Slow leak in my tire; may need a new wheel. Help!

July 4, 2016 2:55 PM

About a month ago I realized my tire was leaking air and required adding pressure about once a week. I took it to a tire shop and they told me a nail was in it but hadn't gone through, they removed it, "shouldn't have any more problems." This didn't make much sense to me but I left. Of course, a few days later the tire again needed air added.

Took it to a different shop, who told me they patched the slow leak. A week later, the tire was still leaking and this time even faster.

Took it back to the first shop on Saturday, where they told me they did every test they have and could not find a leak in the tire. The guy told me the problem is possibly a cracked wheel. He couldn't say for sure, though. I left and of course the tire is still slowly leaking (more slowly than it was a week ago).

I'm looking to understand what may be going on, what my next step should be, what questions I should be asking, and whether I should buy a new wheel myself to have the shop install for me. I know almost nothing about this aspect of car maintenance. My car is a 2007 Lexus ES350. How do I know what the correct wheel to buy is? Links to the exact wheel I should buy would also be helpful. Here's a picture of the tire/wheel in question: http://imgur.com/AL54vFr


Thanks!

posted by rbf1138 to Grab Bag (16 answers total)

You should be able to find out what wheel you have by taking it off and looking inside the rim - here's an example from a BMW. When you google that number, you get a link to various shopping sites selling that wheel.

Do you suspect the mechanic of lying to you? Read the garage's Yelp reviews, check on Nextdoor, whatever. It should be fairly obvious if they've been ripping people off.
posted by AFABulous at 3:06 PM on July 4, 2016

Exactly the same thing happened to me. Dealer was baffled, tire shop was baffled. Only buying a new wheel solved the problem. Old one must have been put just slightly out of round by going over a curb or something.
posted by Right On Red at 3:06 PM on July 4, 2016

Response by poster: I don't suspect either of the shops of lying (and neither has charged me a cent for any of what they've done, which is good cause they haven't fixed anything yet). I am confused as to what they patched, considering the tire itself probably wasn't actually leaking air. I'm also confused as to why this possibility didn't come up earlier or why on my last visit they didn't outright tell me I need a new wheel.

Part of what/why I'm asking is, can I assume at this point that it is the wheel, and should I purchase it off of the internet, or should I have the shop order it for me? Can I access that number myself easily?
posted by rbf1138 at 3:32 PM on July 4, 2016

Leaks that are slow enough that they don't blow obvious bubbles when spritzed with soap solution can be really difficult to find. I don't know how common cracked wheels are, but another thing that can happen is corrosion between the tire and wheel, which can inhibit the seal between the two. I once had a rim leak on the aluminum wheel of an old Volvo, and a tire shop solved it by removing the tire and cleaning up the bead area of the wheel with a wire brush (motorized) before remounting. It's not a guaranteed fix, but might be worth a shot. The wheel in your photo is original to the car, and will only be available new from a Lexus dealer. It won't be cheap.
posted by jon1270 at 3:35 PM on July 4, 2016 [4 favorites]

Also, you're missing a lug nut. That can be dangerous, so get it replaced ASAP.
posted by jon1270 at 3:38 PM on July 4, 2016 [3 favorites]

So you could have had two or three unrelated issues 1) the nail 2) the leak 3) a puncture.

A short enough nail won't go through the tread and can be just pulled out. This may have been what the first shop did.

The second shop found a puncture. Could have been where the nail was (first shop misdiagnosed) or it could have been an unrelated puncture picked up with the first nail or by bad luck after the nail was pulled out.

So put those two things behind you. Whatever the sequence of events the tire itself should be ok as a tread puncture that leaks noticeably after a couple days (assuming we're not just talking a pound or two) should show up in the tank.

So you have a leak that is intermittent. A lot of times this is the result of a dirty bead or corroded rim. Did you notice whether any of the shops wire brushed or otherwise cleaned the rim? Did you go to an actual tire place or have you been dealing with a general purpose chain like WalMart?

