Don't know what to do - car tyre

[Tyredofallthis1]

This may be utterly bleeding obvious to you guys, but I have no idea, I don't know where to start and I don't really know anyone in real life to help.

Yesterday my tyre pressure warning went off for the third time in two months. The two previous times I've got in touch with garages who did the 'you're worrying about nothing, love' and gave me some free air.

I can' t work out how to check tyre pressure and I've never seen anyone add air to their tyres. I think I know which one it is, rear driver's side, because it feels a little off when driving when the warning light goes off.

I think it may be a slow puncture rather than an oversensitive warning light. I have no idea how to check this or what to do if it is. Do I try and get it mended? Or should I just get a new tyre?

Any help really gratefully recieved (also, please be kind. I am doing my best to be a safe driver)

Go and put air in all your tyres to the level recommended by the manufacturer - the pressure level is likely to be on a label visible when you open the passenger door.

I take all the dust caps off then pay and programme the air machine. The automatic ones beep and the display shows "End" once the correct fill level is reached. The reading for each tyre will show when you connect the air feed to the valve - that way you'll know if one tyre is much lower than the others. When you've finished filling them all, put the dust caps back on and reset the pressure warning button before you drive off.

If the tyre pressure warning comes back on within a short space of time/relatively low amount of miles driven then that's a sure sign there's a puncture or possibly a dodgy valve.

Look on YouTube for videos of how to use the machine and connect it to the tyre vavles.

The air machines in petrol stations will show you the current pressure when you attach the hose thing for inflating them. Does the car not tell you which tyre is low in air?

There should be a wee panel in the drivers door frame to tell you what the pressures should be. Go to an air machine with some change (the ones i use need 20p or 50p for a set amount of time). Take all the caps off and put them somewhere safe (i use my pocket). Set the machine to the recommended pressure, attach the hose to the valve and the machine will tell you the current pressure and inflate them to the pressure you have input. Put caps back on.

If it keeps deflating the tyre should get checked for a punctyre

Puncture*

You should check tyre pressure regularly- even if you have a warning system. Buy a gauge from Halfords- it will have instructions and they are really easy to use and it takes less than 5 mins to do all the tyres. If any are lower than they should be use the airline in a garage

@anniegun I tried doing that. I have an air pressure gauge and I looked at videos but it didn't seem to work right. Part of the problem is that I can't kneel, so getting the right angle was an issue.

@dementedpixie That's really helpful. I need to get petrol tomorrow, so I can try then perhaps. But it as it's the third time since the beginning of September, and it was only re-inflated last week, I have a feeling that it's the tyre of valve.

If it is a leak, is it just a new tyre or can I get it mended?

Thank you for all the advice.

I’m not confident with things like this either. I’d honestly take it to a tyre place and get them to check it. I think my local tyre place are offering free safety checks at the moment.

@Papergirl1968 I know. I think if I could get someone to show me properly then I'd be fine, but I don't know anyone.

go to somewhere like kwikfit (our are good) and ask them, I've had this and inflated tyre and it then went down. kwitfit or similar can check the tyre properly and see if it's a slow leak or something else. Mine was teh pressure release valve that was faulty and this is common.

you can try all you like putting air in but if it's losing pressure you need a specialist to look. my kwikfit did the check for free and the pressure value was about £30 inc fitting.

(our are good) should by or SIMILAR! Bloody no edit

A valve can be replaced. Much more likely it's a puncture. It depends where a puncture is whether it can be repaired.

Tyres can be repaired. It depends where the puncture is. If it’s in the tread of the tyre it can be patched by the garage. But if it’s on or too near the side of the tyre (the wall), then you’ll need a new tyre.

If you find a garage with a digital air machine they’re much easier to operate than the older manual ones.

As previous stated - there will be a sticker just inside the driver car door frame. It’s a chart, so you’ll have to check which is the right pressure for you. It’s best to do it on your way somewhere, so the tyres are still cool. My tyre pressure is 32 and I check it every month.

Good luck.

Thank you for all the advice.

I'll try Kwikfit. The tyre place I went to and the dealership that deals with my make of car both heard 'blah blah blah female talking air in tyre' even though I was asking them to check. Fingers crossed third time will be the charm.

Most tyre places give free checks of tyres. I'd pop along, explain you can't kneel and ask them to check and fill, most do it for free..

"my tyre pressure warning went off for the third time in two months"

if it's the same wheel, it almost certainly has either a puncture or a faulty valve. Take it to a specialist tyre shop and they will pump it up, put it in a tank of water and look for bubbles coming out, and examine it closely for a nail or something.

There will be a minimum charge for a repair or fitting a new valve.

Have a look in the boot first and see if you have a full-size, matching spare, or a space-saver.

