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tire inflation problem - slow leak

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Old Apr 8, 2005 | 10:36 PM
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Default tire inflation problem - slow leak

i have a 95 es300 and the left rear constantly loses air.
its a slow leak. i bought new tires.......same problem. i bought new rims and tires........same problem. i am wondering if anyone can give me some advise here. thanks.
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Old Apr 9, 2005 | 09:27 PM
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Default Always the left rear?

Are you sure it is always the left rear ? If you rotated tires, the leak would go to where you moved it, right?

I've had some slow leaks. Once it was a nail/screw embedded in the tire. Once it was a slightly corroded rim, which allowed air to leak past the seal with the tire. A cracked rim would do it, too.

Some tires stores have dunk tanks, and after filling the tire to very high pressure, they dunk it and watch for bubbles. Eventually, I've always found the problem, but if I hadn't, I would not be past resorting to using an inner tube, if they make your size, that is.
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Old Apr 10, 2005 | 01:14 AM
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Default always the left rear

thanks perry for you reply. appreciate your help.

yes, it is always the left rear. the tire was in a dunk tank but no bubble so the tire place said its a good tire. i still thougth i have a leaky tire and replaced it with brand new tire and then i thought its a bad rim so i replaced the rims......still the same problem. the funny thing is the leak is so slow and inconsistant that there are times when it takes up to a month to be noticable and there were times when it only takes a week to be noticable. some of my friends are suggesting that the left rear shock is bad thus it takes more beating than the other three wheels but i am not so sure about that.

i have gotten good advise here before therefore i am asking for advise here again.
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Old Apr 10, 2005 | 09:46 AM
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Did they replace the valve when you got new tires? They probably did when you got the new rims.

I don't think its something alarming if it takes a few weeks to lose air. What's amazing is that the other 3 tires aren't losing at least some air over time.
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Old Apr 10, 2005 | 10:08 AM
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Maybe one of your "friends" is playing a trick on you and sneaking over once in a while to let some air out. That might be why it is always the left rear- being the easiest to access in most parking setups.
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Old Apr 10, 2005 | 12:02 PM
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So you replaced the wheel and the tire and you still get a slow airleak That doesnt make any sense. I have some chrome wheels and I had a slow leak in one wheel because there was some degrading of the chrome where the bead of the tire sits against the wheel. This let out about 10 psi over a 24 hr period. So I would have to fill the tire every night. Needless to say I have ordered some new wheels and cant wait to get rid of them. The wheel can be fixed it is just that I would rather get some new better wheels. Im still very confused at how that can be still leaking when you replaced the wheel and tire.
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Old Apr 10, 2005 | 04:12 PM
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Originally Posted by PERRYinLA
Maybe one of your "friends" is playing a trick on you and sneaking over once in a while to let some air out. That might be why it is always the left rear- being the easiest to access in most parking setups.
I had the same thing happen to me back in NYC on my old car many years ago. My left rear tire was leaking, though inconsistently. I put scotch tape all over the valve stem and the problem "fixed" itself.

The car was parked in a building garage. So I had the building management review the 24hr security video tape. It showed the *sshole letting air out of my tire. It was the same *sshole that blocked my parking spot a couple weeks prior, wouldn't move, and I yelled at him. I confronted him with bdg mgmt (though I didn't press charges.) Nothing ever happened to my car again.

To Lic2q, think back whom you had a beef with. He just might be the culprit.
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Old Apr 10, 2005 | 04:26 PM
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Default Not much of a beef, if that's all he does.....

Wow- that's pretty tame "revenge" (compared to keying, for example). A tire is a closed system- it's just the wheel, stem and tire holding the air in- nothing else. So if all 3 have been replaced and the tire is rotated, and still the left rear leaks, it has to be "outside interference".
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Old Apr 10, 2005 | 06:16 PM
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To Lic2q, think back whom you had a beef with. He just might be the culprit.[/QUOTE]

my wife??? but its her car and she doesn't have any car sense. the car is always garaged so it couldn't be someone. it is really puzzling cause all the replacing i have done still doesn't solve the problem.
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Old Apr 10, 2005 | 07:12 PM
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Originally Posted by lic2q
To Lic2q, think back whom you had a beef with. He just might be the culprit.
my wife??? but its her car and she doesn't have any car sense. the car is always garaged so it couldn't be someone. it is really puzzling cause all the replacing i have done still doesn't solve the problem.[/QUOTE]

Your wife? That was hilarious.
I remember taking the air out of my moms car in a fit of immature rage.
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Old Apr 11, 2005 | 03:55 PM
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Originally Posted by lic2q
i have a 95 es300 and the left rear constantly loses air.
its a slow leak. i bought new tires.......same problem. i bought new rims and tires........same problem. i am wondering if anyone can give me some advise here. thanks.
I'm guessing it could be the say the tires were sealed to the rim.........perhaps as unluck would have it, you got a nail or something in the rear tire when you just got the tires. 75 - 80% of all flat tires are the rear tires. Take the vehicle back to where u got the tires & rims installed or get another opinion. Keep us posted & good luck.
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Old Apr 11, 2005 | 04:17 PM
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Are they factory wheels? Does it have chrome platting? It could be flaking causing a slow leak. Known issue through the dealers.
&
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Old Apr 11, 2005 | 10:16 PM
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Originally Posted by lic2q
my wife??? but its her car and she doesn't have any car sense. the car is always garaged so it couldn't be someone. it is really puzzling cause all the replacing i have done still doesn't solve the problem.
Did you forget the anniversary or her birthday?

Given that you've replaced everything, it has to be "outside interference" as Perry said. It could be someone at your wife's work. Tape the valve stem area shut with scotch tape like I did, then see what happens.
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Old Apr 11, 2005 | 10:21 PM
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Originally Posted by PERRYinLA
Wow- that's pretty tame "revenge" (compared to keying, for example).
Yes, I was surprised that the guy didn't just key my car or smash the windows. He's a weirdo for sure.
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Old Apr 12, 2005 | 12:01 AM
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Originally Posted by GS300Rich
I have some chrome wheels and I had a slow leak in one wheel because there was some degrading of the chrome where the bead of the tire sits against the wheel.
I had a quickly deflating tire once, and the above was the same reason the tire shop told me was the issue. They fixed it though (think they said they just cleaned it?), and it's been fine since then.
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