"Honey, my tire light's on again"

"Takuro Spirit" (takurospirit)
02/10/2014 at 09:34 • Filed to: None

Turned from a slow leak into a fast leak, it seems. TPMS light popped on a few weeks back, the left front was down to 30lbs, and it should have been 36. So I reset it, and forgot it. Then a couple days ago, the wife texts me that it's on again. She checked it, it was at 29lbs, and she filled it again. Then it happened again a day later.

Shit.

So I pulled the wheel off in the cold garage in hopes to find a nail, or a TPMS sensor leaking.

The tire was caked with slush and snow, so I filled a bucket with warm water, shoveled off the unused patio so I had a place to pour it that I didn't have to worry about freezing over with a sheet of ice, and as soon as I started pouring, even with no soap (that was to come later if needed) I started seeing bubbles.

Near the sidewall.

SHIT.

One tiny little nail, too close to the sidewall to be properly repaired. And, to make matters worse, it's an 18" Bridgestone. Not the cheapest tire in the world. Yeah, I could throw on any old tire but the CX-9 is AWD, and the tires still have 9/32nds of tread. I might as well fix it right, and get the proper tire.

But in the mean time....

Dug out the space saver spare. Which was damn near flat. Good thing she didn't loose the tire out on the highway somewhere. It seemed to stop leaking around the 29/30psi mark, so she was always able to get to work/school/home.

Question to manufacturers: Why do you always seem to place the spare tire in a way where the valve stem is near impossible to reach without removing the tire? That makes NO ONE want to check it, so they always seem to go flat over time. So when you do intend to use it, you cannot safely. This thing has a recommended inflation pressure of 60PSI. My gauge barely read 10.

But all's well that ends well. Put the spare on, aired it up, and brought the offending flat tire and wheel with me to work where I might just have a replacement for it. Or I can easily order one. Soon as I have a moment to get away from work and have some personal time, that is.

DISCUSSION (20)

McMike > Takuro Spirit
02/10/2014 at 09:41

Seems Mrs Takuro Spirit has the same luck as Mrs McMike.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Always happens to her, never to me.

Tekamul > Takuro Spirit
02/10/2014 at 09:43

Shouldn't you put the space saver on the back, since you steer with the front? Those things are useless for traction

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Takuro Spirit
02/10/2014 at 09:43

Thankfully my wife's tire scenario played out cheaper to fix...as in free.

She spend a good week and a half putting air in her front passenger tire every 2-3 days when "the damn tire light" came on.

Turned out the o ring in the TPMS just needed to be replaced and belle tire did it for free. Which is good because I didnt have the cash to buy her another BF Goodrich All Terrain tire. (why does she need an aggressive tread A/T tire? because JEEP)

dinobot666 > Tekamul
02/10/2014 at 09:48

As are the OEM tires. I'd replace all of them with some Continental ExtremeContact DWS and be done with it.

Takuro Spirit > dinobot666
02/10/2014 at 09:52

They're not the OEM Brigestones, but an Ecopia that were on it when we bought it. The tread's too nice to throw away the set, and they are pretty decent in the snow.

Takuro Spirit > McMike
02/10/2014 at 09:53

Same here. Until I started soft-roading in my Subaru I never had a puncture. Ever. Damn construction sites and their loose roofing nails....

Takuro Spirit > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
02/10/2014 at 09:53

That's what I was hoping it was. Just break down the tire, use one of our $5 TPMS service kits, and be done with it.

dinobot666 > Takuro Spirit
02/10/2014 at 10:04

They are designed for low rolling resistance in an aid to increase fuel economy. They might do okay in the snow, but the Continental would be worlds better. I made the recommendation based on the amount of salt that your car is currently bathed in and figured you live where there is snow on the ground a good portion of the year.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Takuro Spirit
02/10/2014 at 10:09

We got crazy lucky.

And also because we bought them used. I hate to buy used tires, but they had 85% tread and we were tight on cash...and the tires she HAD were about completely bald.

$250 for used 85% A/T tires is a lot better than a 500$ deductible when she slides off the road on bald tires in this crazy ass winter we've had. We did it back in the fall before the snow started!

Takuro Spirit > dinobot666
02/10/2014 at 10:10

Yes, yes, very snowy. Trust me, when the B-stones are worn up, something better will be going on.

dinobot666 > Takuro Spirit
02/10/2014 at 10:18

Sounds like you got a game plan then. :) If you can swing it, I'd get another set of wheels and run those Ecopias during the warmer months, and some dedicated snows during the snowy months. That's what I do with my Impreza.

HiMyNameIsJayAgain > Takuro Spirit
02/10/2014 at 10:45

So overall how do you feel about the Ecopias? They were running a special on them at a local tire place and the price was really good. Too good, in fact, which is why I was a little afraid to try them.

Takuro Spirit > dinobot666
02/10/2014 at 10:46

We have gotten a lot of snow up here (WI) this winter, but since the wife's commute is so short, and on well plowed main roads, the only car to get snows this year is my Camry.

Takuro Spirit > HiMyNameIsJayAgain
02/10/2014 at 10:48

They seem to be wearing fast, but have decent traction and are pretty dang quiet. I don't track the MPG as well as I do my own car, but the wife said she's been getting 22ish, which isn't bad, but I have nothing to compare it to since we only got the 9 back in February last year.

deekster_caddy > Takuro Spirit
02/10/2014 at 11:50

I would have stuck a plug in that with a good slobbering of rubber cement and waited for warmer weather ;)

Too close to the sidewall to patch from the inside, for sure.

Have you played with the new patch-plugs? Those are awesome! Talk about a permanent fix! I don't know why they even sell flat patches anymore.

The hardest part was finding a drill bit that would keep the hole the right size for the plug. Finally found these:

Kinja'd!!!

called a 'bit saw'. Great to make sure the hole for the plug is open and clean.

Takuro Spirit > deekster_caddy
02/10/2014 at 11:52

Yeah its all we use here after hearing a horror story of the old rope style plug failing on a church van and killing 12 people in a rollover.

deekster_caddy > Takuro Spirit
02/10/2014 at 11:57

Interesting. I've never ever had a plug fail but I always put a lot of rubber cement on them too. I put about 30,000 on one in my old truck, saw some hard use out of it too. I've also heard 'horror stories' but can't imagine a properly installed plug would have a catastrophic failure that would cause that kind of wreck unless there was some other kind of neglect going on (massively underinflated tire, etc)

OneHeadLight > Takuro Spirit
02/10/2014 at 13:41

I would have tried a can of fix a flat (now safe for TPMS)!! Nothing to lose. I've done that and driven the rest of the tire's life with no problems.

Takuro Spirit > OneHeadLight
02/10/2014 at 14:04

Yeah, but this is the wife's "car" and with it hauling our two kids and all..... Noope.

OneHeadLight > Takuro Spirit
02/12/2014 at 13:04

Same here, minus the kids. So like I said 'Nuthin to lose"

(Just kidding, just kidding)