

It's my understanding tha these are self-sealing (whatever that means) so question is do you think I should get a screwdriver and get it out or would you bring it to a tyre shop?

 

 

The location of the screw means any repair would still affect the rigidity of the tyre.  No reputable firm would attempt a repair so close to the sidewall so would have thought all tyre centres would all recommend the tyre is replaced.

 

A self-sealing tyre only enables you to get to a tyre centre, it's a temporary fix, not a permanent fix. 

4 hours ago, Stonekeeper said:

I said i would rather you comply with the your duty of care and remove the tyre for inspection before you repair it properly.

 

He did but i will not go back there.

 

He will no doubt be rejoicing at the news.

4 hours ago, Stonekeeper said:

The plugs in the first kit are an emergency get you home product if you get a puncture the tyre should be checked over by removal,

 

Wise enough but it is perfectly legal for a tyre fitter to repair a tyre with a plug and for you to drive on it for the remaining life of the tyre, it was a bit strong to ask him to eat his initial repair after doing it and you could have found a more diplomatic way of achieving what you wanted. I presume initially you just asked for a puncture repair?

 

 

I first started using tyre plugs when a garagiste used one to repair my puncture, he removed the (non self sealing!) screw, roughened the hole with a rotary rasp, inserted the plug and pulled out the insertion tool cutting the "stitch", he did it all so fast only a breath of air escaped, I never manage to acheive that especially on the vehicle a the side of the road.

A string repair involves repairing a puncture from the outside of the tyre. This is deemed unsafe as the technician will not be able inspect the internal damage of the tyre caused by the puncture and is not an approved British Standard BS AU 159 repair.

 

 

This British Standard specifies requirements for the repair of diagonal ply and radial ply pneumatic tyres for motorcycles, scooters, cars, commercial and agricultural vehicles for use on the public highway. It specifies inspection procedures, performance criteria, repair materials, and marking requirements, for both tubed and tubeless tyres.

The repair of tubes and inflation valves is also covered.

This British Standard is not applicable to:

1. a) tyres designed for use on pre-1933 vehicles, as their design and construction can be unique and outside the range of tyres in current use;
2. b) T-type temporary use spare tyres;
3. c) temporary seals, i.e. externally inserted plugs, intended to allow the vehicle to be driven for a limited period, until a permanent repair can be effected;
4. d) use of liquid sealants introduced into tubed or tubeless tyres to aid the air retention property (see Clause 9);
5. e) tyres containing sealant gel; and
6. f) specialist repairs carried out by the original tyre manufacturer.

Edited 24 March, 20242 yr by Stonekeeper

What relevance does B.S. AU 159 have to legality?

 

And as you rightly point out  B.S. AU 159 does not relate to plug repairs which a tyre fitter can legally provide.

Edited 24 March, 20242 yr by J.R.

'That's fine no charge'   Here is something for the Tea Money.    a fiver,   No invoice, no receipt, no record, no VAT.  

 

 

Local tyre and exhaust centres you use regularly and they know you are wonderful places.    Then there are those that you best not 'Give a nod as good as a wink to.' 

17 minutes ago, J.R. said:

What relevance does B.S. AU 159 have to legality?

 

And as you rightly point out  B.S. AU 159 does not relate to plug repairs which a tyre fitter can legally provide.

 

 

I don't know, who has said a plug is illegal?

 

They cannot be illegal because then they could not be used for "emergency" "temporary" repairs.

 

Best practice for a tyre fitter presented with a puncture is to remove the tyre and inspect it for damage.