einsatz

I've got an 04 with a set of Falken ZE512 tires I've had for about 30k miles on the stock rims. For the past few months, one of the tires has been steadily loosing air (~10psi/week) so I figured I had a small hole or something. I got the tires at Sears, and since I noticed the problem, I've had a nail and a bolt (yea a bolt) stuck in tires other than the one with the leak, so Sears has fixed them; however, both times they've said they can't find anything wrong with the tire that has the slow leak. Both times what they've done is take the tire out of the rim and remount it to see if it fixes the problem - it doesn't.

So, my question is - could the leak be caused by a small crack on the rim, or a small deformity in the rim that lets air escape?

I'll probably replace all 4 tires in the summer, but if the rim has problems, I'm thinking of getting a replacement so I don't have to deal with the air pressure probs with the new tires.

Simba91102

Very slim possibility of that I would say. I've been working with tires for almost 40 years and that kind of defect is highly unlikely. There are a limited number of things it could be though. Make sure the valve stem isn't leaking, either through the stem or at the base. A thorough bead check on both sides of the tire (off the car) with soapy water carefully and slowly. Of course a visible check of the rim (again, both sides) would eliminate any obvious wheel flaw (any bend that isn't readily visible shouldn't cause a leak; the tire bead will adjust to surprisingly uneven surfaces). And of course a careful inspection of the tire itself (tread surface and sidewall, both sides). These are all things that the tire shop should have done, but you never know what might have taken place there (technician was interrupted, didn't have enough time to do a complete inspection, etc). If you want to do this yourself (only way you can be sure it's done right), take the tire off, make up a spray bottle of soapy water (any liquid detergent diluted will due) and basically look at and spray everything in sight. Slow leaks can be maddening to find, but if it's leaking, you should be able to find it. If all else fails, if time permits, remove the offending tire and leave it off the car as long as possible. If it doesn't leak then, you'll know it's only leaking under load. This may indicate a wheel issue, but again, I think that's a real long shot.

einsatz

Thank you for the thoughtful response Simba!
I will probably end up doing what you mentioned and spraying it myself. The trick is to find enough time to do so!

dwest1023

Why not put a inter tube in the tire and be done with it?