‘Girl where’s the spare tire’: Car owner uses Scotch tape to temporarily repair tire. Does it work?

A group of TikTokers earned a collective facepalm from other viewers for their “tire hack.”

Yani (@yani.pyt) posted a TikTok that now has over 210,000 views. In it, she shows several people attempting to fix a tire leak… using transparent Scotch tape.

Yani’s video begins with a group of people huddled around a car tire. Viewers can hear the steady hiss of air escaping the tire throughout the 9-second clip.

The fix

The trio hastily apply Scotch tape around the puncture mark responsible for the leak.

“Hold it,” a woman says.

“I don’t even know where it’s at anymore,” a man says off camera.

Next, the TikToker holds up a package of Scotch tape to the camera—presumably to let viewers know what they’re using for the attempted repair job. The woman placing strips of tape on the tire asks aloud if it will be enough to allow her to drive back home safely.

As they apply the tape, the sound of air still appears to be leaking from the tire.

“Sometimes I worry about them,” a caption in the video reads.

@yani.pyt Sometimes I worry about them 😔😂 • #fyp #car #special #friendgroup #viral #wtf #scotchtape #flattire ♬ original sound – Yani 🦋

Does it work?

There have been other folks who’ve wondered whether or not applying tape to a tire leak is effective. Scouting Magazine writes that for bicycles, a good piece of “electrical or duct tape” is an effective temporary solution. However, bicycles are lower-weight vehicles. Additionally, the publication specifies that the tape needs to be applied directly to the tire’s tube, not the outer portion. Removing the tube from a bicycle tire is a fairly straightforward process.

Car tires, which are thicker and bear greater weight, however, may not benefit from this temporary fix. Folks in this Quora post wrote that duct tape, which is significantly more sturdy than the transparent one in the video, won’t work. Another person who asked if stronger grade Flex Tape would stop leaks was also met with negative responses.

“No, Flex tape is not designed for high pressure applications. A bike tire maybe as a temporary fix til you can get a new tube, but even then I wouldn’t recommend it for use on a major road or highway,” a user penned.

Scotch does indeed sell Auto Body Repair Tape, but it doesn’t say it’s used for tires. The name of the tape indicates it’s used to keep auto-body parts on the car together. This is a much different application than stopping air from leaking out of a punctured tire.

Slap on the spare

Many auto manufacturers pack vehicles with a “donut,” or a full spare tire. Your safest bet is putting the spare tire on the vehicle.

One TikToker stated the obvious, saying, “Girl where’s the spare tire.”

“Where da spare?” someone else echoed.

Several TikTokers collectively shook their heads at the tape-job featured in Yani’s video. “That tape barely even work on what its supposed to work on better yet a whole tireee lawdd!” one person wrote.

The Daily Dot has reached out to Yani via TikTok comment for further information.

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