During a stop at a gas station, you may discover that your tires have low pressure. Even though you filled them up and kept moving, the tire went flat again after a few days.
Many different reasons cause this phenomenon. It doesn’t just come from the usual tire puncture. So, how to detect tire leaking air and fix this problem most effectively? Read the article below to find the answer!
About Tire Leaking Air
Usually, your car tires will have a gas release rate of 1 to 3 psi within 1 month. This is due to osmosis.
However, your tires are in trouble when the air exit rate increases. It can come from damaged rims, damaged tires, or temperature changes.
To identify, you can rely on the manufacturer’s recommendations. If the tire deflation exceeds 25%, it will be higher than the allowed speed. It will make accidents happen 3 times more than usual. Therefore, you need to determine the cause of this situation to devise the most effective solutions.
So, where does the cause of the tire leaking air around the rim start?
Why Is My Tire Leaking Air?
Wheel problem
Curved/damaged wheel: With this phenomenon, your wheel will not be round as it was initially. It may have been corrupted or hit hard with complex objects causing the wheel to deform.
When corrosion appears on the surface where the tire is mounted, it will cause the air to escape faster. At the same time, when the wheel is curved, it will make your movement difficult. Chances are you’ll experience tire damage, vehicle vibration, and more.
After prolonged use, your valve body will not be able to work correctly by environmental factors.
If your tires have an air leak of 1 to 3 PSI, it is perfectly normal. But if this process happens more slowly, the cause is because the valve core is too tight. At that time, the air leaking from the tire valve will occur.
Tire damage
Tire damage is the next cause of tire leaking air. This damage can come from many different locations.
- Nails: Nails and a few other small sharp objects lodged in tires can cause air leaks to increase by 2-3 psi per day. Although it does not affect your driving too much, the leak problem will become more severe if left untreated. A flat tire will happen in this case.
- Grain damage: Even though tires are made of rubber, there is a chance that a tire puncture will occur. Small-sized debris can create tiny holes that allow air to pass out.
- Usually, this phenomenon occurs because the rim gasket is no longer sturdy; the rubber layer wears down over the years, causing tiny particles to create small air holes easily.
- Other hazards: It could be because you drive into potholes and elephant holes at a fast speed. At that time, the tire will likely appear bent rim causing problems. Moving into potholes is one of the causes of tire rims leaking air slowly. So, when you encounter this situation, you need to refill your car and check whether the boundaries are in good working order.
Change in temperature
Usually, the air pressure will decrease by about 2% when the temperature drops 10 degrees F. Similarly, it will increase by 2% when the temperature rises to 10 degrees F.
So, if your vehicle is out in the open overnight and you see a lower tire pressure, you should wait to increase the tire pressure. It can rise again as temperatures get warmer in the afternoon.
If the tire is still underinflated in the afternoon, then you need to check its condition.
Recommend Reading: How Much Is A Tire Patch? [Answered]
How to Fix a Tire That Is Leaking Air At The Rim?
Hear the damage sound
One of the simplest ways to detect a tire leak is to listen to the sound from this position.
At this point, you will hear an exceptional withdrawal sound, which will grow louder as you get closer to that location. You will feel the small cold air coming out when you touch it close. The leak site will also be hot in the case of a burning tire.
Use soapy water
When you take your car to the repair garage, you will see that they use soapy water. This type of water is in the method slow tire leak.
They will spray soapy water on the rim of the rim. In addition, the technician can use this water for other locations to ensure they get all the spots. The sign of this phenomenon is straightforward, if you observe the air bubbles in any position, that location is leaking.
Put the wheel in the water
With this method, you must remove your tire and put it in the water completely. The leak will then begin to release bubbles to the water’s surface.
Usually, more than a basin of water is required for a single tire. So after 5 minutes, you can turn the tire over and check each position.
The Effective Way To Handle Tire Leaking Air
Here are the methods that can help you fix tire leaking air for each specific location on the tire.
Tire Repair
Method 1:
In the first method, you can use an air pump, an air sealer, and a pressure gauge.
- Start by inserting the sealer tip into the hole in the tire.
- Then, you immediately pour this substance on the inner surface of the tire.
- Now, you have created a protective layer inside the tire. When inflated, the air cannot leak to the outside. At the same time, it will push the sealing mixture into the hole and form a stopper like a rubber stopper.
- Finally, propylene glycol sealant is the preference. While you can use ethylene, it’s not healthy and can be dangerous for you and your tires after a while.
Method 2:
In this method, you will need 1 set of plugs, reamers, plug tools, and rubber cement. At the same time, use extra pliers and other means to make pulling the nail out of the tire easier.
To do this, you can start with the following steps:
- Step 1: Remove the nail or any stick on the tire
- Step 2: Use a reamer to clean the tire and make it the right size plug
- Step 3: Insert the plug and the tire with a bit of rubber cement on the top of the tool.
- Step 4: Remove the tool from the hole and cut the knot as far as possible on the surface of the grooves. Once your tires are dry, you can inflate them and start driving usually.
Valve Body Repair
If you need to repair the valve body, you must use a combination of the new valve core and valve removal tool. At the same time, you also need a car jack and a wrench to remove your wheels.
To do this, you must insert the removal tool heads into the body and turn them counterclockwise. When the valve shows corrosion, you need to clean the valve body before replacing the new core.
Once done, you can start inflating the tire. Wear protective eyewear as the old core or debris can hit your face.
Rim Repair/Restore Rim
Repair and Restoration is not a simple task, and it needs to be done by experienced people.
If your wheel is bent, you will need the assistance of technicians and hydraulics.
Never hit an aluminum alloy wheel with a hammer because of its brittleness. The perfect solution is more specialized tools to fix the rim.
To do this, you need to follow these steps:
- Step 1: Clean the wheel and remove the corrosion. You need to use aluminum alloy polish and wax in this case.
- Step 2: Remove all paint and finish. You need to polish thoroughly all parts, including gaps in the spokes. It is recommended to use a polishing machine to improve the speed and efficiency of this job.
- Step 3: Wait for the wheel to dry completely; you can start applying wax on top.
How To Avoid Tire Leaking Air?
Check Tire Pressure Regularly
Checking your tire pressure is extremely important for you. Because it will affect the following issues:
- Safety: Statistically, up to 75% of roadside flats are caused by you not checking tire pressure regularly.
- Load: A low-pressure vehicle will not deliver the same payload as its predecessor.
- Tire life: Long-distance driving with a low-pressure tire will significantly reduce their life.
- Fuel consumption: Low tire pressure is the leading cause of increased fuel consumption by about 3%.
So, how can you check your tires’ air pressure most effectively?
- Check in often: There is no better way than checking yourself regularly. Then you can tell if your tires are experiencing slow air leaks.
- Check the cold tires: You should check the tires in a condition that is not too hot. At that time, the air pressure will not be too much affected by external environmental factors.
- Use a pressure gauge: This kit will help you to control the most accurate and effective air pressure. It is easy to use and suitable for everyone.
Conclusion
This article will help you better understand the condition of tire leaking air. There are many reasons for this to happen. So it’s better to check your tires regularly to ensure they are stable.
A guy who graduated with honors with 2 college degrees Ferris State University & Austin Peay State University.After finishing school, he specialized in researching and testing tires, rims as well as brakes.Especially he has a love for off-road vehicles…
