How to fix a "slow leak" in a car tire
It's easy to tell when one of your tires has a slow air leak: You notice that one of your tires is a little low, so you stop by an air pump and fill it up, only to have it go down again overnight.
The cause of a slow leak is almost always a foreign object like a nail or screw lodged in the tire. Most slow leaks can easily be fixed by the owner as long as they have an air compressor or portable air tank with which to re-inflate the tire after the repair has been made. Here's how:
1 - Purchase a tire repair kit which contains a reaming tool, a tire plug insertion tool, a number of tire plugs and a tube of cement.
These kits are readily available at auto parts stores, Wal-Mart or most any retailer that sells automotive related hardware. Note: This is an excellent kit to carry around in your car’s trunk.
2 - Put on a pair of safety goggles.
3 - Remove the leaking tire from the vehicle.
4 - With a pair of heavy-duty pliers and the reaming tool tool in hand, pour some soapy water over the tire. When you see air bubbles you have found the leak.
5 - Use the pliers to remove the foreign object from the tire and immediately push the reaming tool into the hole vacated by the foreign object.
6 - Briskly move the reaming tool up and down in the hole a few times to clean it out and prepare it for receiving a plug. Leave the rasp in the hole for the time being.
7 - Coat one of the tire plugs from the kit with cement and insert it into the slot in the tip of the insertion tool. Remove the reaming tool from the hole in the tire, then immediately push the plug insertion tool (with the plug attached) into it. Push the tool into the tire until half of the plug is inside.
8 - In one swift motion, quickly pull the insertion tool out, leaving the plug itself lodged inside the hole.
9 - Clip off the part of the plug that's sticking out of the tire with a pair of diagonal cutters.
10 - Wait a few minutes to allow the cement to dry, then re-inflate the tire to the recommended tire pressure and re-install it onto the vehicle.
Pretty simple, right?
If you’re more a of visual learner (like me), here’s a very short video from the company that makes the tire plugging kit that I use showing how to complete this repair, step-by-step:
That's all there is to it. Even though there are a number of steps involved, the entire process only takes about 15 minutes. And doing it yourself will save you between $10 and $20 every time you run over a nail or screw.
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