If you didn't go to a dedicated tire shop (and assuming this is some expensive mag wheel) I'd try that first. If they can't fix it, and if you don't have TPMS, I'd then try pouring in some tire snot or fix-a-flat. The sealants can fix a porous rim and plug up a corroded bead. If that didn't work then go ahead and replace the rim. Though I've never heard of a crack in a rim that couldn't be seen. A cheaper source for your rim than the dealer might be a junk yard. It might also be cheaper to buy a complete aftermarket set than the single rim from the dealer. If the rim is cracked and expensive enough your comprehensive insurance may cover it.
posted by Mitheral at 3:44 PM on July 4, 2016 [2 favorites]

Thirding the suggestion of a corroded bead. I had this happen to me. Fixing three wheels cost me $50. I need to do the fourth now too.
posted by ejs at 3:52 PM on July 4, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Without TPMS I'd probably be way more frustrated than I already am!

Both places I went to are dedicated tire shops, adding to my frustration that they've both let me walk away without a fix (although based on the responses this seems more complex, so maybe I need to be a little more understanding).
posted by rbf1138 at 3:54 PM on July 4, 2016

I have gotten a nail removed and the hole plugged by a guy on the street in the south Bronx down the street from Yankee Stadium. It is a simple fix that would cost around $5-10. I am sure the first place plugged your tire correctly.

The advice above is good advice. If the wire brush does not work, I would go to the nearest junkyard and purchase a rim. If you have a full sized spare, you could put that on while you look for a new rim. Carry the slow leaking tire as the spare until you find a nice (yet cheap) replacement rim at the junk yard.
posted by AugustWest at 5:24 PM on July 4, 2016

Tire stores won't do this (for pretty obvious reasons) but I have had good luck putting in a tube. Yes, in radial tires. Smaller tire repair shops will do it if you get the tube from an auto parts place and bring it to them. Some tire repair places still stock them.
I had a hardwood stick - around 3/4" diameter go through the sidewall of a radial I had bought literally the day before when I was in college and very broke. I put in a tube and drove it till it was worn out and then some more. Absolutely no issues.
You'll need to know the tire size to buy a tube.
posted by rudd135 at 5:44 PM on July 4, 2016

Here's your spare wheel for under $200 shipped.

Do NOT put a tube in a tubeless wheel/tire system with unspecified damage. Find the damage and fix it. And definitely replace that missing lug nut before your wheel falls off at speed.
posted by a halcyon day at 6:22 PM on July 4, 2016

Response by poster: It's ok to buy a used wheel? Is it possible it'll have problems of its own?

Regarding the lug nut, the shop I took it to Saturday broke it so I have to go back tomorrow to get the new one they got for me. Had no idea it was such a serious danger :0
posted by rbf1138 at 8:00 PM on July 4, 2016

Of course it's possible that a used wheel will have problems, but I'd take Mitheral's advice and have your current wheel and tire cleaned of corrosion and dirt before you do much else. The idea that it might be cracked seems far-fetched, because any impact capable of cracking it would also cause visually obvious deformation.
posted by jon1270 at 4:44 AM on July 5, 2016

Response by poster: Swung by the shop before work this morning, got the lug nut sorted out. I mentioned the advice from this thread, and he assured me that if there was any corrosion or problems with the bead, they would've cleaned it. He said he believes they "bead sealed" it on Saturday. He also told me if I buy the rim myself and bring it in, it would only cost $10 for them to put it on, since my tires are from their shop.

Should I just go ahead and buy that rim on ebay from the link posted above? Is that the sure way to solve this problem?
posted by rbf1138 at 5:53 AM on July 5, 2016

It is possible that a used wheel could have a problem, though as a buyer eBay's protections are heavily in your favour. If you want to be certain you would have to buy a new wheel from the dealer, but that might cost you 4x what the used one does.

There may be other matching wheels you can inspect locally but otherwise you're limited to what the internet has for you. If you buy from eBay ensure you get the seller's confirmation there are no cracks or bends and the wheel holds air.
posted by a halcyon day at 1:21 PM on July 5, 2016

It might be too late for this idea to be useful, but it just occurred to me that you could determine for sure (or nearly for sure) whether the problem is with the wheel or tire by having the tire shop swap the leaking tire with one of the others. If the leak moves with the tire, then it's obviously a problem with the tire. If the leak stays with the wheel then it's a problem with the wheel and you can be confident a new wheel will solve the problem.
posted by jon1270 at 3:40 AM on July 8, 2016