Mechanic Andrew Brown maintains that you cannot find instructions for changing a flat tyre in the owner's manual.

"A motor vehicle is heavy and could slip off the jack if not done properly ... This would be the beginning of trouble," he says.

Steps to change a tyre

1 Park the car on a level spot away from traffic with the emergency flashers on. Put the car in PARK, or use reverse in a stick shift.

2 Set the parking brake. Block the wheel diagonally opposite the flat tyre to keep the car from rolling when it is jacked up. To do this, place a block firmly in front of the wheel, another firmly behind the wheel. It is wise to carry two clean blocks or stones in your car for this purpose,

3 Have passengers get out of the car and move to a safe place away from the roadway.

4 Remove the spare tyre from the trunk.

5 Assemble the jack and position it according to the intersections.

6 Jack the car halfway up. The flat tyre should still be touching the ground firmly enough to keep the wheel from turning.

7 Remove the hubcap. Carefully loosen the lug nuts that hold the wheel to the car.

8 Now, jack up the car until the tyre completely clears the ground.

9 Remove the lug nuts. Place them in the hub cap.

10Remove the wheel with the flat tyre and place it to the side of the vehicle.

11Mount the spare tyre, then shift it gently into position.

12Replace and tighten the lug nuts.

13Lower the car, then remove the jack.

14Tighten the lug nuts again, and replace the hubcap.

15Finally, put the flat tyre and the tyre-changing equipment into the trunk. Then remove the blocks. Afterwards, as soon as you drive off, go to the nearest tyre repair shop and repair that flat tyre.

- Paul Messam