Lost your locking wheel nut key? We can still change the tyre.

We take a locking wheel nut off so that we can change your tyre. If your tyres are fine and you only want the locking nuts removed, a local garage or your dealer is the right place to go.

When you call to book a tyre change, say the key is missing. We will tell you before we set off whether we can remove the nuts on your car, so the fitter arrives with the right tool.

Before you call, check the places it is normally kept. Most of the keys that are lost turn out to be in one of these:

• The glovebox, often in a small plastic case or bag
• The boot, with the jack and the spare wheel, or under the boot floor
• The door pockets and the centre console
• The wallet that holds the handbook and service book

If the tyre needs changing now, the locking nut has to come off with a removal tool. If there is no rush, a dealer can order a replacement key from the key code, which is usually on a card in the handbook pack, but that takes days.

A key with a worn or rounded pattern is as much of a problem as a lost one. If it slips when you turn it, stop. Forcing it damages the nut and makes removal harder.

The fitter removes the locking nut, takes the wheel off and changes the tyre as normal. The old locking nut cannot be reused, so that wheel goes back on with a replacement nut. Ask on the call what we can fit.

• Your tyre size and which tyre needs changing
• The make, model and year of the car
• Whether the key is lost, or you have it but it no longer grips
• Where the car is