I have a 1995 BMW 525 that tends to go flat very quickly. I had less problems with the last tires (Bridgestone) but now I have Yokohama’s. AAA service guy told my husband it’s the rims, but I’ve had the car since 2001 and I would think if that was the problem it would have surfaced before now. Any ideas? Of course being in California we don’t have money for road repairs anymore so is that a factor? My husband has a daily commute of 100 miles RT with his Pontiac Vibe and it never goes flat. My “commute” is 15 minutes on sidestreets.
If it is happening to all 4 tires, rather than just one, I think that there are only two possiblities:
The rims
The tire valves
For the first possibility, it is possible to have a special sealant put on the inside of the rims, after removing the tires.
The second possibility is that you have Dill brand valves on the tires. This company marketed defective, Made in China valves for a couple of years. There was a recall, but your tire dealer may have neglected to contact you.
Thanks for the information. We will check the valves. The front two tires have more of a problem than the rear, but they require a higher air pressure so maybe that accounts for it. We had to have the front right replaced (with a different brand, and I don’t know what brand) and just had all 4 tires inflated. So we will watch it and see what happens. Is it possible to change the valve stems without replacing the other 3 tires?
It is the rims.
BMW’s use alloy’s and they develop leaks over time. You need someone to remount the tires and make sure rims surface really gets cleaned up.
The Vibe is much newer than your BMW and also likely has steel wheels which don’t tend to develop this problem.
Thank you thank you thank you. Really appreciate the help. Hate car problems.
I also hate car problems.
At least this is a very easy one for 15yr old+ car.
The good news. The core portion of the Schrader valves in tires is – for a wonder – usually interchangeable. They come in one standard size and cost a dollar or two each at parts or bicycle stores. They just screw them in and out using a simple tool available at any bicycle shop for a few dollars. You can change them yourself if you have some way to refill the tires with air.
The bad news. It’s more likely the rims than the valves.
And it just might be the valve stems if the stems all came from the same place at the same time. But I’d expect the AAA service guy probably checked them for cracks.