MickeyS

I have a slow leak in one of the front tires, I took it to one of the Lexus dealers in my area and couldn't fix it, then decided to take it to a regular Firestone tire store and they also couldn't fix it. Tomorrow I am taking it to a second Lexus dealer in the area to see if I have better luck than before. Have you had this kind of issue before? What can the dealer do if they can't fix it? The tires have 38K on them and I don't know if getting a new tire would be a good idea. Would the dealer replace the tire? It takes about a week an a half to go low enough that the low tire pressure indicator lights up. What would you recommend to do?

rockydog

I have Michelin Latitude Tour HPs on the GX. At around 30K I developed a slow leak in the rear passenger tire. About a 5lb loss per week. The tires were wearing evenly, but near the end of their life. Never had tires wear down so quickly. I replaced the tires with another set of HPs. I know others on this forum have recommended other tires, but with the 60-70MPH vibration I have, I didn't want to experiment.

MickeyS

On my way to the dealer, I stopped at an STS Tire store and they took off the tire and immersed it in the water tank and showed me that there were no bubbles or air escaping from the tire so they couldn't do anything because there was really nothing to look for, which is so strange because of the lost of air. So now I am perplexed, and have no idea what is causing the leak and what to do about repairing other than buying a new set of tires. I don't think it makes sense to buy just one tire, I have 38,600 miles with these tires right now. What do you recommend?

SaniDel

I suspect the valve stem. Specifically, the valve is leaking, but with the GX's valve stem caps screwed on tight the rate of leakage is too small to be observed by 'dunking'. Try removing the valve stem cap, squirt some water into the valve and look for bubbles.

We had this problem with another Lexus. The valve stem was leaking so badly that with the cap off I could hear hissing in a quiet garage! By tightening the cap, the leaking stopped ... or at least slowed so that it wasn't audible, but that's just a stopgap.

The simplest solution is to support the 'corner' of the vehicle, unscrew the valve insert, which will deflate the tire (and blow out any dirt or grit that may have caused the problem) and screw in a new insert, then reinflate. A more thorough solution is to remove the wheel, unmount the tire and replace the entire valve stem assembly, but now you will have to worry about re-balancing.
Regards,

SaniDel

Eppieguy

I'd put about 50PSI in the tire then submerge it in water, your leak will be found if there is a leak. Possible that somebody is messing with you when it's parked?

MickeyS

Thanks for the good advice, I am going to to replace the valve to see what happens. I rotated the tire when I did the oil change and placed the leaky tire in the rear, I don't think the weight would have anything to do with it however the guy at the tire shop showed me that it wasn't leaking through the valve, it's so weird!I haven't checked the actual valve cap, maybe there is something in the cap causing it, I don't think anyone is messing up with the tire though, I park on a private driveway at school.

Koz

As Eppieguy stated, bump up the pressure (leave the cap off) and you should see the leak.

Also you have to remember, you will lose 1lbs per month no matter what and 1lbs for every 10 degrees (lower) temp change. If the pressure lose is caused from air leaking through the pours of the rubber (because of time/miles) you may want to try using nitrogen instead of air or just get new tires. The reason the OEM tires wear fast is because they have a low tread wear rating. If you like the HPs you will LOVE the LTX MS2s. They are truly AMAZING tires (they also will last twice as long)!

Koz

MickeyS

I love Michelin tires, these tires that I have which are the Michelin HP are very good but they are wearing very quick, I can't wait to replace them with the LTX MS2's. As a matter of fact I will be replacing my wife's Turanza tires on her ES350 with Michelin Defenders. I am going to increase the psi to 50 and recheck after I replace the tire valve. I'll keep you informed. Thanks again!

Koz

If I'm not mistaken the Schrader valve in the valve stem may be matched to the pressure sensing valve. You may want to check with Lexus parts dept.

Koz

tazdevl

38K with Latitudes, its time for new tires anyway or just about.

In agreement with Koz, Michelin LTX M/S2s are the way to go on the GX... Better/safer ride, 2X longer tread life and lower cost per tire.

Koz

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/7556686-post45.html

Koz

T4Fun

if its not the tire or valve stem (looks like they may have been checked), you need a new rim.

the metal rim can leak air over time from corrosion and age, so if all else fails, you need a new rim

MickeyS

I rotated the tire and placed it in the back and loosen the valve cap and so far it has been fine. I think it might have been the rubber gasket inside the valve cap that was pushing the valve since I tighten it too much.

MickeyS

The tire kept loosing air so I took it off and filled my wheelbarrow with water. Put the tire in and kept rotating the tire until I found a very tiny hole on the sidewall right by the letter "c" on name Michelin. I spoke with my neighbor who owns a used car dealership and he told be that it could be fixed with a hot patch. He explained that the shop will most likely grind the area apply the patch and then heat it. I went to several tire shops today and all of them said it couldn't be done. I am going to try the local smaller tire shops to see what they say and maybe I'll be lucky enough to have someone repair it. I lost about 20psi in one week, I couldn't believe I found the puncture with a little patience and ingenuity. What is your opinion? This punture is about the size of a needle point.

SaniDel

I agree with the other shops! A hole the side wall of a tire is a bad sign and should not be repaired, but rather replaced under warranty. I'm not saying it can't be repaired, but I wouldn't trust that tire again!
Regards,

SaniDel

P. S. Congratulations on your ingenuity at finding the leak. It must have been hard work struggling with a heavy wet tire mounted on the wheel, but how else could you have found such a small leak ... coat the tire with detergent and look for bubbles?