GoLowDrew

Ok, so here is the story. This tire has been fixed once already by America's Tire Company (free). At first, they had a very hard time finding the leak. After being persistent, they found it, and fixed it. Thank you.

One year later, it's leaking again. Like the first time, a very slow leak.

OEM requires 35 psi. If I add 35, it will go down to 30 with one driving trip 25 miles. When it's at 30, it will drop to 28. It will pretty much stay at the 28 area for a few days with the same driving. So it only leak "a lot" when I run at the higher psi.

So what's my question? The tread is at 5/32 or 7/32 so the tires are getting old, but still have some life left. I most likely will replace them in 6-8 months, just not right now. I don't want to do two tires and two more later. I rather just to all 4 at one time + alignment, etc, etc.

Of course money is always the issue. This is something I had plan for later, and not now.

Questions:

1. Since the tire has been patched up once, can they do it again? I'm hesitant to go back to get it fixed, because I'm afraid they will tell me I need new tires (the tread is at about 5/32), and would be at a disadvantage in price and selecting the right tires, because I need my car now, so may have to go with what they got in store inventory.

2. Does those Fix-a-Flat thing work? Will it buy me some time, like 6 months? I never used such a thing.

3. I got like 3 cans of (new) Fix-a-Flat in the garage over the years. They at about 5+ and up to 10 years old. Do these things expired?

4. I heard somewhere tire shop hate Fix-a-Flat things. It create a mess inside the tire. And tire shop will have to clean it up before they can patch it. True?

toyomatt84

iTrader: (1)

1. Patches can be applied in multiples. Its when you get to the extremes, where the tires is nothing but patches, that you'll have issues.

2. Fix-a-flat is a bad idea. Its a goop like substance that rolls around inside your tire covering both the wheel and the tire. Whatever tire shop you frequent will hate you if you fill a tire up with that stuff. Its messy as all heck when the tire is removed. Plus, getting it off of your wheels can be a challenge in and of itself.

3. I would get rid of them, so you're not tempted to use them on the car. That is, unless you have yard equipment that has pneumatic tires.

4. See #2. If the shop removes a tire to patch it internally, they would have to remove any and all substances preventing adherence. That would include Fix-a-flat.


If it were me, I'd get a pair of used tires from eBay, local tire shop, or even a dealership. I've got a bunch of friends that drift regularly, and they just go to dealerships and haul off loads of used tires for free. This would be a much safer idea, then any Fix-a-flat solution.

GoLowDrew

Do you think the treads on tire is too worn for them to consider patching?

toyomatt84

iTrader: (1)

If you're showing threads, the tires need replacement. The threads do not do very well, when exposed.

0doc@tirerack

+1 / excellent advice

No sense in throwing money at a tire that needs to go anyway.....

GoLowDrew

Newbie Me. I must have used a term the meant something else. The depth of the tire is 5/32. The tires are not worn down to where the thread indicator is showing.

toyomatt84

iTrader: (1)

I would still consider getting a replacement pair of cheap or free tires. Especially if you have the ability to "haggle" with a dealership. You can get freebies without trying too hard.