What can I do, short of bringing the tire to a shop, to identify a slow leak in a runflat?

ty
john

 

What I have done to find stubborn leaks is remove the tire/wheel from the car and place it in a washtub big enough to completely immerse it. Fill the tub with water then let it settle for a bit till the random air bubbles disperse. Look for a trail of bubbles coming up. You can add some dishwashing soap to the water and gently mix it in by hand to avoid sudsing the surface and obscuring the view. Wait a while and look for a patch of bubbles on the surface. Below will be your leak. Mark it and have it fixed.

In the absence of a big enough tub, make up some densely soapy water and sponge it all over the wheel and tire assembly. The leak will show up as foam on the surface.

 

thanks, gb.

I'm in the no tub category. thought there was a way to test it dry. I appreciate it.

John

 

I had a slow leak, and found that my 2 week old mini had a tire that wasnt sealed correctly...$10 at the tire shop for removal and reseating.

 

maybe spray a little bit of diluted soap around the valve stem to see if there are any leaks? Are you sure you don't have a puncture?

 

kenchan has it right:smile:. Many years ago I worked at a service station, we would check for slow leaks with a spray bottle filled with water and dish soap. Just spray all over the tire, if theres a leak it will show with a trail of bubbles.

 

screw it. thanks for the help guys. One leak was due to a long nail through the tread into the sidewall and the other i'll never frickin know due to tire shops refusal to repair it for the tiny rise in the sidewall.

Hate runflats anyway. gForces arrive tomorrow. I'll spray mystery leakthe tire tonight to see what happens...

Again, thanks for the help, and I surte hope this thread helps someone else down the line.