Slow leak what should i do??

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WhyMe

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i have a slow leak in one of my tires. i brought it to the tire shop and they dunked it and could not find anything. i went home and did my own soapy water inspection. no bubbles. did tread and rim.

Getting tired of filling it. so what options do i have? Slime?
 
A tire shop may not want to spend a lot of time looking for a very small leak. Time costs money. If you're going to be stuck airing this thing up over and over again for the life of the tire it may be worth it for to to spend an hour to find it so you can have it repaired.

First examine the tire dry in full daylight to look for anything suspicious. If the wheel rim is bent near the bead or has a weld from a previous repair consider that this may leak only when loaded.

Don't forget to make sure the valve core is screwed in all the way.

Make sure your soapy water is soapy enough and coat the whole tire including the sidewall as well as the valve stem and any areas of the wheel that could have a leak if there's a crack or hole. Monitor it for ten minutes . A slow enough leak may make very small bubbles that show up looking like just a white spot the size of a sesame seed. If you have a rubber valve stem be sure to wiggle it around some. A leak at the bead may be easier to spot if you reduce pressure by 10 psi or so.

If you still find nothing, soap up the sidewall with the tire on the car and roll along very slowly. A (probably not repairable) leak through the sidewall or shoulder area may leak only when that part of the tire is at the bottom.
 
Have it umounted, the rim ground down (rust) and a new valve stem put in. In fact to go the extra mile find a cooperative shop that will unmount everything and let you grind it down on your own time, with your own attention to detail.

Is this a steel or alloy rim?
 
Tighten up the valve stem...then keep an eye on it overnight -do you have teens in the neighborhood?
 
I had a set of leaky valve stems a while back. Had them replaced and all was better. The valve stems were from some kind of bad batch.
 
I had a 15psi leak in one weeks time,used LiquiTube and it solved the problem with no balance issue.Cannot use it with TPMS systems though.
 
Originally Posted By: CHARLIEBRONSON21
Do you have road hazard warranty? I'd run it low for a couple miles and wear out the sidewall then have it replaced.
bad advice..then find out that the rim is cracked.
 
friend lady has a lexus, bought new tires and stems, leaked around 3 of the 4 new stems. tire shop over 4 trips replaced all the stems. there was a big stem recall years ago maybe u got bad stems, Id get the rim taken off, sand it and spray the inside with a thick paint like rusteoleum let dry a day, then remount.
 
I currently have one of these slow leaks in my wifes tires on her Lexus(~ 4-5 psi/week). I did find that the valve stem was leaking at the wheel and I couldn't find a leak anywhere else - (no nails/screws in the tread, bead both sides were OK too, side walls OK).

I took it into the shop and they replaced the stem...dismounted the whole tire as they said that they'd never get a good seal if they just broke the bead to replace the stem.

They also cleaned the bead(both sides) and remounted/balanced the tire with a new stem in place.

Now I still have the leak but, not at the stem/wheel anymore, and I can't find it. But, I will!
 
The core in a TPMS can have corrosion and seep off. Sometimes the cheap valve stems shrink in cold weather and leak off overnight. If you have aluminum wheels, those are bad to corrode under the bead giving you a leak that is hard to find without a total dismount. Some shops buff it off and apply bead sealer to prevent a leak from a rough rim. I would suggest cleaning the bead area of the rim and an application of a tire soap lubricant that prevents wheel corrosion.
 
My sienna has two tires leaking air, one of them rather slowly the other at a rate of 15 psi per week. I've checked it for leaks and had it checked as well, but nothing showed up. I suspect the TPMS is causing the leak.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: CHARLIEBRONSON21
Do you have road hazard warranty? I'd run it low for a couple miles and wear out the sidewall then have it replaced.
bad advice..then find out that the rim is cracked.


Not to mention potential arrest for fraud.
 
As mentioned above - "make sure the valve core is screwed in all the way" - just found that problem on my Aurora a while back - tire would go down in 2 days. Removed it and screwed it back in with a little lithium grease and it hasn't lost a pound in 2 months. Also, if the valve stem is the rubber kind, it's easy for a small crack to develop - especially if it sits out in the sun all day. Flexing the valve stem a little will reveal the crack - best to do it when warm so you don't create a new problem if it's not already cracked.
 
Back in my tire repair days I would have dismounted the tire and cleaned the rim. Then I would remount the tire with some bead sealant on the rim. That's a good place to start with a slow leak that isn't obvious.
 
A slow leak won't bubble during diagnosis. If you have a little patience it'll develop a patch of foam. Remove the tire for inspection. Be keen on the rim area for foaming.
 
Ive had a couple of small leak problems in the past, removing the tire and brushing off the buildup around the rim fixed them, I go to a used tire shop for leaks and plugs, they are honest. I will also convert all cars to metal valve stems, rubber valve stem failed on me on the highway once.
 
Last edited:
take it to another place that looks for the leak better. or take the advice on how to find the leak yourself as posted above.
 
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