Dunking Booth
Leaking tires... Who would have thought that a tire can one day be fine, and another day be flatter than your morning pancakes? If your tire has an obvious gigantic tear, then you most likely have already found the problem. Tire leaks can be tricky, and slightly annoying though. They are not always visible to the human eye, and you cannot always pinpoint them just by running your hand around the tire. For those of you trying to figure out whether it's time for new tires, and whether or not you can make it to the tire store without blowing that leaky tire on the drive there, I am hoping to help you out.
Ok, let's start out with the basics:
There are a few things you can do while your tire is still on the car.
- Look. Is your tire slightly flat on the pavement? It should be round all the way around. When a tire goes flat, even just a little bit, it will start to flatten out on the part of the tire that is on the ground. Also take a look to see if there is anything sticking out of your tire.
- Listen. Get down on your hands and knees and put your ear right up to the tire. Do you hear any whistling sounds? Or anything that could sound like escaping air? Hint* When listening for a tire leak, it is best to make sure the car is not running so you can hear.
- Feel. While you're down there on the ground listening for escaping air, take both your hands and touch every part of the tire. Squeeze it, rub it, hug it, do what you have to. You want to make sure to reach as far around the back of the tire as you can. Some tires will develop a worn-down spot from the amount of times it rubbed on another part of the car, and that can cause a tear in the rubber. Another thing that you want to feel for is anything protruding from your tire. Things like screws, nails and other large sharp objects have their way of getting lodged in your tires, even if you don't normally drive around those things. ...
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Author: Amanda Carter