Hi,

While I was washing my '03 CLS today, I noticed a damn nail stuck in my tire. I was pretty pissed, my car is only 3k mi. old and now will probably need to replace the tire. The interesting thing is that the nail might have been there for a few days, but there is no sign of leak or tire air loss. I did not want to take out the nail without a pro looking at it first, but I can wiggle the nail around with ease.

It's located near the edge of the sidewall where it meets the tread. I can't tell if I caught it on the road or if somehow someone deliberately put it in there. Besides that, I really would like to know if I can still use this tire.

I've been told by many that you can't repair a sidewall and doing so would be illegal. I question if it even needs repair, though it's possible removing the nail would open the puncture. Any thoughts? I'm bringing the car to the dealer tomorrow for help.

 

Judgement call! Even for the pros. I bet they'll have to pull it and test it for leaks before they'll even know. Hopefully, that's a tack or maybe a short nail and it didn't get past the belts. Good Luck!

 

I had one in my sidewall recently. It had a very slow leak, like about 5 psi every other day. It's not really possible to get it fixed and you'll eventually have to get a new tire. But if you can wiggle it around, that means that it'll probably pop out when you don't expect it and that could be trouble. You can get it patched up leaving the nail still in it, which will prevent it from leaking for a while.

 

Judging from your picture, the puncture is still in the tread and it is repairable. I have used the tire repair kit from Pepboys several times with success. It is a plug and it is easy to use. Try it

 

I went to an Exxon today and the guy said it most probably will need to be replaced. He seemed to think that since it was a new car that is should be covered by some sort of hazard warranty. Though my Michelin warranty packet said it does not cover this, maybe my dealer might give in. The Acura service guy said he is not totally sure but he doubted. The Exxon guy said that since the car is new, I should have tires replaced and covered by dealer.