Slow Puncture Continued after tyre change

WineDarkSea

Our car continually has a slow puncture on the front passenger side. We’ve changed tyres and it continues. I suspect it’s the rim - we had a blow out on the motorway a few years back, ripped the whole tyre off while braking on the hard shoulder, also mount the curb slightly when parking on the drive.

Took it to a garage and they checked and corrected the tracking. Much cheaper than a new wheel (alloys) but I don’t think they have checked the rim and I’m not confident it will resolve the issue (pretty sure the wheel tracking was done in the past when changing the tyre).

Any advice or reassurance than the issue is as simple as correcting the tracking?

agrinnall

I wouldn't expect tracking to cause a slow leak. I think your original suspicion that the wheel is out of true is much more likely, and as a safety issue I'd be getting it checked before driving much further. You may have been fortunate that nothing catastrophic has happened since the incident a few years ago, there's money saving and there's playing with your life, the lives of everybody who travels in your car, and the lives of anybody that you may come into contact with if there's a sudden deflation.

shaun_from_Africa

When the tyre was replaced, was a new valve fitted? (not all tyre fitters do this every time).
If not, your problem may be something as simple as this having a slow leak.

WineDarkSea

Garage is absolutely adamant the tracking is the issue and to see how it goes. Also not concerned about the changing the tyre or valve - I did assume the valve was changed with the tyre so worth considering if it continues. The loss of pressure is slow enough it needs air every two weeks. The blow out was years ago so didn’t immediately cause problems.

The annoying thing is we have plenty of cash so don’t need to save money. £500 for a new wheel is no problem. We could buy a new car, except it runs really well so seems like a waste.

System

Tracking does not and has never caused a slow leak and whoever told you this shouldn't be near a car with tools.

A leaking valve, corrosion on the lip of the wheel, a crack in the alloy or the alloy itself going porous does.

You don't need to buy a new wheel, Ebay and breakers yards will have plenty of decent ones for £100-£150.

Norman_Castle

WineDarkSea wrote: »

Garage is absolutely adamant the tracking is the issue and to see how it goes.

Ask them to explain how incorrect tracking causes the air to leak from the tyre, please tell us what they say. Alloy wheels can corrode where the tyre meets the rim or around the valve stem causing slow leaks. Find an independent tyre fitter and explain the problem.

Scrapit

Not the tracking. A new wheel for 500 quid is a bit steep too, look on eBay for one.

fred990

I've had rim corrosion before. Take the wheel off, lay flat and check both sides with soapy water, check the valve too.
If you have a compressor pump the tyre to it's max limit (I went a tad over!), then drove gently for a few days, it may seal if it's the rim, worked for me. Tyre fitters don't seem to clean rim edges on older wheels, I wonder why?

facade

fred990 wrote: »

I've had rim corrosion before. Take the wheel off, lay flat and check both sides with soapy water, check the valve too.

Good idea, squirt some round the base of the valve too, one of mine leaked from there.

If you have a compressor pump the tyre to it's max limit (I went a tad over!), then drove gently for a few days, it may seal if it's the rim, worked for me.

Bad idea. Apart from the poor handling, wrongly inflated tyres are an offence, and in the case of an accident, the insurance assessor will dance a little jig of joy if he finds the tyre is way over pressure.

Tyre fitters don't seem to clean rim edges on older wheels, I wonder why?

They always do on my old wreck ( a [STRIKE]Renault[/STRIKE] Nissan Note) and smear the rim with magic black sealer, and in one case clean the valve hole and glue the valve in with rubber glue.



(Alloy wheels are rubbish- or they are since they stopped using chromate primers)

missile

I had new tyres fitted. Next morning tyre was nearly flat. Sprayed some soapy water which confirmed it was leaking around the valve. Took it back to McConechy's and they replaced the valve, but it still has a slow leak.
I suspect the could not care less "fitter" did not use the solution that seals the tyre to rim.

fred990

facade wrote: »

Bad idea. Apart from the poor handling, wrongly inflated tyres are an offence, and in the case of an accident, the insurance assessor will dance a little jig of joy if he finds the tyre is way over pressure.

Good point, I bet loads of vehicles crash every day from a slightly over inflated tyre when driven gently. Good job drivers diligently check their tyre pressures and condition regularly....:rotfl:
Insurance assessors can sleep soundly with this knowledge!