Tyre problem-slow leak

[Justin Case]

One of the rear tyres on my wife's car has recently developed a very slow loss of pressure, about 5 psi per week. I have had a look and there is no sign of damage to tyre or wheel. I'm a bit reluctant to fork out for a new tyre as there is still 4mm left across the the tread, although the tyre is probably one of the original 5 year olds. Is it just porous or is one of those aerosols of gunge (aka spare wheel subsitute) likely to do he trick, or are there any other suggestions?

 

Thanks

[spike60]

Most likely corrosion on the wheel where the tyre or valve seat. An independant tyre outfit near me does a good job of buffing them for about £10 each.

[Dave_Q]

AFAIK tyres don't go porous, they either get punctured or not.

 

In your case I'd try putting some soapy water on/around the valve and the tyre/wheel joint, one of those is probably the issue.

 

Alloys can go porous but you can't really test for that, and it's only really when they get old.

[michael1703]

Jack car up, fill a jam jar with water, squirt a bit of fairy liquid in it and apply to tyre and valve with old paint brush

 

Could also be the valve

[Tamworthbay]

They can also use this black gunge/ paint when they seat the tyre, a friendly place may do,it for the price of a pint if you ask nicely.

[egg]

I've got one like this on the Fusion, l just top it up every fortnight. It's a good discipline anyway imho.

[robinmasters]

Most likely corrosion on the wheel where the tyre or valve seat. An independant tyre outfit near me does a good job of buffing them for about £10 each.

They even do it that cheap down here in the mercenary, money-grabbing, rob-you-blind-soon-as-look-at-you South. I've had to have this done few times, due to my fiscally beneficial policy of buying second-hand wheels and tyres off eBay, which may well have been found by the seller a canal.

[stripped fred]

I would keep putting 5psi in every week until it needed changing and then get them to put that black gunge stuff on the wheel rim when you get a new tyre. Maybe i'm a bit of a tight arse but as soon as you start paying out to get it looked at you might as well get a new tyre put on unless it's an expensive size. The tyres for my 406 are only about £35 a pop.

[Vince70]

I had the same problem with one of my tyres on my old A3 a year or two back and had it resealed at a garage and it still would lose about 8 to 10 psi a week but wanted to keep the tyre as I like to have a matching set wearing evenly on the same axle...

 

So I bought some tyre weld when it was buy one get one free at halfords and pumped a can into the offending wheel and never had a problem with the tyre again and had the tyres changed 6 months later so it might be worth a try.

 

I've also just done the same with the rear tyre on my old smart as there's still a bit of life in them and was losing about 5 psi a day with the second can and its held up a treat since.

[Split_Pin]

I have the same problem on the Corsa and it's the valve, been like that for years. I just carry a Halfords compressor in the boot. My plan was to wait until the tyre wears out naturally before taking action, it's now that time.

[xtriple]

Passenger rear on the dollop loses about 5 psi a week as well. I keep thinking about getting it fixed, but Bentley.....

[Justin Case]

Thanks for all of the replies, too many to thank individually, but all appreciated I'd forgotten about the soapy water trick, but I'll try it at the weekend and see if I find anything.

[hairymel]

i would have said foam gunge ftw  as i have fixed* dozens of leaky tyres/rims like this.

 

however a couple of weeks ago i gunged a wheel on my daily and noticed a little bit of foam escaping from the join between the rubber and brass end of the valve.

 

i now have a temporary* repair* of a jubilee clip around the top of the valve neck

 

i also have a tyre machine and a stock of valves - but no motivation to do the job properly  

 

not sure what my point was really   

[chodweaver]

If it's the valve, a proper parts shop might even sell you a new valve inner - they're pence if you can find them. Depressurise, unscrew the old inner, screw the new one in, pump up. But if it's an alloy, it'll most likely be where the tyre bead sits and seals - the oxide that forms on the alloy is porous and should be cleaned off when new rubber next goes on.

 

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