Any suggestions on a slow tire leak?
#1
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545i sport with Michelin pilot sports with good tread. I've taken it to 2 different tire places and they took the tire off the rim and came up with some BS excuses of a poor seal around the inside rim or a loose filler valve, couldn't find anything wrong with the tire. The tire still leaks slowly. Any one run into this? Could it be the rim?
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This can be tough to diagnose. Usually its the rim and not the tire but normally a good tire shop can solve the problem. Did they rough up or lightly sand the rim after locating the problem? Was the rim bent at all?
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No they just applied new bead sealer to the rim. The rim is not bent.
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Could be leaking around valve stem, around the rim (outside or inside) or from the tire itself. If you have a big container, pour water in it, put the tire in it and watch carefully. Even though it's a small leak, you will still see bubbles, albeit slowly.
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[font="'Comic Sans MS"]That's what my local tyre shop did when I had a slow leak (4 psi a week). They just took the tyre off, roughed up the wheel and resealed the tyre. Those mechanics sound like idiots for not even being able to locate the source of the leak.[/font]
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545i sport with Michelin pilot sports with good tread. I've taken it to 2 different tire places and they took the tire off the rim and came up with some BS excuses of a poor seal around the inside rim or a loose filler valve, couldn't find anything wrong with the tire. The tire still leaks slowly. Any one run into this? Could it be the rim?
#8
Agreed on the crack. I found a hairline crack in my one rear rim that was plagueing me for a while. I finally found it when I made a big bath for the rim. Never saw it during several inspections prior to.
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10psi/week is not (in my opinion) a sloooow leak. First step - ditch these amateurs and find a competent tire shop or even resort to a dealer with a good reputation. It can take a few extra minutes to look for a leak and then be sure of the source. If they didn't inflate the tire to it's "maximum psi" as indicated on the sidewall that didn't help either. And if they were looking for a volcanic-sized bubble they either weren't interested or lazy.
Faulty tire valve stem inserts are another over-looked cause - remove the cap and spray the insert to see if it's fully seated and sealing.
Hairline rim cracks are another tough issue to investigate - sometimes they may only be problematic when the rim/tire are under load. Try spraying your rim/tire with a soapy solution while mounted on the car and NOT jacked up - and check it out carefully - top to bottom/in and out with a bright flashlight.
Faulty tire valve stem inserts are another over-looked cause - remove the cap and spray the insert to see if it's fully seated and sealing.
Hairline rim cracks are another tough issue to investigate - sometimes they may only be problematic when the rim/tire are under load. Try spraying your rim/tire with a soapy solution while mounted on the car and NOT jacked up - and check it out carefully - top to bottom/in and out with a bright flashlight.
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My Ride: 95 M3 CAI, chipped, pulleys, Xbrace, doesn't give headaches every time I start up!
04 545i all the goodies INCLUDING HEADACHES!
Found a crack on the inside rime where the tire bead meats the rim about a inch long. Is this something that can be repaired or do I need a new rim? Any suggestions on where to purchase a new or used rim?
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