[D.Acker]

Yes, I said tires, not just one but all four. I'm putting air in at least one tire a week, and I don't mean 5lbs, i'm talking 15+. Here's the thing, they are two years old with approx 16000 miles on them. Dunlop SP 60. I know pressure can drop during the colder winter months, but this was happening in the summer also.

I've pulled them all off and have found no punctures etc, ran water over the tread, sidewalls and valve stem, no air bubbles that would indicate any leaks.

I don't believe this to be a bad rim issue since I have a hard time believing all four wheels would have an issue and they all leak at different rates.

The tires do have 6yr workmanship/material warranty, pro-rated after the first year, do you think this would be covered?

If this isn't covered under the warranty would switching to Nitrogen help? I know there is some debate about the value of doing that and I'm not sure I'm thrilled with the idea of spending $40-50 to get it done.

The other option I was considering was putting Slime in all four tires as I've used the product in the past with success.

All ideas\solutions are welcome.

[tspoon965]

A couple of options:
1. Take them off the car, lay them down and apply a soapy solution to the bead area to see if it bubbles. That will determine if the bead is leaking.
2. Soap check the valve stems. Be sure to soap around the seat of the valve where it seals against the wheel. You should replace valve stems everytime you change tires.
3. If all that shows nothing, check for nails in the tires
4. If still nothing, park itin a garage and see if that does it - maybe someone is letting the air out on you.

[royesses]

I had a set of Dunlop GT Qualifiers on my El Camino about 8 years ago. I got really sick of checking air pressure every day. Replaced them all with Firestone and never had the problem again. 4 Tire shops never could find the problem. Dunlop refused to warranty them.

Very doubtfull that nitrogen would help you. It's main attribute is it has little or no moisture and so doesn't grow much pressure as it heats up.

[D.Acker]

Originally Posted by royesses

I had a set of Dunlop GT Qualifiers on my El Camino about 8 years ago. I got really sick of checking air pressure every day. Replaced them all with Firestone and never had the problem again. 4 Tire shops never could find the problem. Dunlop refused to warranty them. Very doubtfull that nitrogen would help you. It's main attribute is it has little or no moisture and so doesn't grow much pressure as it heats up.

Good to know. We had Michelin Symmetry tires before and never had this problem, but I'm not in a place to drop $$ on new tires right now.

[Skyhawk]

Aluminum wheels? You live in an area that used a lot of salt in the winter? If yes to both questions have the beads checked for corrosion and have then cleaned up. The tire shop can also use a bead sealer if the bead has deep pits.

[Boghog]

Have changes 1000's of tires over the years and the #1 cause of slow leaks was Aluminum corrosion.

Here's link from another manufacturer to show you what we mean.

http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/jo...00014_seal.pdf

[D.Acker]

Thanks everyone. They are aluminum and they do use salt here. I'll give the installer a call and see what it'll cost me to have them cleaned\reseated.

[Poppy]

Steel rims will rust too.

When I bought my Crown Vic, I bought a spare set of steel rims and put snows on them. I got about 8 seasons on them, they were at the end of their life, and developed leaks at both rims. The garage tried cleaning the rims with a grinder or orbital sander to no avail. The tires and rims went in the trash. Hopefully you'll have better luck with your aluminum ones.

I used a "fix a flat" type product in my bicycle years ago and it worked great. I also used that green slime stuff in my mini-bike a few years back, and it gummed up the air valve so badly I had to get a new one. Since you considered using a slime product, you might consider calling the manufacurer, or emailing them (so that you have a written record) for their thoughts of using their product on aluminum rims, and will it throw off the tire balance.

[Boghog]

There are several disadvantages of using these sealants. For one, they do not permanently repair the tire; the tire must still receive a traditional patch to be suitable for long term use. Many professionals dislike repairing tires that have been treated with a canned sealant for a number of reasons. These sealants may contain hazardous chemicals and removing it from the inside of the tire can be a time consuming process. However, more and more companies are using water soluble solutions,such as Slime, for their sealants to aid in the removal of the product prior to performing a patch, so this is less of an issue than it was in the past. However, there are other potential issues that may arise. The use of a canned sealant can create a high pressure environment inside of the tire that can be hazardous for the person repairing the tire. Additionally, using a canned sealant could also invalidate the warranty on your tire; be sure to examine the details of your warranty prior to using one of these products. Another potential disadvantage is that most tire sealants are not designed to be used with high-performance tires, meaning they are not a valid option for some drivers.

[D.Acker]

It was the Slime product that I was talking about, that is not pressurized, nor is it toxic and easily rinsed out with water. Thanks for the help everyone! Just weird that the tires were on the van for 1 year before I started having issues.

[phantom]

I dont think any products can be used if your vehicle has a tire pressure monitering system without damage to the sensor.Some of the new model fords do not come with spare tires they have a sealant kit and a battery powered air pump.The diections say you must replace the sensor after use. I,m not sure what you are supposed to do if you have a catastrophic failure tho . . . .

