Losing tire pressure

[Joe'sSHO]

This has been a problem on every SHO i've owned; and I'm not talking about 2-3 psi I'm talking 10+. It's weird b/c it's only one tire that loses the pressure. On my old 90 it was the right rear, on my new 91 its the left front. It lost 10psi in about a week. The tires are new (Kumhos) and should have no reason to lose 10psi. The alignment is spot on and all the wheels have been balanced. My question is, other than a leak, what could be causing the tire to lose this much pressure? I mean, 10psi is alot of air to be losing in a week. BTW I set all my tires @ 32 psi. The left front is now down to 22psi. Any imput would be appreciated.

 

[sho_bc]

our car had the right rear tire losing massive amounts of pressure as well. took it to our mechanic, and they said it had to do with the valve (air valve). they replaced the valve, and its been fine ever since. not that expensive either.

 

[91 SHOplus]

Simple - The old wheel from your 90 ended up on your 91. Duh?!?

Seriously, check the valve stem.

 

[PAracer]

Geez, I'd be rolling the tire right off the rim at that pressure.

Your leak is most likely the valve stem, but could also be a crack in the rim, or the rim was not prepped well enough before the tire was mounted.

 

[Ishodu]

Your rims may not have been cleaned well enough before the tire was installed. There may also be alot of pitting around the bead on the tire. There is a sealant that can be used if this is the case.

 

[SHOZ123]

Get a bowl of water and dish soap then using a paint brush slobber it all over the tire. This will tell you where the leak is. :corn:

 

[Joe'sSHO]

Ok, there is some water coming out of the valve when I check the pressure which makes me think that maybe the rim is causing the leak and not the valve. SHOZ123, what am I looking for when i put soap and water on the tire?

 

[greenbeanmtx]

Check your valve stem. If your loosing and adding pressure constantly that can create moisture in the tire. Take and put a wad of spit on the valve stem and see if it bubbles any. If it doesnt then it could be where the valve stem seals on the rim or like everyone else has said cracked rim or inproper mounting. I doubt its a cracked rim though because that will usually create a vibration that cant be fixed with rebalancing it. My guess is its the valve stem or they didnt use enough or the right kind of lubricant on the tire. Its also possible there could be crap on your rim but unless it was some hole in the wall place that did the work, i doubt they would let that go.

Is there a chance youve got a very small nail or hole in the new tire? Ive gotten new tires and grabbed a nail before i even got home before....Its also possible to hit glass just right where it rigs a small leak that you cant find. I once ran over a staple like what teachers in school use and managed to create a leak with that. You just have to hit it a certain way. To answer your previous question you will put that soapy water on the tire to see if theres any bubbles that form from air escaping or not.Put it all over the tire and where it meets with the rim and use it on the valve stem instead of spit if you choose.. If you have access to a pool or an area with water tank or something you could also put it in that to trace your leak. That is possibly the easiest thing to do, but not very many people will let you put your tire in their pool. Also if its something you cant figure out then try putting some slime tire sealer in the tire just to see if anything stops. A long time ago this same thing happened to me and i never figured it out so i put some slime in there and it managed to stop whatever it was. But dont do that unless its a last stitch effort. Good luck, hope its nothing major

 

[PAracer]

SHOZ123, what am I looking for when i put soap and water on the tire?

If I may answer for Paul here. You're looking for the soap solution to make bubbles. This will show you where your leaks are, and how severe they are.

 

[91 SHOplus]

If I may answer for Paul here. You're looking for the soap solution to make bubbles. This will show you where your leaks are, and how severe they are.

This also works well when installing a new gas oven in the kitchen!

 

[trueSHO]

Bring it to a local tire shop, if its the valve stem, it'll run 8-10 bucks. If your rim is slightly corroded, this could also create a loss in tire pressure. there's also always the possibillilty of a small puncture, which would be shown by the soapy water sprayed on the tire.

 

[SHOZ123]

Yes you are looking for bubbles that will continually form in one area. And yes it does work great when working with any pressurized gas.

If it is the valve stem it may be the valve stem core which screws in. Get a valve stem tool and some new valve stem cores. Screw in a new one or just tighten the old one.

The valve stem core remover thing is also a good way to extract revenge from people who dent your doors. Keep it in the car for these emergency situations.

 

[DHMag]

Yes you are looking for bubbles that will continually form in one area. And yes it does work great when working with any pressurized gas.

If it is the valve stem it may be the valve stem core which screws in. Get a valve stem tool and some new valve stem cores. Screw in a new one or just tighten the old one.

The valve stem core remover thing is also a good way to extract revenge from people who dent your doors. Keep it in the car for these emergency situations.

if you buy the A/C core remover, it works for tire cores too. i prefer the A/C core tool because its long and has knurling on the end for better thumb/finger grip on those stubborn stems.