can my car tire be patched?

Question

I've had a slow leak in my tire for about 9 months now. I just keep refilling it every other week.

It never would get so low that the rim would touch the ground and I was just putting off the inevitable.

But I didn't drive my car all week and when I went to drive it today it was totally flat (right to the rim). I put on the spare but I'm wondering whether I can still salvage the tire or not.

What do you guys suggest? I'd like to avoid having to buy a new full set of tires.

Answer 1

Take the tire to a good tire shop, such as Discount Tires, Firestone, or NTB. If it is repairable they will tell you. There's always the possibility the slow leak was from a bad valve core. If it's because of a tread puncture, it can be reliably patched. If the leak is from a cut in the sidewall you'll need a replacement. Unless you know tires and how to determine the date of manufacture, I'd stay away from used tires. I have a set of tires I removed from my Mustang, when I took it out of storage, which have plenty of tread and look like new. However, the tires are 12 years old and I wouldn't trust them on a wheelbarrow. Most tire makers say five to seven years, while tires older than seven are a blowout looking for a place to happen.

Answer 2

You can put a patch inside the tire opposite the tread area. It is a temporary fix. It is often hard to find the place that is leaking air. If you can see the leak from outside, you can push an ice pick through the hole to make the hole bigger. You can then install a tire plug with a small hand tool / puller. This is again temporary, but if you stay off the freeways and turnpikes, the plug may hold air for several months without loss of pressure. Get another tire when you have a chance. No need to buy 4 new tires at this time.

Answer 3

Best bet is to take it back to where you get your tires and have them check the tire and see if its repairable. If you dont have a place go to a Wal-Mart with a service center and they can check it out for cheap. As long as you dont drive on it while its flat it should be OK but have it checked ASAP while you got the spare on. A patch shouldnt be more than $10 bucks if its repairable and they last the remaining life of the tire if done right.

Answer 4

You should keep all your tires inflated to the proper psi that your car requires. I don't know why they would have overfilled your tire, but it isn't safe to keep it that way. It'll cause uneven wear and loss of handling. The amount that each tire should have is usually on the outer rim of the driver door or on the pillar that the door shuts too. Then again, it sounds like you know where your tires should be. Just let some air out and fill it to the proper pressure and add some to the other tires.

Answer 5

Good Station or Tire Shop and find out where the leak is! Bead or Sidewall and it's Junk, Tread They can Plug (5 Minute Repair)

Answer 6

Do not mix in a tire with a different tread pattern. I will adversely affect the handling. Take the tire in question to a shop and have them determine whether it can be patched for further use.

Answer 7

Buy one spare extra tire but get rid of the one that you want to patch. Patching it will work temporarily and then the same thing will happen. Its happened to people I know.

Answer 8

mark k is correct, and you can buy a used tire for less. one with similar tread to your other 3. it will save you some money too.

Answer 9

if the hole is in the tread it can be fixed if it is in the side wall it can not be