I Have A Tire Problem...

"Skif6996" (Skif6996)
03/29/2014 at 20:24 • Filed to: Tires

My tire occassionally goes flat. Like completely flat, overnight. It is completely random though. The car can be driven daiy with no pressure loss or sit in the driveway for a few days without losing pressure. I had my tire guy cover it in soapy water and we couldn't fid a leak anywhere. I am guessing that sometimes when it is parked, it is sitting on the "sweet spot" where there is a bad bead or something and it is only losing pressure if that certain spot of the tire is on the ground. This is a pain in the ass but I don't want to replace an otherwise good tire. The thought crossed my mind to put a can of Fix-A-Flat in it and hope it works. I can only imagine what the inside of the wheel would look like after prolonged driving with that gunk in it. I have never used it before. Any suggestions? For your troubles, a "Skyline" my wife took a photo of in traffic. She thought it was hysterical.

DISCUSSION (19)

Deal Killer - Powered by Focus > Skif6996
03/29/2014 at 20:28

I'd have the offending tire taken off and remounted. That may solve the problem. My wife's T & C looses air pressure slowly over a couple of weeks constantly. Remounting the tires solved the problem, as they were not seated properly.

AthomSfere > Skif6996
03/29/2014 at 20:29

What did the tire guy say about the rim? A friend had a tire go flat magically, turned out there was some weird rust on the rim. Scrubbed that way (inside on the mounting surface) and remounted, no more issues.

If you go the fix-a-flat route, my thoughts are at least use green slime.

davedave1111 > Skif6996
03/29/2014 at 20:31

Puncture repair goop works pretty well on small leaks, but a lot of tyre places will charge extra for changing a tyre that has previously been filled with it. Pretty reasonable if the extra charge is fairly small, because it makes a horrible mess and more work, but I've run across places that charge Ł25 extra per wheel - now that's just taking the piss.

Goggles Pizzano > Skif6996
03/29/2014 at 20:31

I'd skip the Fix-A-Flat unless your tires are on their last legs. They do work, but will almost surely mess with your tire balance.

As you said the bead may be the culprit. Look into having it refinished.

Manuél Ferrari > Skif6996
03/29/2014 at 20:32

Maybe someone is playing a trick on you and randomly deflating it!

Skif6996 > Deal Killer - Powered by Focus
03/29/2014 at 20:32

That doesn't sound like a bad idea. Worth a shot at least, thanks!

Bricks > Skif6996
03/29/2014 at 20:34

Just a thought. Maybe someone is letting the air out of your tire because they do not like the way you parked or they feel you wronged them in some way

desertdog5051 > Skif6996
03/29/2014 at 20:35

Never use Fix A Flat except in an emergency. Dismount and remount would be my suggestion.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Skif6996
03/29/2014 at 20:35

Bad valve stem?

Skif6996 > AthomSfere
03/29/2014 at 20:38

He said, "It's probably a pin hole in the wheels. You know these aluminum wheels get pin holes all the time." I have heard that aluminum wheels can corrode but have never actually had a problem with them. I think, if anything, it is probably the lip portion of the wheel and not some random hole on the inside.

Skif6996 > Bricks
03/29/2014 at 20:41

I actually considered this but it seems unlikely. I don't typically piss people off, and I park in my driveway. It's not impossible but I think it's unlikely. I wish that were the case so I could kick some ass and save some money. :-)

Skif6996 > desertdog5051
03/29/2014 at 20:44

That's what I figure. It is probably more trouble than it would be worth. Thanks!

Skif6996 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
03/29/2014 at 20:47

Checked it with soapy water and didn't see anything. Maybe it is the valve stem when sitting a certain way.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Skif6996
03/29/2014 at 21:02

That's what mine was the last time I had a leak and it wasn't to be found anywhere in the tread. Might be worth airing up to max pressure (for the tire) to see if that aids in finding the issue.

Skif6996 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
03/29/2014 at 21:21

That might help. Good idea.

Xentron Holy Reaper of Worlds > Skif6996
03/29/2014 at 22:00

Since no one has mentioned it, the pictured car was technically marketed as a 'Skyline' in other markets, but it was sold here in the U.S. as the Infiniti G35. For reference, here is a Wikipedia article. (Codename V35) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Sk…

Skif6996 > Xentron Holy Reaper of Worlds
03/29/2014 at 23:16

Yeah, I figured everyone would be all over this. I know they were sold as Skylines in other countries but I think it's kind of silly. Anyone who knows what a Skyline is, knows this isn't "a cool one." Anyone who doesn't know what a Skyline is, won't notice the rebadge.

Philbert/Phartnagle > Skif6996
03/30/2014 at 23:42

Be sure to check the rim too and make sure it isn't cracked.

Skif6996 > Philbert/Phartnagle
03/31/2014 at 19:41

I'm gonna need to take a good look at everything when I get a chance.