What would have caused me to have a flat tire, twice...
January 19, 2020 10:17 AM Subscribe
On Friday I noticed that I had a flat tire (passenger side, front). No big deal, I changed it and went to a tire store after work to get two new tires. Today I notice that the NEW tire is flat!! What on earth is going on?!
What would have caused this?? I didn't think I needed new rims, the guy at the tire store said it was fine. Do I actually need new rims? What on earth would have caused this? I'm panicking because I have no idea what to do.
I have to go to work TOMORROW and I can't take off time to deal with a flat tire! Only Canadian Tire and Costco (which I'm not even a member of) are open. Is this something they can help me with?
What would have caused this?? I didn't think I needed new rims, the guy at the tire store said it was fine. Do I actually need new rims? What on earth would have caused this? I'm panicking because I have no idea what to do.
I have to go to work TOMORROW and I can't take off time to deal with a flat tire! Only Canadian Tire and Costco (which I'm not even a member of) are open. Is this something they can help me with?
If the new tire is flat, it should be under warranty. Have wherever you purchased it replace it. As I see it, there are three options as to why you have another flat. One, is the rims. You have discounted that theory, but I would check it again. Two, someone is purposely deflating your tire. Have you tried pumping up the flat to see if it holds the air? Three, coincidentally, you got a 2nd bad tire after the first had a flat. Why did the first one go flat?
Can you put on the spare and then deal with the place you got the new tire after work on Monday?
posted by AugustWest at 10:27 AM on January 19, 2020 [2 favorites]
Can you put on the spare and then deal with the place you got the new tire after work on Monday?
posted by AugustWest at 10:27 AM on January 19, 2020 [2 favorites]
Also did you have the tire guy look at the old tire to work out why it got a puncture or did you just get him to change it? And I assumed but maybe it's not the case that you replace the same wheel in the same location as the one that went flat and put the spare back in the boot. So we are talking the same rim and the same valve stem on the same location on the car.
posted by Brockles at 10:27 AM on January 19, 2020
posted by Brockles at 10:27 AM on January 19, 2020
Also, what Brockles said.
posted by AugustWest at 10:28 AM on January 19, 2020
posted by AugustWest at 10:28 AM on January 19, 2020
Here are the possibilities I see:
You ran over something large enough to puncture the tire but too small to see without looking closely. This has happened to me several times.
Your valve stem is leaking. These are usually replaced when you buy new tires.
Maybe, just maybe, you have a bend in the rim enough to keep the tire from seating properly. Rare, yes, but it can happen.
posted by jtexman at 10:29 AM on January 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
You ran over something large enough to puncture the tire but too small to see without looking closely. This has happened to me several times.
Your valve stem is leaking. These are usually replaced when you buy new tires.
Maybe, just maybe, you have a bend in the rim enough to keep the tire from seating properly. Rare, yes, but it can happen.
posted by jtexman at 10:29 AM on January 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
This happened to me several years ago. First time, replaced the valve stem. Second time, replaced the tire. Third time, the tire shop checked everything they could and shrugged. Then it stopped.
I found out years later that it was my pissed off roommate that I should have replaced.
posted by subluxor at 10:35 AM on January 19, 2020 [4 favorites]
I found out years later that it was my pissed off roommate that I should have replaced.
posted by subluxor at 10:35 AM on January 19, 2020 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: "Can you put on the spare and then deal with the place you got the new tire after work on Monday?"
It's just been really frigid here, so the last thing I want to do is change my tire in -20C weather. I'm thinking of getting up early in the AM and changing it and going back to the tire place first thing in the morning. I'm so extremely thankful that I kept the non-flat winter tire they changed as a spare tire!!
"Also did you have the tire guy look at the old tire to work out why it got a puncture or did you just get him to change it?"
I just got them to change it. Okay, I cannot remember WHAT he said but he said there was something on the rim that might have caused the leak (omg why wasn't I listening better?!?), but the guy doing the tires fixed it.
posted by VirginiaPlain at 10:40 AM on January 19, 2020
It's just been really frigid here, so the last thing I want to do is change my tire in -20C weather. I'm thinking of getting up early in the AM and changing it and going back to the tire place first thing in the morning. I'm so extremely thankful that I kept the non-flat winter tire they changed as a spare tire!!
"Also did you have the tire guy look at the old tire to work out why it got a puncture or did you just get him to change it?"
I just got them to change it. Okay, I cannot remember WHAT he said but he said there was something on the rim that might have caused the leak (omg why wasn't I listening better?!?), but the guy doing the tires fixed it.
posted by VirginiaPlain at 10:40 AM on January 19, 2020
I recently bought a new tire, they replaced the valve, still leaked, turned out they damaged the new valve when they installed it, another new valve fixed the leak.
