Drive on complete flat tire for one or two miles. Should I replace the tire?

Maintenance/Repairs
,
1

Hello, I am new here. Glad to find a great car community here.

This Monday, when I almost arrived at home from work I noticed some noise from the car tire. Then I found the left rear tire is completed flat (pressure is zero). I may have driven in complete flat for a few minutes (one or two miles. The whole trip is two miles). I went to the tire shop on Tuesday that I bought the tires 6 months ago. They found it is the valve core of that tire is loose and used the valve core tool fixing the leak. They also found that the rim is warped so it needs to replace. But they said the tire is OK. Now I drive with same tire with new rim. I did some online research these days. It seems from what I read that driving in complete flat tire could cause tire cords inside of the tire over-stretch and could break even though there is no noticeable damage on tire. And it may blow out when driving on highway.

Is this true? Should I replace the tire to be safe? Your comments or opinions would be much appreciated.

2

I would not replace it.

1 Like
3

I might wonder what the sidewall of the tire looks like.

1 Like
4

The sidewall looks same as other tire from outside.

5

Maybe it is just me but I would replace it to me it is not worth taking a chance on a blowout at possible high way speeds.

5 Likes
6

Without eyes on tires I guess we have to rely on both you and the tire shop as being correct. Hopefully both of you are.

If it were me I would have a bit of a concern over this. Not only because tire pressure was zero (1 to 2 miles) but who knows how many miles that tire was being used underflated due to the valve core and warped rim and was not noticed until the pressure hit dead zero.

3 Likes
7

@ok4450 Yes. You are right. That is my best guess but I did not check the tire at all earlier that day. So it could be more time for zero and underflated condition. Even though each of my trip are all short, I don’t know which day the underflation started as I do not feel anything different until I heard the noise Monday afternoon. I have no problem to change the tire. I am just wondering whether it is reasonable that ’ it can cause tire cords inside of the tire over-stretch and could break even though there is no noticeable damage on tire’. Or, if we do not see any problem visually, the tire cords is definitely OK?

8

I’m wondering why your TPMS didn’t alert you to the problem. Did anyone investigate that yet?

1 Like
9

You’re assuming the vehicle has TPMS without knowing the year of the vehicle.

Tester

2 Likes
10

@lion9car My car do not have TPMS. It is a 2015 Toyota Corolla. But I am in Ontario Canada. It is not mandatory here to have TPMS installed.

11

That’s surprising. I didn’t realize that.

1 Like
12

I don’t know how anyone can determine cord condition unless they have some kind of special x-ray vision or there are some exterior signs of bulging, etc. Sometimes those signs may not show up until later such as a bulge.
A bulge should not be considered the same as an indentation, or undulation, in the sidewall which can be normal and is due to radial tire construction only. The indentation is normal and safe.

Several decades ago my wife drove the last 15 or 20 miles home with a right rear tire not flat, but underinflated. It was down to about 13 pounds. The tires only had about 5k miles on them and that tire was ruined due to the sidewall getting scrubbed badly.

2 Likes
13

@ok4450 Thanks a lot for your comments.

14

Look closely at the sidewalls for bulges and ripples. If you see any, IMMEDIATELY stop and get that tire replaced.

3 Likes
15

A couple of things, first, how did you not notice a flat tire while driving? The car is not going to feel even close to normal.

Almost all cars by 2015 had the TPMS. I’m surprised your Toyota doesn’t.

16

That puzzles me, also. Didn’t the bumpity-bump ride and the accompanying noise alert the OP to a problem?

Apparently it wasn’t required by the government in Canada, where the OP resides.

17

Driver’s sensitivity to things like that varies a lot. Some can identify a loss of 5 psi and some can’t tell when the tire has shredded apart. And anywhere in between.

1 Like
18

I cannot see any bulges or ripples. The tire shop also checked and said it is OK.

19

I really did not feel any difference when driving with the flat, except later heard the noise. Maybe it is my sensitivity.

20

There was a guy here a few years ago that drove a taxi and claimed he could notice a 1/2 psi difference and was adjusting his tires several times a night.