Now, now.... 

I have a slow puncture nearside rear but it's either the alloy rim that's damaged, the tyre itself or maybe a poor fitting.  When it was last fitted (while-U-wait) I saw that the bloke didn't seem to be taking much care putting that greasy stuff around the lip but I just ignored it, thinking he must know what he's doing.  Since then, it has occasionally gone down a little, perhaps every few weeks or so but it's now deflating fully every 24-36hrs.

Can the likes of KwikFit 're-seat' the tyre and test it? I don't want to shell out on a new tyre then have to shell out again for a whole new set of alloys if I can help it...

I wouldn't go to quick fit, your local garage will probably do it for a fiver or free, it might be corrosion on the alloy in which case a repair would be cheaper than a new alloy

Do alloys corrode?  S'pose they must.

I guess a garage must get 'mystery' flats frequently so they'll know how to approach it.  It's history makes me suspect it's something simple though.

Quote from: Eagle on January 03, 2013, 02:42:37 AM
Do alloys corrode?  S'pose they must.

I guess a garage must get 'mystery' flats frequently so they'll know how to approach it.  It's history makes me suspect it's something simple though.

It doesn't look like normal rust but I've definitely seen like a white flaky finish on some alloys, I think he's probably damaged the bead f the tyre by being stingy with grease, and if that's the case it's new tyre time unless you like blowouts.

Since you're getting this sorted out anyway find a garage that does nitrogen filling instead of air. You're much less likely to lose pressure, pressure is maintained regardless of the outside temperature and most places seem to do free checks/top ups too so you can pop back in whenever you like. I've switched over and wouldn't change back now. BTW it's £1 a tyre or something daft, it should only need doing once!

Sounds like a plan, thanks all.

Last year I had a slow puncture, I was due to drive to Buckingham and thought my tyre looked a bit flat. Did it up and then tested it after 2 hours. It'd lost 5 ppi. I couldn't find anything puncture like so I drove to a tyre place. This is what was leaking... Slowly!


Tyre gash by Chris_Moody, on Flickr

I think I was pretty lucky to spot it. A few days earlier I'd driven over the remains of a car bumper, pretty sure that was the culprit.

Scary stuff.

This has been happening from new though.

Quote from: Eagle on January 03, 2013, 16:16:33 PM
Scary stuff.

This has been happening from new though.

Warped alloy?

Not really as it's the rear one.  Previous tyre was fine.

Quote from: Clock'd 0Ne on January 03, 2013, 10:34:07 AM
Since you're getting this sorted out anyway find a garage that does nitrogen filling instead of air. You're much less likely to lose pressure, pressure is maintained regardless of the outside temperature and most places seem to do free checks/top ups too so you can pop back in whenever you like. I've switched over and wouldn't change back now. BTW it's £1 a tyre or something daft, it should only need doing once!

Just had this done to solve the exact same problem. I'd been nursing it for over a year - topping up the air every other day. Had the alloys cleaned up, new sealant applied, new rubber valves to replace my metal ones and nitrogen instead of air. Not had a problem since.

Took the wheel off yesterday and... err... found a screw embedded in the tyre!!! Mesa thinkin this could be the cause of recent rapid deflations - so I'll get that sorted first.

The time before the gashed tyre, I found a screw in one of my tyres. Went to a tyre place to get it plugged, and they found 2 more screws and 2 nails. Must have driven over someones toolbox! The screws weren't small ones either, they were 2-3" long!

Quote from: M3ta7h3ad on January 03, 2013, 03:02:30 AM

Quote from: Eagle on January 03, 2013, 02:42:37 AM
Do alloys corrode?  S'pose they must.

I guess a garage must get 'mystery' flats frequently so they'll know how to approach it.  It's history makes me suspect it's something simple though.

It doesn't look like normal rust but I've definitely seen like a white flaky finish on some alloys, I think he's probably damaged the bead f the tyre by being stingy with grease, and if that's the case it's new tyre time unless you like blowouts.

Alloys can suffer from galvanic corrosion, where two different metals cause a potential difference resulting in one to oxidise. Aluminium is highly liable to corrode anyway, what stops it is the initial layer of corrosion acting as a barrier against further damage, if the oxide is removed the material can corrode very quickly.

Quote from: zpyder on January 06, 2013, 11:02:39 AM
The time before the gashed tyre, I found a screw in one of my tyres. Went to a tyre place to get it plugged, and they found 2 more screws and 2 nails. Must have driven over someones toolbox! The screws weren't small ones either, they were 2-3" long!

Toolbox! Pah thats nothing.. I see your screws and raise you a:


Tyre by Adam Woodford, on Flickr


Spanner by Adam Woodford, on Flickr

10mm spanner