Tyres always lose pressure

[Jenski]

Hi, I have a 2009 CLK convertible. I've lost count of the number of front driver tyres I've replaced over the past 11 years, more than 5. The tyres (front driver) have always started leaking within weeks of them being put on. I've had the wheel checked numerous times, scrubbed with wire wool to make sure there was nothing on it.
I live in France & need to drive to the UK pretty soon, it's 1750km. I've just telephoned the Merc garage I use in the UK to ask if it could be a faulty stem or valve & the guy was pretty dismissive, said that my (old) car didn't have separate stems & the valve would have been replaced when I last had new tyres which wasn't that long ago. I don't want to go into a garage here in France without having some knowledge of what else could be the problem as it's always the same wheel & having had 4 new tyres not long ago I don't want to have to replace one just because someone is going for the easiest option. I park really carefully, I don't hit the kerb. I'm only going out every couple of weeks now to shop because of the pandemic & my tyre pressure is dropping from 36 to about 12 in the 2 weeks. When I pump it up I can hear air hissing from the valve as I'm attaching/unattaching the pump - I don't know if that's normal.

 

[Blobcat]

Hello and welcome,

A bit of air from the valve when attaching/detaching the pump is normal.

It could be a valve leaking, however you usually/ should get new valves fitted with new tyres (assuming they're the flexible rubber valves and not bolted in TPMS versions)

It could be a cracked or corroded wheel. I'd get it in a large tub / bath and see where the leak is coming from. I had a friendly tyre dealer with a large tub he could sink the whole wheel in to find leaks.

 

[Jenski]

Hello and welcome,

A bit of air from the valve when attaching/detaching the pump is normal.

It could be a valve leaking, however you usually/ should get new valves fitted with new tyres (assuming they're the flexible rubber valves and not bolted in TPMS versions)

It could be a cracked or corroded wheel. I'd get it in a large tub / bath and see where the leak is coming from. I had a friendly tyre dealer with a large tub he could sink the whole wheel in to find leaks.

Thank you! It just seems weird that it’s always the same tyre.

 

[Blobcat]

Thank you! It just seems weird that it’s always the same tyre.

Not if that's the wheel that has the crack / corrosion - cracked wheels are getting very common due to the terrible roads and huge alloys

 

[Wearsafoxhat]

Presume that the new tyre always goes onto the same wheel, so would suspect the wheel.
Long shot... Could it be the tracking, alignment on that wheel causing it to scrub on corners and maybe splitting the bead after a while ??.


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[Jenski]

Hello and welcome,

A bit of air from the valve when attaching/detaching the pump is normal.

It could be a valve leaking, however you usually/ should get new valves fitted with new tyres (assuming they're the flexible rubber valves and not bolted in TPMS versions)

It could be a cracked or corroded wheel. I'd get it in a large tub / bath and see where the leak is coming from. I had a friendly tyre dealer with a large tub he could sink the whole wheel in to find leaks.

Not if that's the wheel that has the crack / corrosion - cracked wheels are getting very common due to the terrible roads and huge alloys

Not if that's the wheel that has the crack / corrosion - cracked wheels are getting very common due to the terrible roads and huge alloys

Presume that the new tyre always goes onto the same wheel, so would suspect the wheel.
Long shot... Could it be the tracking, alignment on that wheel causing it to scrub on corners and maybe splitting the bead after a while ??.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Presume that the new tyre always goes onto the same wheel, so would suspect the wheel.
Long shot... Could it be the tracking, alignment on that wheel causing it to scrub on corners and maybe splitting the bead after a while ??.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Not if that's the wheel that has the crack / corrosion - cracked wheels are getting very common due to the terrible roads and huge alloys

 

[Jenski]

Not if that's the wheel that has the crack / corrosion - cracked wheels are getting very common due to the terrible roads and huge alloys

Not if that's the wheel that has the crack / corrosion - cracked wheels are getting very common due to the terrible roads and huge alloys

Right, so when you said put it in a tub do you mean the whole thing wheel & all not just the tyre? It has been checked before a couple of times just because it’s happened so often with this wheel. I remember it being hosed, I don’t think it’s been in a tub though There’s a mechanic in the village where I live.I’ll see if he’s got one. I’ll learn the French for ‘have you got a bath for my wheel’ before I go in Thank you!

