Updated · Tires
What a plug is
A plug is a strip of sticky, rubber-coated cord pushed into the hole from outside with a hand tool. The tire usually stays on the car, so a plug can be done in a driveway or a parking lot.
It stops the leak by filling the puncture. What it can't do is let anyone check the inside of the tire for damage you can't see from the tread.
What a patch is
A patch is a rubber piece bonded to the inner liner of the tire. To apply it, the tire comes off the wheel, the inside is cleaned and buffed, and the patch goes over the hole.
A patch alone holds the air in, but it leaves the puncture channel open. Water can travel through that channel into the steel belts and cause rust and separation over time.
The combination repair
The repair tire industry guidelines treat as complete is a plug-patch: a rubber stem that fills the hole joined to a patch that seals the inside, often as one piece. It needs the tire off the wheel, and it only works when:
- The puncture is in the tread, not the shoulder or sidewall
- The hole is no larger than 1/4 inch (6 mm)
- It doesn't overlap an earlier repair
- There's no inside damage from being driven flat
When a plug makes sense
A plug is the common roadside fix for a nail or screw in the tread. It stops the leak and gets you back on the road, and many plugged tires hold air for a long time. Still, it isn't a complete repair by industry standards, so have the tire checked from the inside when you can.
Watch the pressure for the next few days. If it keeps dropping, the plug isn't sealing or there's a second leak.
Heat and repaired tires
Hot pavement in a Texas summer raises the temperature inside a tire, and an underinflated tire runs hotter still. A repaired tire kept at the right pressure is the one that lasts.
We plug and patch tread punctures across Dallas–Fort Worth, in driveways, office garages and store lots. If the damage is in a spot that can't be repaired, the technician will tell you and talk through a replacement tire.