Take it back and make them find the leak. If they resist, find a new tire store.
And, yes, air pumps that plug into the cig lighter socket are handy and cheap, can save you changing a tire until you can get to tire store.
posted by H21 at 11:05 AM on January 19, 2020
Take it back and make them find the leak. If they resist, find a new tire store.
And, yes, air pumps that plug into the cig lighter socket are handy and cheap, can save you changing a tire until you can get to tire store.
posted by H21 at 11:05 AM on January 19, 2020
My air pump is pedal-powered, even easier. And for me it was rust on the rims.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 12:19 PM on January 19, 2020
posted by I claim sanctuary at 12:19 PM on January 19, 2020
Response by poster: Well, I managed to safely drive to the gas station to fill up my tire with air! I'm going to monitor and see how long it lasts for. It was easier to do that than to change the tire in -20C weather!!
I'm pretty sure I drove over a pothole on Thursday, so I'm suspecting that might have slightly damaged the rim. (After staring at the tire/rim while filling it up with air, it could be rust, now that I claim sanctuary mentioned it).
I'm kind of embarrassed to go back to the tire place with this again tomorrow morning, especially if it's something they didn't notice on Friday. Gah! How do I explain this all to them!?
posted by VirginiaPlain at 12:47 PM on January 19, 2020
I'm pretty sure I drove over a pothole on Thursday, so I'm suspecting that might have slightly damaged the rim. (After staring at the tire/rim while filling it up with air, it could be rust, now that I claim sanctuary mentioned it).
I'm kind of embarrassed to go back to the tire place with this again tomorrow morning, especially if it's something they didn't notice on Friday. Gah! How do I explain this all to them!?
posted by VirginiaPlain at 12:47 PM on January 19, 2020
Why on earth do you need to be embarrassed? They either did something wrong or didn't spot something so you really should be politely insistent that they find out what exactly has happened and fix it because they charge everything was fine and the new tire only lasted two days inflated.
I don't know why you can't just tell them exactly what you told us here and ask him to explain it. Being embarrassed over this makes no sense to me whatsoever.
posted by Brockles at 12:57 PM on January 19, 2020 [6 favorites]
I don't know why you can't just tell them exactly what you told us here and ask him to explain it. Being embarrassed over this makes no sense to me whatsoever.
posted by Brockles at 12:57 PM on January 19, 2020 [6 favorites]
With a 2 day leak they should be able to find the leak with the water tank, no problem. It's their job.
posted by H21 at 1:07 PM on January 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by H21 at 1:07 PM on January 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I just feel embarrassed because if the rim was the problem, well I was an idiot for buying 2 new winter tires for my car. I didn't insist that they check the rim. I was so relieved to have new tires and no flat tire, that I was happy to throw $300+ at the problem. Now who knows, I'll probably have to waste more money. If I ruined the tire by driving on it flat, well that's $150 for another tire I guess. I also have no idea how much a new rim would cost, I'm sure you just can't buy ONE new rim, so I'm trying to wrap my head around all the money I need to spend on this. I feel embarrassed that it wasn't properly solved in the first place!!
posted by VirginiaPlain at 1:22 PM on January 19, 2020
posted by VirginiaPlain at 1:22 PM on January 19, 2020
You absolutely can buy rims individually. But if it's rust there is no reason at all you would need to buy a new one because you can just clean that up and re-seat the tire. And if the guy didn't fix the wheel properly when he did the tire I think you can pressure him to cover at least some of the cost of the replacement tire if it worked didn't even last two days before the tire was damaged.
When you drove on it was it flat or was it just a little bit soft? You should never really drive in a tire is flat because it destroys the side wall. It may look fine once you've had your back up but it damages the side wall and will cause a blowout. Make sure the guy inspected closely when you look at it next time and in hindsight it may have been smarter to take an Uber to get a pump and pumped it up yourself then drive it to the garage.
Again I don't understand the embarrassment. Yes there may be a money issue but none of this is your fault. You took the issue to professional who was supposed to advise you the best solution for the problem. If they fail to do that then THEY should be the ones that are embarrassed, not you.
posted by Brockles at 1:30 PM on January 19, 2020 [2 favorites]
When you drove on it was it flat or was it just a little bit soft? You should never really drive in a tire is flat because it destroys the side wall. It may look fine once you've had your back up but it damages the side wall and will cause a blowout. Make sure the guy inspected closely when you look at it next time and in hindsight it may have been smarter to take an Uber to get a pump and pumped it up yourself then drive it to the garage.