 

[Jenski]

Presume that the new tyre always goes onto the same wheel, so would suspect the wheel.
Long shot... Could it be the tracking, alignment on that wheel causing it to scrub on corners and maybe splitting the bead after a while ??.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Presume that the new tyre always goes onto the same wheel, so would suspect the wheel.
Long shot... Could it be the tracking, alignment on that wheel causing it to scrub on corners and maybe splitting the bead after a while ??.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks, yes always the same wheel. Maybe the tracking although the last guy said he’d checked that. Where is the bead?

 

[Blobcat]

Right, so when you said put it in a tub do you mean the whole thing wheel & all not just the tyre? It has been checked before a couple of times just because it’s happened so often with this wheel. I remember it being hosed, I don’t think it’s been in a tub though There’s a mechanic in the village where I live.I’ll see if he’s got one. I’ll learn the French for ‘have you got a bath for my wheel’ before I go in Thank you!

Yes the whole thing, no point in just putting the tyre in...

Pump it up to maximum pressure and see if it leaks

 

[Wearsafoxhat]

The “bead”, I am referring to the seal between the tyre and wheel, might be called something else but !!!


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[Flyinspanner]

It will be a hairline fracture.
Yes immerse the whole wheel and tyre (pumped up high) and wait...

once identified you can get it welded and it will be fine, it may need refinishing after, so maybe get all 4 done (powder coat) so they all match.

 

[rf065]

My CLK was the same, at a certain age, corrosion on the inside of the wheel stops the tyre fully sealing against the rim. Only cure is to get the wheels refurbished.

 

[sonic]

Fairly certain it will be the seal of the tyre on the rim. Considering the number of tyres you have bought, consider buying a rim on eBay.

 

[ajlsl600]

I have one on my 03 a class drops around 10 psi a week , I have had it looked at 2 x .I have learnt that parking the car with tyre valve at 9 O,clock prevents the issue. So in my case its rim leak not crack.

 

[MinionBob]

An easier way might be to just spray the entire wheel with a soapy water solution and look for growing bubbles. It will take you all of 5 mins, and very little hassle.

However, if it does not work, you might need to submerge the wheel, there is a leak there somewhere for sure.

 

[Naraic]

Get a can of Holt's Tyre Weld...that'll cure it.

 

[Oldspanners]

Make sure the part of the wheel where the tyre bead sits ie around the circumference inside and out are completely clean not just rubbed with wire wool. You may have a build up of corrosion or rubber on one spot especially if the tyre is turning slightly on the rim.
I had the same sort of problem years ago with all four wheels which was down to too much lacquer on the rims and it took quite a while buffing each rim to cure it, not just a quick rub with wire wool.
Failing that as Nariac ^ says a can of tyre seal should do the job.

 

[umblecumbuz]

Recently I removed all four tyres from the wheels for the same reason as our OP here. Over a few weeks, all four were losing air - not much, but noticeable to the driver as 'feel' at the steering wheel.
Each rim had previously had bead lubricant - put on by the fitter when new tyres were installed to make his job easier. The lubricant had dried out and become hard, and this was the cause of the leaks.
I cleaned all this off with a Dremel, refitted the tyres using a smear of washup liquid, and all has been well since.

 

[brandwooddixon]

An easier way might be to just spray the entire wheel with a soapy water solution and look for growing bubbles. It will take you all of 5 mins, and very little hassle.

However, if it does not work, you might need to submerge the wheel, there is a leak there somewhere for sure.

Agreed.
Pump it up to max permissible pressure.
Pressure loss from a corroded or cracked wheel will be slow and difficult to spot when submerging a whole tyre and wheel (there are usually so many air bubbles attached anyway it can be difficult to tell.)

 

[LostKiwi]

Where in France are you?