RedWheels<\/a>\u00a0and get new tires as replacements.<\/p>\nIf you suspect your tire is leaking air, here is how you can find a leak in a tire.<\/p>\n
Remove the tire<\/h2>\n
For a thorough inspection of any tire, you want to take it off the vehicle. Loosen the lug nuts first. Second, jack up the car on a hard surface. Your vehicle\u2019s manual will be able to indicate the best places to put the jack to lift your vehicle. Once your vehicle\u2019s off the ground, all that\u2019s left to do is take off the loosened lugs and remove the tire by hand. If you\u2019ve never taken off a tire before, don\u2019t be discouraged. Once you get the hang of it, it only takes a few minutes.<\/p>\n
Inspect for Punctures<\/h2>\n
If you know you\u2019ve driven over screws or nails, there\u2019s a likely chance your tire has been punctured. Do a visual inspection of your tires. Note any apparent marks. If you see a screw or nail trapped in the rubber, the mystery\u2019s solved. You can also obviously drive over other objects that can cut the tire or become lodged inside it. This can happen to anyone, so don\u2019t be shocked if you discover something.<\/p>\n
Fill the tire and listen<\/h2>\n
Inflate your tire to the appropriate psi, like you usually would. Then, listen for hissing around the tire. If there isn\u2019t any visual evidence of a leak, you may be able to hear it. Run your hand around the tire to see if you can feel the air. If you can\u2019t, do your best to pinpoint the hissing. Any sort of hissing coming from around the tire, even if you don\u2019t feel anything, indicates a leak.<\/p>\n
Look at the wheel rim<\/h2>\n
Unless there is a direct puncture, the likely way your tire will leak is at the inside edge of the wheel rim. This area should be airtight at all times. If you drive over a pothole or somehow the wheel gets bent further than it\u2019s designed, that can stretch the space between the bead of your tire and the rim. At that point, air will seep out. Do a visual inspection and, again, note any imperfections you suspect could result in a leak.<\/p>\n
Submerge your tire in water<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
The most likely way you will detect an air leak is by filling your tire and submerging it in water. This technique works for anything that may be leaking. When you cover it in water, air bubbles will come out. The air has to escape somehow. If you can catch where the air bubbles are originating from on the tire, that\u2019s your leak. Assuming you have a vat large enough to accommodate a tire, this is perhaps the fastest way to confirm a leak.<\/p>\n
Soap and water method<\/h2>\n
A tire isn\u2019t going to fit in most bathtubs. You can still use water to detect a tire leak though. Mix soap and water in a spray bottle. Then spray the tire. Spray all parts of the tire, including the sidewalls, tread, valve stem, and along the rim. In most cases, leaking air will cause the soapy mixture to bubble. It\u2019s a much easier way to locate a leak than submerging the tire so long as you\u2019ve already taken the wheel off the vehicle.<\/p>\n
Fixing a tire with a leak<\/h2>\n
Minor leaks can be repaired. If the leak is less than 1\/4\u201d in diameter and located on the main tread, it can be done at home. If it\u2019s on the shoulder or sidewall, you will need the help of a professional. To fix the leak, you can buy a tire sealant or you can patch the tire. These will only delay the inevitable, however. In the future, you will likely need tire replacements done.<\/p>\n
Bonus tip<\/h2>\n
Throughout this process of finding a leak in a tire, you may discover where the leak is and then not be able to find it again. Save yourself the hassle by marking the location with a piece of chalk. Make a mark on the sidewall of the tire. This is the easiest way to find the leak again, and you won\u2019t have to learn the hard way what it\u2019s like to have to repeat trying to find a tire leak again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A leak in a tire is a big problem. When your tires aren\u2019t staying inflated, it\u2019s a safety issue that, untreated, could leave you stranded. A lack of air pressure in the tire will use more gas, and your vehicle will have to work harder to get you from point A to point B. It […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10631,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6137],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techfeatured.com\/automotive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10630"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techfeatured.com\/automotive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techfeatured.com\/automotive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techfeatured.com\/automotive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techfeatured.com\/automotive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10630"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/techfeatured.com\/automotive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10630\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10632,"href":"https:\/\/techfeatured.com\/automotive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10630\/revisions\/10632"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techfeatured.com\/automotive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10631"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/techfeatured.com\/automotive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techfeatured.com\/automotive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techfeatured.com\/automotive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}