Again I don't understand the embarrassment. Yes there may be a money issue but none of this is your fault. You took the issue to professional who was supposed to advise you the best solution for the problem. If they fail to do that then THEY should be the ones that are embarrassed, not you.
posted by Brockles at 1:30 PM on January 19, 2020 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: No, I drove on it when it was flat. Well, I guess I'll just try to warm up and get out there to replace the tire with the spare before the morning. Good to know I just wasted $150, I'll try to get over that tonight as well.
posted by VirginiaPlain at 1:40 PM on January 19, 2020
posted by VirginiaPlain at 1:40 PM on January 19, 2020
Here is what you know:
You had a flat tire.
You bought 2 new tires.
One of the new tires went flat.
You were able to drive it to the gas station and air it back up.
You (will) have changed the flat to not drive on it any more.
That's it. None of this is your fault. You have spent money, and in exchange they need to provide you with tires that work. It is reasonable to expect them to replace the flat tire. If you need new rims (1-2 rims) they should be able to explain why.
Did driving on the flat tire ruin it? Maybe, but if it already lost all its air after 2 days of service, it had already failed anyway. The tire store is likely also interested in finding out why the tire keeps going flat, both for their own interest and so they can warranty-return a tire that was DOA.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 2:33 PM on January 19, 2020 [5 favorites]
You had a flat tire.
You bought 2 new tires.
One of the new tires went flat.
You were able to drive it to the gas station and air it back up.
You (will) have changed the flat to not drive on it any more.
That's it. None of this is your fault. You have spent money, and in exchange they need to provide you with tires that work. It is reasonable to expect them to replace the flat tire. If you need new rims (1-2 rims) they should be able to explain why.
Did driving on the flat tire ruin it? Maybe, but if it already lost all its air after 2 days of service, it had already failed anyway. The tire store is likely also interested in finding out why the tire keeps going flat, both for their own interest and so they can warranty-return a tire that was DOA.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 2:33 PM on January 19, 2020 [5 favorites]
Oh! and by replacing the tire with the spare, you can just drop the flat tire off and then pick it up after work, or at your convenience.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 2:35 PM on January 19, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by Huffy Puffy at 2:35 PM on January 19, 2020 [2 favorites]
I had a whole tire saga in a then-15 year old car so I've done all of that except buying unnecessary tires (only because they were brand new and I knew they weren't the problem) - driving on the flat, limping to a gas station, calling assistance to put on the spare etc. In my case for the cost of one new rim I got all of mine sanded and repainted - six years later they're only just starting to show rust again and honestly I'll probably be selling this antique this year anyway. Chalk it up to learning experience, I sure did!
posted by I claim sanctuary at 10:27 PM on January 19, 2020
posted by I claim sanctuary at 10:27 PM on January 19, 2020
Have them check and, if necessary, clean the rims. This is a known problem with older aluminum rims, particularly in cold weather, it seems.
posted by yclipse at 4:09 AM on January 20, 2020
posted by yclipse at 4:09 AM on January 20, 2020
You took it in and trusted them to properly resolve the issue; you have no cause to feel bad. They should feel kind of bad that you have to change it in stupid-cold conditions. Have a big mocha (hot choc & coffee) while you wait.
posted by theora55 at 6:37 AM on January 20, 2020
posted by theora55 at 6:37 AM on January 20, 2020
I have a flat in the first 24 hrs with a brand new car. It had a nail fom a construction site near where I worked. Weird things happen, and two nails in two days is not impossible.
posted by SemiSalt at 9:21 AM on January 20, 2020
posted by SemiSalt at 9:21 AM on January 20, 2020
keep an eye out for stray shards of metal in your driveway and potholes in the roads you frequent most
posted by queen anne's remorse at 2:17 PM on January 20, 2020
posted by queen anne's remorse at 2:17 PM on January 20, 2020
Response by poster: Turns out the o-ring on my tire pressure sensor thing cracked and caused a slow leak!
posted by VirginiaPlain at 8:05 AM on January 28, 2020
posted by VirginiaPlain at 8:05 AM on January 28, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
My suggestion would be to inflate the tire with either a foot pump or an electrical pump and then spray soapy water or drip soapy water onto the valve stem and see if you can see it leaking. Either way take it to Canadian Tire and get the puncture repaired should be easy enough. You shouldn't need a new tire if you just got a puncture unless it is on repairable, which is very unlikely two tires in a row.
Also if the tire inflates then keep the pump in the car and keep checking the tire. It was likely deflating slowly between Friday and now and you just didn't notice until it was completely flat. A pump and a cheap tire gauge is a useful thing to have around, and as most punctures are slow deflations if you keep checking the tire and topping it up you can put off actually getting it fixed until the time that is convenient for you.
I find it extremely unlikely you need new rims. That's pretty unusual.
posted by Brockles at 10:26 AM on January 19, 2020 [2 favorites]