Category: News

A flat tyre is always annoying, but it doesn’t have to be a burden if you know how to change it.

Yes, it will take a bit of time, but if you can do it yourself it’s bound to be less of a wait than hanging around for the recovery services to arrive. Here’s what to do.

1. Be safe

Make sure you stop in a safe place on flat, hard and level ground and apply your hazard lights if appropriate. If you can’t move the car to a safe place, and think changing the tyre will put you or others in danger, then don’t do it. If you are not a member of a breakdown service, you can still call them and they’ll charge you a fee to assist – that’s got to be better than putting yourself in danger.

2. Check it out

Always ensure the handbrake is applied, and for double certainty leave the car in gear – or park if you have an automatic.

3. Remove the wheel caps

If your car has wheel covers or hubcaps, you’ll have to take them off. More importantly, if you car has locking wheel nuts fitted you’ll need to find the corresponding ‘key’ – a special metal adaptor that matches the locking nut on each wheel. This is usually kept in your glove box or with the spare wheel tools.

4. Loosen the nuts

Taking a wheel wrench, loosen the wheel nuts slightly, always remembering to push down. You might have to put your back into it because they’re often tightened well – they hold the wheels on after all. Don’t take them off just yet, though.

5. Jack it up

Place the jack under the vehicle, making sure you find the nearest jacking points for the tyre that needs changing. If you’re completely stuck, consult your car’s manual to find them. Always use the jacking points when lifting a vehicle, they are there for a reason. The AA recommends looking at your owner’s manual always for complete certainty.

6. Rotate clockwise

When jacking the car up, always rotate clockwise which should push the car off the ground.

7. Keep twisting

Keep jacking the car up until it is just off the ground, which should give you room to remove the tyre.

8. Nuts off

Now remove the previously loosened wheel nuts, meaning the wheel should now lift straight off – but take care, it may be heavier than you imagine. Put the nuts in a safe place, you’ll need them later.

9. Spare time

It’s now time for that extra weight you’ve been carrying about in your boot for the past few years to be put to good use. Grab the spare tyre or space saver and mount it on the wheel bolts.

10. Hands first

Get the (hopefully) safely placed wheel bolts and fasten them on by hand to begin with, then tighten up as best you can with the wrench.

11. Jack it back

It’s now time to bring the car back down, lowering the jack in the opposite direction to before – anticlockwise if you’d forgotten.

12. Tighten the nuts

Take the wrench and fully tighten the wheel nuts on the car now it is on the ground. If they aren’t tight enough, your wheel might fall off, so do this step correctly. It’s worth correctly checking with a torque wrench when you’ve got to a location with one. Now remove the jack.

14. Clean up time

Make sure you store the jack, wrench and locking wheel nut key (if applicable) away safely again – you might need these again in future.

15. Final things

Remember that if you’ve fitted a space saver, these normally have a reduced top speed, often around 50mph. This is not just guidance, they have a max speed for a reason. Take the car to a garage for a tyre change as soon as possible – space savers aren’t designed to be permanent after all.

We’ve all been there: Returning to our car after a period of inactivity only to find that nothing happens when you turn the key.

A flat battery might be one of the simplest problems to fix, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less of a pain. However, thankfully with the right equipment and knowledge you can be on your way again in no time at all.
Here’s our step-by-step guide to getting back on the road without having to call the breakdown recovery services.

1. Jump to it

If you’re sensible you’ll have stored a set of jump leads the back of your car for these occasions. However, if you haven’t, often other motorists will have some. If you’re in a car park ask around – especially airport car parks, where this happens a lot. You’ll find most car park security teams keep a set handy.

2. Find a working car

This is where you’ll need some assistance. If you’ve borrowed the jump leads from another motorist you can use their car. Or if you’ve called for someone to bring you some, use theirs. Preferably it will have a similar size engine to your broken down car, but don’t worry too much as this isn’t essential.

3. Safety first

Before getting started, ensure the flat battery isn’t damaged or leaking. If it is, abandon any attempts at restarting it and call in the professionals. Remove any metal jewellery or watches you may have on too, just in case.

