Slow Puncture - Alloys The Cause?

[Mart Pug 0]

Just recently got the car, and after pumping all the tyres up to the correct pressures, one of them has gone back down to 10 psi from about 32 in one week.

 

No signs of nails or anything, so I was wondering if it could be the wheel at fault (just a standard 1.9 alloy).

 

So:

 

1) would the above pressure loss rate be enough to see bubbles if I immersed it in water!!?

 

2) if it turns out to be the wheel, is it possible to get it fixed, or am I better off scrapping it and getting a another used one?

 

Thanks much!

[welshpug 1,657]

probably just needs the tyre removing and the rim cleaning up and re-fitting the tyre.

[blessed6383 0]

alloys sometimes leak around the bead on the inner rim lips but just need running round with a wire brush came across this alot with older wheel working in a garage common really, if so may help to run some bead seal around them most fast fit garages have this stuff to hand. quite common for the valves to leak so worth changing for the extra few quid

Edited November 28, 2010 by blessed6383

[DamirGTI 342]

Ditto , aluminum oxidation on the inside edge where the tyre meets the rim .. or simply a bad/old valve ...

 

Damir

[harryskid 193]

Pump up the tyre and paint a solution of fairy liquid around the rim. If you get bubbles i will prove its not sealed right and as said the rim will most likely need cleaning! O for the solution use water with the fairy liquid.

[Mart Pug 0]

Nice one guys, good advice!

 

I'll post the outcome here. We all like closure haha

[CaptainK 11]

I recently had similar on the missus' Ford Ka. Took it to the garage and they thought the valve seal was going, so applied some sealant stuff to it. A week later its still going down slowly (similar progression to yours - 20 psi in a week), then we take it back and get a new valve. After a week, guess what ? Back to the garage and after spending a lot of time they eventually find a tiny tiny little "dent" (for want of a better word") in the outer rim of the wheel which was very slowly leaking the air out. So as other people above said, they resealed the tyre with some bead sealant all around. After a few weeks now its still up at its correct pressure.

[Daviewonder 533 3 Cars]

Nice one guys, good advice!

 

I'll post the outcome here. We all like closure haha

 

What was the outcome mate?

[Mart Pug 0]

What was the outcome mate?

 

I'm only halfway there

Took the tyres off, and then I'll be refurbing the wheels, so I'll know in a couple of weeks..

[GLPoomobile 958]

Just a little FYI to those with the same problem...

 

I had this on one wheel, also losing about 20 PSI per week. When I took the Pug in to get the tracking done I asked them to remove the tyres, clean the rims and apply bead sealer. It didin't cure the problem.

 

I then bought a pair of new tyres and got a mobile fitter to do the business. Told him about the problem I'd had and he said he personally hates bead sealer. He cleaned off the bead sealer when he fitted the new tyres and I've not had a problem since. I know that doesn't prove anything, since it could have been a slow puncture in the tyre rather than the rim leaking, but if I had the problem in the future I think I'd just get the rims cleaned up first and THEN try bead sealer if that didn't work. But then I suppose it's 6 or half a dozen really

Edited January 14, 2011 by GLPoomobile