There are a handful of things in the automotive world that cannot be predicted or avoided. One of them is a nail in your car tire. No matter how careful you are, and how good of a driver you are, chances are you’ll get a nail or a screw in your tire at some point.

Noticing a nail in your tire isn’t always easy. Nails don’t always make your tire leak initially, so you may only notice it visually—or you may not notice it at all. Sometimes nails cause a

slow leak

, which you may not notice for a while. Of course, sometimes a nail in the tire will produce a flat almost immediately.

Whatever the symptoms, you want to remove a nail if it’s in your tire. Here's how to do it, with a little help from car insurance comparison shopping app

Jerry

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How to take a nail out of a tire

Getting a nail out of a tire is actually quite easy. However, if you’re going to take a nail out of your tire, you need to make sure that you have a plug and patch kit, which you can find at any auto parts store. A

plug and patch kit

will allow you to fill the void left when you remove the nail.

To remove the nail, simply use a pair of pliers to pull it straight out of the tire. If the nail is deep in the tire and isn’t coming out easily, you can use the pliers, a screwdriver, or any other sharp, pointy tool to dig out the tire around the top of the nail until you can pull the entire nail out.

Once the nail is out, follow the instructions on the plug and patch kit that you purchased and fill the hole in the tire. Always inflate your tires to a safe tire pressure before driving your vehicle again.

MORE:

How to plug and patch a car

Should I get the tire replaced after removing a nail?

Knowing how to take a nail out and patch your tire is a great skill to have, and it can really help you out in a pinch. However, just as with a spare tire, a self-patched tire should only be considered a temporary solution.

Even if your patch is holding in air just fine, your tire is much more likely to blow, so you should get it replaced or professionally repaired sooner rather than later.

If your tire is still in good shape (other than the nail hole), an auto shop can patch it from the inside. This will fully fix any issue caused by the nail while usually costing less than purchasing a new tire.

When to get professional help

However, there are times when you shouldn’t remove a nail and patch the hole. If the nail is in the shoulder or sidewall of the tire, a patch simply won’t hold. Furthermore, if the nail leaves a hole that is larger than a quarter inch, you cannot safely repair it yourself.

If the nail in your tire fits any of these descriptions, you need to have your tire replaced or professionally repaired. If not, you can remove the nail yourself, patch it up, and safely drive your car until you can get the tire fixed.

MORE:

Will insurance cover a flat tire?

Consider roadside assistance

If you're worried about a nail (or something else!) leaving you stranded on the side of the highway, you should consider a roadside assistance plan.

Jerry’s

emergency roadside assistance offers several services, should you ever need them. You’ll have emergency jumpstarts, fuel delivery, tire changes, and vehicle towing up to 10 miles (and more) at your fingertips if the need arises.

Exclusive benefits will net you even more services and peace of mind. If your car needs to be towed, you’ll get up to $25 in Uber credits to help get you where you need to go. Not to mention up to $100 for key replacement, and up to $100 in tire repair per incident, amongst other perks, to help ease the financial pain of any roadside issues.

So if you ever get a pesky nail in your tire that you can't quite fix yourself, you can rest easy knowing Jerry's got your back.

Jerry can also get you great savings on

car insurance

It’s this simple: download the Jerry app or go to getjerry.com. In less than 45 seconds, Jerry collects all of your information from your existing insurer. Choose from competitive quotes from 50-plus top insurance companies and Jerry takes care of the rest—securing your new policy and helping you cancel your old one. No long forms. No calling around. No hard work. Just savings. The average Jerry user saves $879 a year on car insurance.

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