You can leave the wheel for repair if you want, and drive around on the spare and go back later in the day, if for some reason you don't want to wait, or they have to order a replacement.

If you have a space-saver, it will look odd and you will not be permitted to drive at speeds above (I think) 50mph

I'm in a small town and go to the little back-street business, but a place like Kwikfit or National Tyres will do the same thing. If you have a car with very expensive tyres you might like to search round for prices, just in case it is irrepairable. Unless money-saving is top priority, look for the same make and model as you already have, as there are some cheap brands that are not as good.

The company I use usually waives charges if there is nothing wrong, but etiquette is to bung the fitter a tip.

Go to your nearest tyre place, say you have a warning light coming on, they will check the pressures and pump (mine doesn't charge) keep a record of which one(s) need a lot of air. Repeat two weeks later/when warning light comes on and if same tyre they can check it for punctures, check the valve etc and repair or suggest replacement if tread is also worn. Mine charges £10 for repairs

Some TPMS systems need to be reset after you’ve filled your tyres to the correct pressures. Google your make and model and see if it applies to you. You just reset it through your dashboard buttons if so.

Sometimes the sensor of the TPMS can go wrong, so your tyres are fine even if you think they’re not.

Look up your correct tyre pressures and learn to use the air machine to get them at the right level. YouTube probably has video tutorials if you’d find it helpful. Reset the system if need be. Then monitor carefully for a little bit and see what happens.

There will be youtube videos that show you how to deal with this, for very very novices.

Firstly Id go to sainsburys

Go to the air machine, unscrew the valve and try to put air in all your tyres. You can set the machine to the required pressure - this is normally on your passenger door

It will tell you the current pressure of the tires so see which tyres are low. It will also add air to the appropriate pressure

Them id go again in a week or so. Again see if any have lost air

If one tyre has lost a lot of air take it to a garage and say you have a slow puncture or a leaky valve. They will investigate depending on the issue will either patch it up or replace the tyre

It might be on the drivers door actually the correct tire pressure, or just google it

I would go to a supermsrket garage first before kwik fit so you can go in and say my tire is losing x amount of air rather than this light has gone off

I can understand your problem with not being able to kneel, it would be hard to use one of the air machines at a PFS on your own, so like PPs I suggest you go to somewhere like kwikfit and explain that you cannot kneel, but the warning light keeps coming on.

We had a tyre business for years and I always tried to make people who were nervous really welcome. Basically there's lots of things it could be, and different variables. A good garage will explain, and show you, what the issue is and ask how you want to proceed (it may not be worth a repair, even if it's repairable, if tread is getting low).

Personally I'd take it to a tyre place (esp if your knees are bad) and say I thought it had a slow leak. They may ask you how often you're having to top up air or how much it's losing.

If it's low they will remove the wheel and use soapy solution to check where there's a leak. It could take a while to bubble if it's a really slow leak.

It could be leaking from the valve -replacing a tpms valve - with a sensor- will be dearer- the cost will depend on what it is and where you go and what components need replacing.

Tpms (tyre pressure monitoring system) sensors sometimes go wrong, but it's much more likely to be a loss of air triggering it so that's what they'll establish first.

It could be leaking from the rim, the garage will clean the corrosion off the wheel and replace and reseal the tyre.

It could be a puncture. If you have runflat tyres it will need replacing.

If the puncture is in a repairable area of an ordinary tyre, they could fix it for you. Any damage in the sidewall or the edges of the contact area is not repairable and will mean a new tyre.

Hope you don't feel too intimidated and can get it sorted. We had lots of customers who would pop by regularly for a free pressure check and a top up if needed which was never a problem.

The tyre pressure monitor reset button in my car is in the glove compartment.

I had this recently and it got to the point where I had to refill it with air every week. Turned out there was a nail stuck in the tyre that I’d obviously driven over.

Our local tyre place very quickly found it and removed it for about £20

If you happen to be a Costco member their tyre place checked one of our tyres that had a slow puncture last year and repaired it (for free as it was only small, I think it's usually about £10).

You should regularly check pressures I do mine every time I fill up or once a month (car doesn’t get used a lot, so a tank can last more than a month.

You simply put your desired tyre pressure into the machine at the petrol station (by pressing the + or - buttons) and pop the nozzle on to your valve. The screen will show your pressure, it will then fill your tyre until the right pressure is achieved, the machine does a loud beep and stops, this prevents you over filling your tyres.

You then need to reset the tyre pressure alert system, you can always do this once you get home, if you google it you will likely find a video showing how to do this in your particular car.

A slow puncture can be left if it is very slow, it isn’t urgent. Punctures can often be repaired and is a good idea if the tyre is fairly new.

If you struggle to kneel/bend you could take one of those gardening stool/kneeler combos.