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)

I now feel really old. And really poor.

I didn't even know your car told you your tyres lost pressure.

I just look at them and when they look a bit low, go to the petrol station, stick 50p in the machine (after removing the caps first, I learned the hard way you run out of time and it costs another 50p!) and put the pressure back up myself using the hose gauge to tell me the level.

If one tyre is much lower and needs done again soon after, it's off to a garage who will either replace the tyre (£65 ish) or repair the slow puncture (£5 ish!).

I reckon you've got a nail/screw in your tyre. I drove around with one for ages once as it only let the air out in winter when the cold weather made the metal shrink. I've had these regularly over the last few years - my local Universal Tyres charge something like £25 for a repair.

My local KwikFit are (or were) a bunch of rip off merchants.

You then need to reset the tyre pressure alert system

I've never had to reset mine!

Really appreciate all the advice. There is a Costco near us though it's a bitch for a nervous driver to get to.

@PigletJohn I have a spare wheel (it's a Citroen) so that's a help

@DinosApple Thanks. I was worried about going to both places but the guys were great. I just don't think that they listened. To be fair, I have no idea what I'm talking about, so I can't blame them too much.

@Turnedouttoes there is building work about a hundred yards away so all things are possible.

Really appreciate the help here. You lot are great!!!

@Tyredofallthis1

They should reset your pressure light for you - although some cars will do it themselves (sometimes after a few miles).

There might also be a locking wheel nut in the car which they will ask you for, possibly in with the spare - if you don't know where it is the guys will have had plenty of experience finding them!

Whilst they're about it, ask them to check the pressure in the spare - nothing worse than having a flat to find your spare is flat too!

Good luck getting it sorted.

We have a tyre pressure warning which doesn't tell us which tyre it is either.

If you type in tyre air pressure or similar im Google it will bring you websites up which tell you what you tyre pressure should be by putting the reg number in.

I ended up buying a electric pump as we had no end of issues with the old car..they about £20 and have proved a lifesaver.

It could be a few things, slow puncture, nail in tyre or valve issue. Ive found the smaller places are better than the big guys for stuff like this.
We had a leaky valve the other month and it cost us under a tenner to sort.

If you're anywhere near south London/north Surrey I can show you but the chances are unlikely

I had this last year - kept taking it to the tyre place but they kept saying nothing wrong - on the fourth visit they found a leak in the valve and replaced it - not had a problem since.

I didnt know about re-setting the tyre pressure thingy - does tell you in the manual.

The tyre pressure sensor if it is anything like mine detects when the tyre in question has been pumped up and turns itself off

Avoid KwikFit like the plague. They are well known rip off merchants. Try an independent garage they are more likely to tell you the truth and not try and sell you something. It's easy to check your pressure at any petrol station.

How did you get on?

It does sound like a nail or something causing a slow puncture.

I have to reset the pressure warning on my car, it recalibrates and tells me if the tyres reach the pressure and if not highlights which one is is faulty.

Thank you for the great advice.

@Ancara I'm far, far north of that, but very grateful for the offer.

I'll have a look around and see what is available on Monday.

I can't tell you how grateful I am to be able to come on here and ask questions like this. Thank you!

Just bought be careful driving on it, pumping it up a few times softens the inner wall and weakens the structure so it’s liable to burst.

I didn’t believe the tyre fitter until he showed me the inside of my tyre (I’d had a nail in it)

Get one of these -

www.argos.co.uk/product/7405244?clickSR=slp:term:michelin%20tyre%20inflator:1:23:1

total game changer for me. It cuts out when the right pressure is reached.

And if you are in Lincolnshire I'll come round and do it for you.

I've not read the full thread and probably already mentioned no doubt but you can sometimes find the air pressure on a sticker inside the fuel flap

I hate the bloody tyre pressure readings. Mine at least does tell me which tyre it is. I have to put air in most of my tyres on a weekly basis. It’s the bloody valves. I’ve had them replaced and. They were better for a couple of months and now just as shit.

I’ve got a tyre inflator for £40 from B&q. Takes 5 mins to do all 4 tyres. Interestingly the inflator never reckons the tyres are as low as what the car is telling me. I do think the tyre inflator is more accurate.

I have what is probably a stupid question. When you take the caps off the valves do the tyres start to lose air?

For some reason I'm terrified of checking tyre pressure

OP Go to your garage where you get your car serviced/repaired etc and ask them to give you a lesson in how to care for your car. Tell them you will pay and ask them to show you how to check the oil/water/ windscreen wash etc and also how to check tyre pressure. It's worth it

@Ijustneed

I have what is probably a stupid question. When you take the caps off the valves do the tyres start to lose air?

For some reason I'm terrified of checking tyre pressure

No, something has to be intersted into the valve to release air.

@Anordinarymum I may try this. I already top up the windscreen washer and check the oil, but I struggle to kneel so getting at the right angle for the tyres is tough. However I can maybe try things to work around it if I know what I'm doing.

Thank you!

On my car (19 plate VW Golf) when you Inflate the tyres, you have to set the tyre pressures on the control panel on the radio screen. It’s something like Car - Settings - tyres. Otherwise, it just key is telling you that a tyre is soft, even when you have put more air in.

Following on from my previous post - this is what I mean .

I was going to say make sure you are resetting the tyre pressure. I have a seat Leon and have to.press the tyre pressure reset button every time I fill them with air otherwise it continues to beep at me.

I've found You Tube great for things with my car.

We've found Kwik Fit have always been very good. We had an issue with a tyre when we were 200miles from home.. We left it with them & they checked/repaired it for free (faulty valve).
Our local one is very good too, we had a free tyre check where one 1 was found to have a nail in it (it kept losing pressure).