Tire Leak

[wjmst]

I have a slow leak in my car tire. I took it off and could not find it, so I took it to the local garage and they couldn't find the leak either. The tire is about 90% good so I don't want to replace it.

I hate dragging out the extension cord and compressor each week to fill up the tire (usually about 5 lbs of air). Here are three choices I came up with.

1. Purchase a the Craftsman Bolt-on 20v drill with air compressor attachment, about $100.
2. Purchase a jumpstart battery unit with air compressor, about $100.
3. Purchase a portable air tank, about $30.

I would use the drill for other things, so that is a bonus. I doubt the air compressor on it would be that good.
I would probably not use the jumpstart unit for much else, but would be handy to have in an emergency.
Portable air tank seems like the best bet, but do they work good? Or is it more of a pain?

Any other ideas?

Thanks
Wes

 

[paulharvey]

I have a slow leak in my car tire. I took it off and could not find it, so I took it to the local garage and they couldn't find the leak either. The tire is about 90% good so I don't want to replace it.

I hate dragging out the extension cord and compressor each week to fill up the tire (usually about 5 lbs of air). Here are three choices I came up with.

1. Purchase a the Craftsman Bolt-on 20v drill with air compressor attachment, about $100.
2. Purchase a jumpstart battery unit with air compressor, about $100.
3. Purchase a portable air tank, about $30.

I would use the drill for other things, so that is a bonus. I doubt the air compressor on it would be that good.
I would probably not use the jumpstart unit for much else, but would be handy to have in an emergency.
Portable air tank seems like the best bet, but do they work good? Or is it more of a pain?

Any other ideas?

Thanks
Wes

95% chance it's loose or shot valve

 

[farmer2009]

95% chance it's loose or shot valve

Or it's leaking around the bead. Is the wheel steel or an alloy. Alloy wheels can be hard to seal if not cleaned when mounted. Lay down the tire and flood the bead with water some should stand in the bead. Look for leak it will be very slow bubbles. Flip over and check other side. Adding some soap can help. Then check valve stem and core. If you can't stop the leak a can of brad sealer goes along ways.

 

[Soundguy]

mix up some dish soap and water in a hand pump sprayer. saturate the tire.. look for foam or bubbles... don't forget the valve stem core.


cores are replaceable if it is leakign there.

if it is the bead.. you can get a can of bead sealer.. black paint on rubber stuff.

if it's inthe tread.. you can patch/plug it.

side wall ??? inside patch MIGHT hold.. but i'm learly of doing sidewall repairs on a road tire.. many times damaged sidewalls will make knots


there are other sealers you can use for porous rubber..e tc. like instant inflaors goops that you put some in and drive.. those sometimes mess with tire ballance if you use more than just a lil bit.


ps.. as to what to buy... all your pump ideas are spendy... many places sell lil 5-9$ air pumps that plug to your cig lighter...

here's the quickest one i could grab a link for... 9$

mind you pumping it ain't the real answer right now.

 

[gwdixon]

If ALL else fails then you can put a tube in it.

 

[Soundguy]

i'd be afraid to do that on a car tire...

 

[Gary Fowler]

i'd be afraid to do that on a car tire...

We put many tubes in tubeless tires without an issue. Remember back when all tires had tubes? Many years back when steel belted radials first came out, a puncture in the steel belt area just about always leaked with a plug after a few miles the steel belts cut into the plug. The fix was a patch on the inside or a tube.

 

[LD1]

5psi a week is going to be hard to detect with soap. Might have to submurge the tire in water. Cheap little kiddie swimming pool does the trick if you dont have anything else.

I am usually too lazy to mix up some soap and water, but always have windex around, and have had good luck with that. Lay the tire flat, and spray around the bead. Works best on stream setting and spray slow as to not agitate the windex and make it foam. Get a nice fill around the bead, and leave it. Come back in 10 minutes. if you have a leak, there will be a pile of foam right there.

Also, are you running a valve cap?

 

[bobhaub]

I have a small 12V compressor, but 99% of the time, I reach for one of two air tanks. One was made from a small freon tank about 30 years ago, and is great for topping off car tires or filling motorcycle tires. The big one, about 5 gallons, I think, will fill a car tire, but not a RV tire or rear tractor tire.

Filling them through the schrader valve is way too slow, so I made a male-male adaptor to connect the quick-connect on the shop compressor hose to the one on the air tank hose. Filling either tank takes less than a minute.

Hope that helps.
Bob

 

[bigtiller]

I wouldn't buy any tools that I know would likely never get used again. Instead, I would go to another garage. Even slow leaks like yours can be found by a competent mechanic.