[D.Acker]

Originally Posted by phantom

I dont think any products can be used if your vehicle has a tire pressure monitering system without damage to the sensor.Some of the new model fords do not come with spare tires they have a sealant kit and a battery powered air pump.The diections say you must replace the sensor after use. I,m not sure what you are supposed to do if you have a catastrophic failure tho . . . .

According to Slime's web site their product has been tested for use with TPMS systems and it's ok to use in them. Not an issue in my case though.

You are correct though, those products are not designed for catastrophic failures, just your normal nail etc type punctures.

[EscortTard]

I can not recommend that anybody use any kind of sealer that you add through the valve stem. If it does help, it's only a temporary solution and if it doesn't, then you have to have someone break down the tire to actually fix the problem.

Once off the rim, these sealers create a sticky mess on the tim, inside of the tire, and all over the technician. This is not only a huge pain-in-the-butt, but can also affect the balance of the tire and cause vibration issues later on.

With my experience, I have to agree that corrosion build up on the bead surfaces is most likely to blame here. Dismounting the tire from the rim, cleaning it all up and using tire sealant applied with a brush to any 'rough' surfaces is the only permanent way to fix the problem.

I have also seen some wheels that were porous, allowing the air escape through the wheel itself! Sometimes if you can isolate the area of this porosity, you can seal it up from the inside. I used to heat up the area with a butane torch, and then hold the wax tire crayon to the area and it would melt - filling the hole with was and sealing the area with wax from the inside.

While the chemicals of the 'slime' stuff may not actually damage the sensor, it can sure work its way into the pressure tube and plug it up. Once plugged, the sensor may report false pressure. If that happens, then you're stuck dismounting the tire anyway and cleaning it all out.

Adding a sealant through the valve stem is like pouring a stop leak into the radiator. It may temporarily fix the issue, but may cause permanent issues down the road.

[Poppy]

Quote:

Dismounting the tire from the rim, cleaning it all up and using tire sealant applied with a brush to any 'rough' surfaces is the only permanent way to fix the problem.

I was wondering if there was such an animal, and thinking that perhaps red permatex would work.

[Skyhawk]

There is a sealer made for this problem and is used by professionals. Silicone sealers ARE NOT recommended for this. Silicone will not compress and can exsaserbate the problem. Have the tires dismounted and have the wheel rim beads cleaned up and sealed if necessary when the tires are remounted.

[EscortTard]

Yes there's a special compound just for that. I can't remember exactly what it consists of, but it's not silicone. You can google "Bead Sealant". Here is an example:


I've found that what works best for cleaning off bead surfaces is the green 3M Bristle Disc with a air grinding wheel tool. This will get 99% of the crud off of it. Unless the surface is complete smooth, I'll then use bead sealant to 'fill in the gaps'.

You can check for a bead leak by removing the wheel (with the tire installed) and laying it flat. Then spray soap water all over the bead seam. Come back in a few minutes and if you see small bubbles formed all around, then it's leaking.

Here is a picture of the 3M discs I'm talking about:


Here is a picture of a bead leaking (I know it's a bicycle tire but a car tire will look very similar):

[mark v]

Check the valve stem, make sure it is tight on the inside. I had this issue on one tire. Some shops when they do a repair they remove the inside of the valve stem ( quick way to remove air and save money by not using a new stem ). Sometimes they do not tighten it all the way.

[joshtimber]

I have never seen any tire problem like this. Puncture wheel is different thing but this is like whore tire is punctured.

[MichaelJennnings]

Originally Posted by Boghog

There are several disadvantages of using these sealants. For one, they do not permanently repair the tire; the tire must still receive a traditional patch to be suitable for long term use. Many professionals dislike repairing tires that have been treated with a canned sealant for a number of reasons. These sealants may contain hazardous chemicals and removing it from the inside of the tire can be a time consuming process. However, more and more companies are using water soluble solutions,such as Slime, for their sealants to aid in the removal of the product prior to performing a patch, so this is less of an issue than it was in the past. However, there are other potential issues that may arise. The use of a canned sealant can create a high pressure environment inside of the tire that can be hazardous for the person repairing the tire. Additionally, using a canned sealant could also invalidate the warranty on your tire; be sure to examine the details of your warranty prior to using one of these products. Another potential disadvantage is that most tire sealants are not designed to be used with high-performance tires, meaning they are not a valid option for some drivers.

The other hazard some of these "fix-a-flat" products is that they use flammable chemicals/inflators in them. If the changer doesn't know you've used it, the thing can explode while working on it. personally, I don't use them. Been in the automotive since the early '80s. I don't like them. If I have a flat, either replace the damaged tire or have it professionally patched. The only safe way to handle flats.

As for leaks, valve stems are a big problem. All it takes is for them to come lose slightly when the tire cools down and they will leak while sitting. Once you drive it, you may never see the issue. Then the next morning, they are low again.

I also agree with the fact you may have someone playing games and trying to flatten your tires on you. If you are concerned about security, there are great options for security cameras via Harbor Freight.

[D.Acker]

Holy old thread!! LOL. It would appear that it may be a corrosion issue, as I determined on of the rear tires was leaking around the bead. Took it in, no more leaks, believe they just dismounted and remounted it. Both rear tires are good, now to get the front one's done!!