Keep getting flat tyres

JackeeBoy

Drive a Ford Fiesta and it seems I am changing one of my front tyres once a year as it keeps going flat. There's a puncture as it goes flat again after I have pumped it back up. Any reason why this could keep happening?

bigisi

Because you haven't fixed the puncture. If you just pump it up without fixing the cause of course it's going to keep happening.

Take it to a garage and have the puncture repaired.

foxy-stoat

JackeeBoy wrote: »

Drive a Ford Fiesta and it seems I am changing one of my front tyres once a year as it keeps going flat. There's a puncture as it goes flat again after I have pumped it back up. Any reason why this could keep happening?

Yes, you have a puncture - you have to repair it or replace the tyre.

If you have already replaced the tyre it may not be sealing well on the wheel, try and spray water and washing up liquid around both sides of the bead to see if there are any air bubbles. If its an alloy it may have a crack in it that you may not see.

Car_54

JackeeBoy wrote: »

Drive a Ford Fiesta and it seems I am changing one of my front tyres once a year as it keeps going flat. There's a puncture as it goes flat again after I have pumped it back up. Any reason why this could keep happening?

Having a puncture once a year isn't excessive. If it's the same wheel it's probably a co-incidence, unless perhaps you habitually hit the kerb.

oldagetraveller

"try and spray water and washing up liquid around both sides of the bead to see if there are any air bubbles."


Also the valve.

AdrianC

So you're putting a tyre a year on the same corner? And it's always a slowish loss of air?

I'd be looking at the wheel. I guess it's alloy, not steel. Your tyre people should have noticed if the bead - where the tyre mounts to the wheel - was corroded and rough. Mr MOT should have noticed if it was cracked or bent. So I'm going to guess at it having gone porous, and literally letting the air out through the metal. It's not as alarming as it sounds, but the cheapest and easiest fix is binning the wheel and getting an identical replacement. If it's a standard older Fiesta alloy, that won't be hard or expensive.

Car_54

AdrianC wrote: »

So you're putting a tyre a year on the same corner? And it's always a slowish loss of air?

I'd be looking at the wheel. I guess it's alloy, not steel. Your tyre people should have noticed if the bead - where the tyre mounts to the wheel - was corroded and rough. Mr MOT should have noticed if it was cracked or bent. So I'm going to guess at it having gone porous, and literally letting the air out through the metal. It's not as alarming as it sounds, but the cheapest and easiest fix is binning the wheel and getting an identical replacement. If it's a standard older Fiesta alloy, that won't be hard or expensive.

But if I understand the OP it goes flat shortly after being inflated, not a year later. He says he’s “changing” the tyres annually, so it’s anyone’s guess what the previous years’ problems were.

marlot

JackeeBoy wrote: »

Drive a Ford Fiesta and it seems I am changing one of my front tyres once a year as it keeps going flat. There's a puncture as it goes flat again after I have pumped it back up. Any reason why this could keep happening?

Probably easiest to buy a new wheel and tyre on eBay.

It may have corroded. It may have gone porous, but unless it's a rare model a replacement wheel is only going to be £50 or so.

AdrianC

Car_54 wrote: »

But if I understand the OP it goes flat shortly after being inflated, not a year later. He says he’s “changing” the tyres annually, so it’s anyone’s guess what the previous years’ problems were.

My guess would be rapid tyre wear due to being driven underinflated.

JackeeBoy

Thanks all. To clarify, my tyre is currently flat and after I pump it up, will go back to being flat over night. I changed it last year, probably summer time, and the same tyre is flat again. I'll get the actual wheel checked next time I get it fixed.

Another question. There is a place up the road that can repair punctures for £15. Is that worth doing over replacing the entire tyre?

mollycat

Sounds like you had a puncture last summer, and one again recently on the same corner.

Porous or poorly sealing alloys would have given you a more frequent, ongoing problem, (IMHO). Still not a bad idea to have that checked, if you want to.

Puncture repairs are worth it if the tyre is otherwise sound, but can only be done within a certain width of the tread, (google it).

Checking tyre pressures weekly will give you a better chance of avoiding future punctures.