Similarly, if you’re about to park your car for a long time without driving, then slightly increasing the inflation pressure of the tires by +0.2 bar before parking will help to reduce the chances of flat-spotting. If you’re about to undertake a long-distance journey at high speeds with heavy loads, then you should increase the inflation pressure of your tires in line with the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations.ĭid you know that a slight increase of +0.2 bar in tire inflation pressure results in lower tire running temperatures? In turn, this decreases the likelihood of flat-spotting. Tires that are underinflated are more susceptible to a flat spot, and it’s generally advisable not to operate your tires when they’re underinflated or overloaded. Maintaining the correct tire pressure is an effective strategy to mitigate the chances of flat-spotting happening. If you suspect that your tires have semi-permanent flat-spotting, you should contact your local tire specialist or garage in the first instance, and they’ll guide you through the options on how to fix it. The long standing times, especially in tandem with high temperatures and low tire pressure, can result in more severe flat-spotting that normal driving won’t remedy. A typical situation where this can happen is if you’re storing your vehicle away for the winter months, or if it’s being transported overseas. Semi-permanent flat-spotting will occur if the tires have been standing still under vehicle load for a month or longer. The flat spots will disappear once the tires have reached their operational temperature and regained their normal shape. If a vehicle has been stationary for a few days or weeks – for example, if you’ve been away on vacation and parked the car at the airport – drivers may experience some slight vibrations during the first few miles of their journey. In the majority of cases, flat-spotting is temporary.

Fix a flat front end vibration