Tire running out of air slowly

I've noticed that one of my tires is slowly running out of air. Every
two-three days I need to get it inflated. I was wondering what's the best
way to discover where the leak is? (I have a honda 98 civic)

Thanks,

 

Soapy water and look for the bubbles.

 

-----------------------------

Soapy water has been used since day one.. Dish soap in a squirter bottle
might be good.

'Curly'

 

Do you have alloy wheels? They can be porous enough to loose air
themselves. Best method is still the old dunk tank. where you can see
the tread and sidewall areas as you rotate the tire in a trough of
water. most tire stores have them. bob

 

Soapy water works, but there is no sense in doing it unless you aim to get a
plug kit once you find the leak (if it is in the tread). It may be just as
easy to bring it down to a local tire shop.

 

Like everyone said, a dunk tank. Let the mechanic do it. You can
inspect the tread to look for nails and maybe even find a hiss by ear.
I've had tires that were bumped on the side and lost a little air now
and then until remounted, or at least that's what it seemed like. It
came and went until I replaced the tires a year later.

J.

 

I just hope the mechanic can find the hole and fix it. I don't want to buy a
new tire... but isn't the tire manufacturer has some kind of warranty for
road hazards?


Jason

 

Not really a warranty, but insurance. It is usually an option when you buy
the tire, and I buy it when getting new tires. If the leak is in the tread,
not in the sidewall, the tire can normally be repaired.

Mike

 

don't forget the valve stem. you can tighten that yourself if you have
the little thingie (WalMart has 'em). Last fall one of my winter tires
was low coming out of storage on its steel rim, turned out to be just a
loose stem. more often for me, though, a slow leak is a nail that's
still in the tire. look hard at it, you should be able to find the
head.

 

That's interesting. Here the manufacturers call it a Road Hazard Warranty
and it covers any damage to the tire, whether sidewall or tread. If the tire
has to be replaced it is pro-rated against the tread wear to date. It's also
included for no charge with the tire(s).

Brian

 

I just wanted to ask the original poster if the rim has ever been damaged?
I once ran into a possum and it caused the rim to slightly bend. The tire
would not hold air (aka "slow leak"). I tried spraying some sort of "stop
leak" spray into the tire. It helped for a couple of months. I eventually
found a tire dealer that still had some inter tubes (spelling??). It
solved the problem. I doubt if you will be able to find any tire dealers
that still sell or stock intertubes. You may be able to find them for sell
on ebay or do a google search. It's an excellent solution for a tire that
has a slightly bent rim or any other leak that is hard to locate. If you
can't find an intertube--try making use of the "stop leak" spray.

 

wrote in

That would be tightening the VALVE itself,the stem is the part that the
valve is screwed into. The stem itself may need to be replaced;they do go
bad.

 

And the old cyclist's trick (since I am an old cyclist) is to lick your
fingertip and see if the spit bubbles when you place the fingertip over the
valve opening. Couth people might use soapy water there, too, but not me!

Mike

 

Depending on the wear, it may not be best to purchase only 1 tire.

 

I had a few mishaps on some potholes... the car hit hard.. but I wouldn't be
able to see just off bat that the rim has been crooked. I think I'll get an
oil change soon and get a check on that tire!

Jason

 

Take it to a tire shop - most will check it free; most of the better
ones will even fix it free (if you're in Western Canada, I'd recommend
your nearest Kal Tire).

 

Not to my knowledge.

Rims and car are long gone.

Some previous era Honda wheels and rims were a bit funky, not designed
well to hold weights, corroded a bit, etc. That and some rough
parallel parking are my best theories.

Good lord, man, how large a possum was THAT?

Yikes! "Inner" tube, kidz.

J.