# Tire Pressure Loss **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** volkswagen, passat, tires\ **Created:** [March 15, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-pressure-loss/46139 "2010-03-15T15:23:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![glaskow4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac8455/32.png) [@glaskow4](https://community.cartalk.com/u/glaskow4)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-pressure-loss/46139/1 "2010-03-15T15:23:14Z")
I have had the tire remounted (2x) and the rim cleaned yet the left front tire continues to lose air pressure. Rumor has it that the rim is porous and air is lost through the rim and not from around the tire. 2002 VW Passat AWD ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-pressure-loss/46139/2 "2010-03-15T15:33:07Z")
I thought I had porous wheels, too, but I took my leaking tires and wheels to a different tire shop and they sealed the beads. No more leaks. If the wheel is porous you should be able to see air bubbles in a water tank, just like with a leaking tire. Rumor isn’t a good enough reason to believe the wheels are leaking. Make them prove it. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-pressure-loss/46139/3 "2010-03-15T15:42:02Z")
Take the wheel off, spray everything with soapy water, especially the bead and valve areas, and look for bubbles. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 3:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-pressure-loss/46139/4 "2010-03-15T15:46:31Z")
Has the valve stem been carefully checked? ---
**Author:** ![glaskow4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac8455/32.png) [@glaskow4](https://community.cartalk.com/u/glaskow4)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-pressure-loss/46139/5 "2010-03-15T15:52:17Z")
Been there, done that, no obvious leak ---
**Author:** ![glaskow4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac8455/32.png) [@glaskow4](https://community.cartalk.com/u/glaskow4)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-pressure-loss/46139/6 "2010-03-15T16:19:23Z")
Tire stem was replaced 2x ---
**Author:** ![glaskow4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac8455/32.png) [@glaskow4](https://community.cartalk.com/u/glaskow4)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 4:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-pressure-loss/46139/7 "2010-03-15T16:24:37Z")
Tires have been seen by VW, Tire Kingdom, and two local mechanics (one in VT, one in FL). So I’m grasping at straws, even rumors. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-pressure-loss/46139/8 "2010-03-15T16:26:10Z")
The water tank should show it one way or another. ---
**Author:** ![glaskow4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac8455/32.png) [@glaskow4](https://community.cartalk.com/u/glaskow4)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-pressure-loss/46139/9 "2010-03-15T16:30:29Z")
Has been in the water tank several times along with the soapy treatment. No air loss is evident. Once remounted pressure seems to hold for several days maybe a week and then the air loss starts again. ---
**Author:** ![UncleTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9a140/32.png) [@UncleTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/UncleTurbo)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-pressure-loss/46139/10 "2010-03-15T16:35:16Z")
It seems you’ve tryed everything, perhaps the wheel has gone bad or the tire has a defect in the bead area. I had a similar very slow leak. The tire shop found some corrosion in the wheel where the valve stem goes. They cleaned it up and put in a new stem and it holds air fine now. Try mounting a different tire on the “defective” wheel. If that doesn’t work it is time to buy a new wheel, or keep a 12V tire pump in the trunk at all times. ---
**Author:** ![glaskow4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac8455/32.png) [@glaskow4](https://community.cartalk.com/u/glaskow4)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-pressure-loss/46139/11 "2010-03-15T17:18:56Z")
The Craftsman’s tire pump (110 AC) plus extention cord travels where ever we go! Good idea to try a different tire on that rim. That will be the next step. TKS! ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-pressure-loss/46139/12 "2010-03-15T17:25:27Z")
The next time you mess with it, pull the stem and carefully examine the hole it fits into. Any corrosion there spells trouble. Why fight it?? Find a used wheel! ---
**Author:** ![glaskow4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac8455/32.png) [@glaskow4](https://community.cartalk.com/u/glaskow4)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-pressure-loss/46139/13 "2010-03-15T17:53:51Z")
I really hope to find out if anyone else has had this problem with a VW rim and if they did what did they do to fix it before I spend any more $'s. I don’t want to go from one bad rim to another. ---
**Author:** ![UncleTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9a140/32.png) [@UncleTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/UncleTurbo)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-pressure-loss/46139/14 "2010-03-15T18:07:24Z")
A wheel or rim rarely goes bad with out some help from a pothole, or curb. It is possible to have one just be defective. No particular problem with VW. Rule of thumb; the fancier the wheel the more fragile it will be. Good old fashioned steel wheels (with the cheapie plastic wheel covers) are the sturdiest of them all. ---
**Author:** ![glaskow4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac8455/32.png) [@glaskow4](https://community.cartalk.com/u/glaskow4)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 6:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-pressure-loss/46139/15 "2010-03-15T18:18:07Z")
If I went with steel I’d have to buy 4 rims to have it look half way decent. Too much $'s.