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Autopapyrus · Fiat Albea (1st generation)
https://autopapyrus.com/guides/fiat/albea/repairing-a-punctured-tire/
Compiled automatically from service literature and owner experience. Specs are for the typical configuration — check them against your exact car before you start.

Fiat Albea (1st generation): Repairing a Punctured Tire

A puncture in the tread of a tubeless tire from a small object (a nail or screw) can be fixed with a plug as a temporary measure or with a patch from the inside as a permanent repair. Sidewall cuts, bulges and punctures larger than about 5-6 mm cannot be repaired, and the tire must be replaced.

Difficulty: Easy Time: 30-60 minutes Steps: 10 Tools: Jack and lug wrench from the factory kit, wheel chock, gloves, pump or compressor, tire pressure gauge, soapy water, tubeless tire repair kit (plugs and reamer/rasp tool) or vulcanizing patches

Parts

2
  • 🔩 Tubeless tire repair kit (plugs, sealant)
  • 🔩 if the tire cannot be repaired, a new tire of the factory size. Ask your supplier for pricing, which depends on size and brand

Step by step

10 steps
  1. Stop on a level, firm surface, turn on the hazard lights, set out a warning triangle, apply the parking brake and engage first gear. Place a wheel chock under the diagonally opposite wheel.
  2. Take the jack, wrench and spare wheel out of the trunk. Before lifting the car, loosen the lug bolts of the punctured wheel by half a turn while the wheel is still on the ground.
  3. Position the jack at the reinforced jacking point on the sill next to the wheel (marked by a notch in the sill) and raise the car until the wheel is off the ground. Never get under a car that is supported only by a jack.
  4. Remove the lug bolts, take off the wheel and lay it flat.
  5. Locate the puncture: inflate the tire to the proper pressure and wet it with soapy water; bubbles will show the spot. Mark it with chalk, and do not pull out the object until you are ready to make the repair.
  6. Plug repair: remove the object with pliers, clean out the hole with the reamer/rasp tool using an up-and-down motion, thread a plug into the lubricated insertion needle, push it in all the way and pull the needle out sharply, leaving the outer end of the plug sticking out. Trim the excess flush with the tread.
  7. Permanent repair: have the tire removed from the rim at a tire shop, inspect the inside, and install a mushroom plug or a patch with a plug from the inside. This is more reliable than a plug from the outside, and it is the only way the repair counts as complete.
  8. Inflate the tire to the pressure shown on the placard in the door jamb or in the owner's manual (for the Albea, usually around 2.0-2.4 bar, depending on load and tire size), and check the repair area again with soapy water.
  9. Install the wheel, hand-tighten the lug bolts in a crisscross pattern, lower the car, and then fully tighten the bolts in a crisscross pattern. The approximate tightening torque for the Albea's alloy and steel wheels is 80-90 N·m (59-66 lb-ft); check the exact value against the manufacturer's specification.
  10. After 50-100 km, check the lug bolt tightness and the tire pressure. If the tire keeps losing pressure, replace it.

Common mistakes and warnings

  • A plug repair without removing the tire from the rim is a temporary measure. Drive carefully and go straight to the nearest tire shop. Do not repair tires with sidewall damage or damaged cord. If you lack experience or the location is unsafe (highway, slope), call a tow truck or a mobile tire service. Have the wheel balance checked at the tire shop after the tire has been removed from the rim.