Engineering
Module 1 Changing flat tire
Siam: Good evening. I’m Siam. Can I help you?
Michelle: Good evening. I’m Michelle. I have a flat tire and I believe there’s a puncture.
Siam: I am sorry to hear that, could you give me more details, please?
Michelle: Yes, I felt the car wobble, and it lost balance; then I slowed down. When I pulled the brakes, the car shook and pulled to the left.
Siam: Did you stop the car immediately or did you continue to drive?
Michelle: I stopped immediately by gradually pushing the brake to slow the car down. Then I turned the left signal on to pull over.
Siam: Uhh, I’ll check to see what might have caused the problem.
After two minutes, Siam knows what caused the flat tire. He then informs Michelle.
Siam: I see a big nail in the tire and I think this has caused the puncture.
Michelle: Oh, it must have come from the construction site I had just passed.
Siam: I’ll install the spare tire for you. I wonder if you have a spare tire, a jack and a lug nut wrench in the trunk.
Michelle: Yes, I do. Can we start now? What are the steps?
Siam: The first step is the car should be on a level surface and be as far off the road as possible. The second step is we have to leave the hand brake on or secure the rear undamaged tire with a large rock. This is to prevent the car rolling. The third step is if you have an emergency light, place it 10 meters away from the back of the car to prevent other cars from hitting you.
Michelle: With all these, are we ready to fix the tire?
Siam: That’s right. Now, I’ll demonstrate how to install a tire correctly.
Siam brings all the tools and the spare tire to the front left of the car to install the tire.
Michelle: What’s the first step?
Siam: The first step is to put the jack underneath the car frame and place the jack at the spot where you think it can hold the weight of the car or check the car owner’s manual. However, do not jack up the car yet.
Siam: The second step is the lug nuts need to be loosened and this may require a considerable amount of strength. When you loosen the lug nuts, you have to turn the tool counterclockwise but turn clockwise when you tighten them.
Siam: The third step is once you loosen the nuts, leave them on. You’re ready to jack your car up. Only lift the car until the tire is just barely off the ground. After that, remove the lug nuts. Then remove the flat tire and replace it with the spare.
Siam: The last step is to screw on the lug nuts by hand and make sure that they’re all secured. After that, lower the car with the jack until the tire touches the ground. You need to tighten the lug nuts again making sure that they are as tight as possible. That’s all. You should also find the closest tire shop to let a professional examine the tire.
Michelle: Thank you, Siam. I appreciate the time you took to fix my tire.
Siam: With great pleasure. Have a safe trip.