I've been complaining about my leaky right front tire since I got a new set two weeks ago. I went to the dealer and explained since I dented the rim, they might need to reset the tire. A woman in a hurry immediately saw a tack in my tire that was laying on the counter. Somehow I was oblivious to it. Hope Sunday it holds air much better....
a tack? In the tread? was it a bit tack? I cant imagine the kind of tack I'm thinking of causing a slow leak.
Having my fair share of slow leaks over the years, it has always come down to some sort of small, sharp object. You wouldn't beleive what something will do at speed, into a tire. Of the last 5 tire incidents for me, I diagnosed and repaired them myself. For anyone that's interested and has a similar problem in the future here is a do-it-yourself fix. If you're comfortable with performing a tire-change, then here is how to diagnose a leak: First ensure the tire is filled to your normal levels (50 psi, etc.) 1. Car in Park or 1st gear, with e-brake firmly set. 2. Slightly loosen the lug nuts. 3. Place a "chock" behind one wheel that isn't going to be lifted (like a brick or block of wood) so if the car does get loose, it's held until you can get away (very rare). 4. Lift the car with the factory jack or your own, noting the jack points along the sill for use. 5. If you have, them support the vehicle with a jack stand for safety. 6. Remove the tire/wheel. 7. Prepare a bucket of warm, soapy water 8. Slowly pour the soapy water over the wheel and tire to see if there's any obvious bubbling. There's your leak! Depending on what it is, your comfort level, and time available, you can repair tire punctures yourself with a kit from your favorite auto-parts store. Basically these strips of gooey rubber are forced into the hole, chemically bond with the tire's rubber, and voila': tire repaired for 5 bucks and you have a few more strips and the kit for later. I've used this method for 10's of thousands of miles with 100% repair/reliabiliy. YMMV. RH77
