Drove 50 miles today on a punctured tyre...

[lauda]

and didn't even notice. Pulled up in the car park and the chap parked next to me kindly pointed out that my passenger-side rear was almost completely flat. Put the space-saver on (resulting in a very slow journey back along the M3 earlier this afternoon) and found a screw through the middle of the tyre.

The inside edge of the tyre had actually split because I'd kept driving on it and there was an unpleasant smell of hot rubber. Not happy as I'd only replaced the rears at the end of November and I've just had to fork out another £220 on Blackcircles.

I was a bit disappointed with myself for not noticing that I had a puncture and for continuing to drive and completely wrecking the tyre. There certainly didn't seem to be any unusual handling characteristics (although most of journey was motorway/dual carriageway) and there is quite a bit of road noise in the cabin which I normally counter by listening to the radio quite loud so didn't hear anything untoward either.

Has anyone else managed to do quite a long journey with a puncture without noticing or am I just clearly not paying enough attention to what my car is telling me?

[PhilboSE]

lauda said:

am I just clearly not paying enough attention to what my car is telling me?

This...I can tell when the tyres on some of my cars are down by a couple of psi...though it depends on whether the wheels are driven and/or on runflats.

[StottyZr]

I take it you have very low profile tyres. I once found one of mine was at 11psi, visually you couldn't tell. As it had slowly gone down I had adjusted my driving accordingly and didn't even notice. It felt a world better once it was up to 32psi though

[lauda]

Yeah, they're 45 profile so fairly low profile. Not run-flat, but quite stiff sidewalls.

[The Wookie]

To be fair, rear punctures aren't always the easiest to pick up if you're driving steadily or not cornering, particularly on front wheel drive.

A couple of years ago I didn't realise I'd picked up a puncture in the car park at Rockingham in my old Focus. I drove out to the A14 feeling that something wasn't quite right, but ignored it as it didn't seem particularly worrisome. It was only when I got to the sliproad at Cambridge (at least 30-40 miles) that the tyre fouled the suspension, made a horrible noise and made me pull over to discover it was as flat as a pancake.

The laugh was that shortly before I'd just picked up my first class win and top 5 finish in Carrera Cup, but didn't realise I had a fking flat tyre in my shonky old 1.6 Focus after driving on it for nearly an hour!

I've learned to pay more attention to what I feel since then, useful considering the new day job!

[blueg33]

I had similar on a hired people carier in the French Alps. 3 of us drove the car and didnt notice the flat at the front. It was only when we stopped at the last toll booth that I noticed the smoke!

The car was fully laden with 4 blokes and heaps of ski kit. I think the cains we used when we drve down the mountain trashed the tyre. I dread to think how far we drove with it flat.

Normally I can tell when I have a flat, but in that car I couldnt and nor could the other drivers.

We were late for our plane, so changed the wheel in under 3 mins! Excellent team, effort! Ran across Lyon airport with all our kit, got told off at check in for being late (she was pretty though so its ok) ran through to departure lounge........to be told plane delayed by 2 hours!

[lauda]

The Wookie said:

To be fair, rear punctures aren't always the easiest to pick up if you're driving steadily or not cornering, particularly on front wheel drive.

My car is rear wheel drive

[XJ40]

I find it's a lot more noticable when a front go down as opposed to a rear, on a FWD I should add.

[margerison]

I'm guessing you're suspension is so firm/'sporty' it's hard to tell the difference between a good tyre and a flat one

[The Wookie]

lauda said:

My car is rear wheel drive

In that case you're just rubbish then

[fin racer]

despite having a heavy, five pot oil-burner hanging way out the front on my 156, I notice any decrease in tyre pressure. It seems Alfa's can be a bit fussy about tyre pressure

[lauda]

The Wookie said:

In that case you're just rubbish then

That does seem to be the logical conclusion doesn't it!

[1598]

I've driven on a flat rear and never noticed it handling wise. Although I only drive a mile or so in that journey at most, but it must have been flat when I started. Usual nail in the tyre causing the flat. How do so many nails get on the roads though?

[Trustmeimadoctor]

i must admit i didnt really notice when i had 235/35's on

[Rich1973]

I drove down the M5 for some distance with a flat front N/S at motorway speeds. I noticed that the car seemed to be hitting the cats eyes a bit hard so pulled over and stopped. There was a big cloud of smoke and looking at the tyre it was shredded. The carcass was only just being held on. There was no indication other than the cats eyes - scary.
Jag XJR with 255/40/18.

[freecar]

OP let this be a lesson to you, you have been driving too slowly.

Had you been giving it the beans like you should have you would have felt the squirm!

Hmm, I wonder if brake had ever thought of that?

[vit4]

Hopefully I'd notice - 80 profile tyres

[petrolsniffer]

Comming back from a car show last year on the M1 driving my brothers bora the only way I could tell a rear was flat was a slight rumbling sound at first I thought it was a wheel bearing! As the car didnt act as violently when I had a flat in my 205.

[FunBusMk2]

PhilboSE said:

I can tell when the tyres on some of my cars are down by a couple of psi.

Really? Are you Rainman or something?

[diddles]

Perhaps you just drove the final one mile or so with the puncture?