westcoastbound1

Hello,

I have a quick question. Just a bit of a background, earlier in the year, I got my car fixed for damaged control arm and suspension assembly. I got it fixed (after lot of research) with the dealer who surprisingly gave me the best quote.

Anyway, I drove the car for a couple of weeks and thought the car was wobbling a bit so I took it back. The dealer inspected and said everything is ok however, there is a small nail in the rear tire (right) and said that is causing (at highway speeds) for the car to wobble. He then proceeded to tell me that, legally they can take out the nail and have to replace the tire. [note, he actually showed me the nail so I know it’s there]

My question is, does that sound reasonable? I was thinking of taking my car to a local shop but wanted to get some guidance here.

Any advice appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

GWEEDOspeedo

A shake or shudder at higher speeds (60+) usually means you have an unbalanced wheel. A nail 'could' cause an unbalance, but usually nails are not heavy enough. Also, a nail should be causing your tire to leak air and deflate.

Where's the nail? If it's only in the main (tread) part of the tire, you should have the nail pulled out, have the hole plugged, have the tire re-mounted to the wheel, and have the wheel spin-balanced. An average tire garage or store (like NTB, Mr. Tire, Firestone, etc.) can perform this basic duty for $20-30.

Simba91102

Agree with the above. And it's very unlikley that a naill would cause a vibration. Unless the nail is in the sidewall, it should be repairable. I'd take it somewhere else (preferably a tire shop) and ask for them to fix it. Then you can drive the car and decide for yourself. No matter what, you're going to have to address the tire issue, so do that first and see how the car drives if then. If it still isn't right, then you'll have to go back to the dealer.

nj2pa2nc

when one of my tires had a nail in it-the dealer pulled out the nail and then plugged it. They told me they could do that since the tire was not flat. They did inform me they if the tire is driven on when flat it can ruin the chords and belts so that is when it can not be fixed-has to be replaced. Dealer did not charge me for the fix.

westcoastbound1

Thanks guys….

The Acura dealer mentioned given the nail in the tire, the air will leak. When I drove it up to him he said it had 27-28 PSI vs. 30-32 PSI recommendation. He proceeded to tell me that legally he can take the nail out and would need to replace tire.

I don’t know how to best explain where the tire is but I will try! It’s the right rear tire and it’s a small-ish nail right at the end of the tire / thread (on the outer side).

Also, my Acura monitor does not come up “check tire pressure”. Just FYI coz I remember few months ago when one of the tires had low air, the monitor did flash.

Anyone here recommend me a tire place in east bay area around Walnut Creek?

nj2pa2nc

maybe the nail was too close to the edge-the nail in my tire was dead center. In Pa they plug the tire but in NC they patch it-

GWEEDOspeedo

I'm not buying their explanation. Ask them for the law that states his claim along the lines of "a dealer can't pull a foreign body out of a tire and plug the same tire".

A nail in the side-wall is a real issue as it takes away integrity of the tire, but it sounds like it's just in the tread part.

westcoastbound1

Thanks guys. Very helpful.

Yes, it’s definitely right at the end of the thread and outer side of the right rear tire.

Any recommendations for a tire place around Walnut Creek?

SoCaliTrojan

That sounds like it's too close to the sidewall. If so, that's probably why they are afraid to pull it out and patch it. They can do it if the nail is in the thread area (ie: the part that rolls on the road). If it's in the sidewall, the tire will need to be replaced.

westcoastbound1

Thanks guys...I took it to local tire place and the nail was towards the end of the thread and they repaired it!!

I learned a thing or two, thank you again.

GWEEDOspeedo

Glad it turned out okay and you're able to keep the tire.