Author Topic: Slow leak in one tire (Read 4118 times)

curls · « **on:** July 22, 2006, 07:38:32 pm »

My wife's Protege5 has a slow leak in the left front tire. Tires are less than a year old and are discontinued (Toyo T1-S), so I really don't want to have to replace it.

Should I just bring it in to Cdn Tire or WalMart tomorrow (Sunday) to get it looked at, or wait until Monday when the better places are open (Frisby Tire, etc...)?

It lost about 7psi in less than 48 hours (and less than 15km of driving).

Opinions?

Thanks,
Eric

initial_D · « **Reply #1 on:** July 22, 2006, 07:49:56 pm »

I wouldn't bother with Waltmart .... some Canadian Tire places are not too bad.

If that was me, I would take off the leaky tire/wheel, put the rear tire to the front, then put the (compact) spare on the rear. Then wait til Monday, take the tire to a reputable locally owned tire shop. Get a second opinion on it if the first shop says not fixable.

Craig · « **Reply #2 on:** July 22, 2006, 08:59:45 pm »

Especially if you have nice rims, I would follow iD's advice. Otherwise, Crappy Tire is better than driving around with leaky tires.

That said, my brother-in-law drove around for over a year with three leaky tires. Couldn't convince him to get them fixed properly. "It's no problem," he'd tell me. "I just get air every time I get gas"."

Of course, nothing ever happened to him.

morty · « **Reply #3 on:** July 22, 2006, 09:53:37 pm »

Go to the nearest location that you are comfortable with. If it is just a slow leak most likely just needs a repair and not replacing. Just make sure the use a combination patch if you have a nail hole.

curls · « **Reply #4 on:** July 22, 2006, 10:56:54 pm »

Quote from: initial_D on July 22, 2006, 07:49:56 pm

I wouldn't bother with Waltmart .... some Canadian Tire places are not too bad.

If that was me, I would take off the leaky tire/wheel, put the rear tire to the front, then put the (compact) spare on the rear. Then wait til Monday, take the tire to a reputable locally owned tire shop. Get a second opinion on it if the first shop says not fixable.

Since she can go one day w/o driving (new baby at home anyhow!), we will wait until Monday I believe. Although Canadian Tire is open tomorrow, I don't trust the Sunday pimple-faces they have working there. I'd rather wait for a 9-5 M-F employee who knows what a tire is, to work on it.

Morty: What exactly is a combination patch?

Thanks!

curls · « **Reply #5 on:** July 23, 2006, 09:30:10 pm »

Turns out it was a bad seal btwn the bead and the rim, where the hammer-on wheel balancing weight was. Took tire off, cleaned up rim, reinstalled tire, re-balanced, for $20.

Thanks everyone.

safristi · « **Reply #6 on:** July 23, 2006, 09:37:18 pm »

ask the Liqui_gas team......................on the tour de Pants.............the English commentator kept referring to them as LEAKY GAS................enuf ta make ya PHAAaaaRRRtttt....

..............

try a new Valve Stem...........................

morty · « **Reply #7 on:** July 24, 2006, 01:55:10 am »

Combination repair is basically a patch with a combined plug that covers the hole as well as filling it. The advantage of filling the hole is that it will not allow moisture to get to the steel cords and cause the tire to seperate due to corrosion of the steel belts in the tire.

curls · « **Reply #8 on:** July 24, 2006, 09:34:04 am »

Quote from: morty on July 24, 2006, 01:55:10 am

Combination repair is basically a patch with a combined plug that covers the hole as well as filling it. The advantage of filling the hole is that it will not allow moisture to get to the steel cords and cause the tire to seperate due to corrosion of the steel belts in the tire.

That's what I thought it was. Thanks for clarifying it! Although it wasn't needed in this case, it's good to know for future reference.

84im · « **Reply #9 on:** July 25, 2006, 11:32:40 am »

Most slow leaks are age related

(joke for guys over 50)
Seriously, the slow leak could be from the tire, the valve stem, or the wheel itself.

safristi · « **Reply #10 on:** July 25, 2006, 11:58:36 am »

so seriously how's an OLD GUY supposed to reach his stem wif dat beer belly err spare tyre...err BIG WHEAL on his belly button............I blame it onna Tequila sheila..............

curls · « **Reply #11 on:** July 25, 2006, 12:48:54 pm »

Quote from: 84im on July 25, 2006, 11:32:40 am

Most slow leaks are age related (joke for guys over 50)
Seriously, the slow leak could be from the tire, the valve stem, or the wheel itself.

Thanks, but the problem has been solved.

curls · « **Reply #12 on:** September 09, 2006, 11:00:00 pm »

Annnnnnnnnnnnd... now we have a slow(er) leak in the right front tire (first time it was left front).

Fawk...

Oh well... time for another $20 trip to Canadian Tire.

safristi · « **Reply #13 on:** September 10, 2006, 08:57:19 am »

Awwww just PROSTRATE yerself at MORTYFIEDS PLACE !!!!!!!

.....be sure to ask fer a FRESH RUBBER GLOVE......

airbalancer · « **Reply #14 on:** September 10, 2006, 09:06:27 am »

My son got winter tires put on somes rims for $10 including tax with balancing at a Goodyear place, so shop around

curls · « **Reply #15 on:** September 10, 2006, 11:43:42 am »

Went to the same Canadian Tire and they took off the tire, buffed the rim lip and inside to remove any oxidation that was causing the slow leak, and then remounted and balanced for $20 out the door.

Not bad, and it worked last time on the other tire.

They were saying they see a lot of Mazda's come in for this problem w/ the alloy wheels, saying the paint used on the wheel isn't as reistant to oxidation/bubbling as other manufacturers. Poo poo to that. Oh well.

dr_spock · « **Reply #16 on:** September 10, 2006, 04:54:36 pm »

That's cheaper to fix than this slow leak in my rear tire:

PJungnitsch · « **Reply #17 on:** September 10, 2006, 05:03:49 pm »

Princess Auto sells (sold?) a very good plug kit for that sort of thing. I patched up a few tires that way. The last one was kept as a spare on the current truck, and it's held for years. Apparenly they work well as long as the hole is on the main tread and not the sidewall.

curls · « **Reply #18 on:** September 10, 2006, 11:20:22 pm »

Quote from: dr_spock on September 10, 2006, 04:54:36 pm

That's cheaper to fix than this slow leak in my rear tire:

A plug and patch should be only $24.95 at Cdn Tire... cheaper at mom-n-pop shops I'd assume.

morty · « **Reply #19 on:** September 12, 2006, 01:57:29 am »

Repairs should never be done on a sidewall regardless of whether a plug or patch is used. I am not a big proponent of plugging a tire to repair it. The proper repair is to use a patch or even better a combination patch. Combination patch fills and patches the hole protecting from moisture and corrosion.