4. Get ready

Park both cars in a safe place, put them in neutral, and make sure they’re close enough to each other to attach the jump leads easily. Open the bonnets and make sure they’re secure and not likely to fall down on top of you. If one is an automatic, put it in park. Ensure both ignitions are switched off and the handbrakes are on.

5. Lead by example

Attach one of the red clips (or red leads) to the positive terminal of the working battery – you’ll know which it is as it will have a + or ‘POS’ on it. Attach the other end of the lead to the other positive terminal.

6. Negativity time

Attach the black leads or black clip to the negative terminal on the working battery – this will be the one with a minus sign or ‘NEG’ next to it. Attach the other end to a metal (earthing) point like a bolt, away from the flat battery. Check your car’s handbook to see if it has a negative jump-starting pole. You can always use the metal strut that holds the bonnet open.

7. Power up

Wait a moment or two to let the voltage neutralise, check that the cables are free from any moving parts in the engine bays, then start the working car and let it run for a few minutes.

8. Starters orders

Try and start the dead car – checking it is in park or neutral first – and hopefully it will fire into life. If it doesn’t, check the cables are properly connected and run the working car for around five minutes. If it doesn’t start after that, you’ll need to call the recovery services.

9. Sweet success

If you do manage to start the car – don’t turn it off! Carefully remove the leads in the reverse order to which you attached them. That means black off first, followed by red. Take the car for at least a 15-minute drive to recharge your battery. It may need longer. If you suffer the same problem again, then it’s time for a new battery.

For more than a century, Rolls-Royce has stood at the pinnacle of automotive luxury, and the newly-revealed eighth generation Phantom certainly continues this reputation.

There’s the usual combination of exceptional hand-built machinery and British eccentricity, but here are six features on the Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII that really caught our attention.

1. The engine

Rolls-Royce has always been known for creating phenomenal engines, including the Merlin unit that was fitted to the greatest aeroplane of all time – the Supermarine Spitfire.

The Phantom follows this long-held tradition of exquisite powertrains – now using a brand new 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12. This extraordinary engine has a power output of 563bhp, and can even produce as much as 900Nm of torque at a mere 1,700rpm. This means that the car can achieve 0-60mph in a brisk 5.3 seconds.

2. The gearbox

Continuing on the theme of driving mechanics, the new Phantom has some more technological wizardry at its disposal.

The ZF eight-speed gearbox benefits from satellite-aided transmission, which makes its gear selection based on geographic location and the owner’s driving style.

3. The architecture

The Phantom VIII’s rather boxy body hides a very advanced aluminium spaceframe structure, making the car 30 per cent more rigid than its predecessor.

Rolls-Royce describes the result of the added lightness and stiffness as a “magic carpet ride”, saying that it brings a “whole new level” of comfort.

4. The dashboard

Rolls-Royce has named the new Phantom’s dashboard “The Gallery”. The reason? Customers can commission a personalised piece of artwork to be placed behind a large glass pane just above the glove box, on display for the driver and passengers to see.

The idea came from Giles Taylor, Rolls-Royce’s director of design. He explained that the Gallery turns something purely functional into a piece of art. Perhaps the most insane option on offer here is a gold-plated rendering of your DNA.

5. The headlights

If you’re sick of excessively bright lights blinding you on night-time journeys, we’ve got some bad news, because Rolls-Royce is most definitely taking part in the ongoing headlight arms race between premium manufacturers.

As if night vision technology wasn’t enough, the Phantom VIII has a new laserlight system that allows the driver to see a staggering 600 metres down the road in front of them.

6. The cameras

Although reversing cameras and dashcams are often found built in to basic hatchbacks nowadays, the new Phantom changes up a few gears (quite literally in fact).

A stereo camera system has been built into the windscreen. This monitors the road ahead and adjusts the suspension accordingly at speeds of up to 62mph. An additional four-camera setup gives a panoramic view and helicopter view of the car.