My 2002 Altima came with Bridgestone Turanza EL 42 tires, and after 28,500 miles, the front tires appear to have problems. I'm having to put air in them every couple of days. One is always down to 10-15 psi after I fill it up to 30, and the other is down to 20-25 psi.
1) Has anyone had problems with these tires?
2) What are the chances that both tires suddenly developed problems?
3) Looking at Bridgestone's web site, it's not very clear if these tires are under warranty. Should I just call Bridgestone, or should I call my Nissan dealer?
You have two slow leaks. You could have picked up a nail in a tire one time, and at another time, picked up a nail in the other tire. Nails don't usually cause immediate deflation of the tire unless the tire was punctured and the the nail was immediately pulled out, as you would get if you drove over a piece of wood with a nail sticking up. In most cases, the nail is temporarily sealing the hole it made. Only after driving a long time does the flexing of the tire around the nail cause the hole to become larger due to the friction of the nail against the rubber surrounding it. One of the first things I would do, is to remove the valve stem cap on each tire and dap a little spit on the valve end, or spray it with a soapy mixture in a spray bottle. If you get bubbles, the valve is loose or bad. Tighten the valve stem with the proper valve tool and try the spit or spray again. If it still leaks, get a new valve. If you don't get any bubbles from the stem, then you will have to do some work. Jack up your front end to where the wheels can turn. If you inspect your tires carefully, you may find a nail head in the tread somewhere. Roofing nails are the best bet since they have wide heads and can stand on their heads, but any nail standing up in dirt or gravel can do the job. If you picked up the nail some time ago and have been driving around for a while, the head may be worn off, which would make it a little harder to find just by visual inspection. If you can't find the puncture visually, you could fill the tire to the max pressure listed, and then using a spray bottle as described above, spray the tire all over, including the valve stem and tire/rim seal, and look for bubbles. If you find bubbles at the base of the valve stem, you will have to replace it. If you find bubbles anywhere around the rim and tire seal (inner and outer sides), you will have to unmount the tire and look for damage or debris around the tire or wheel rim. If the bubbles show up in the tread area, you can get a puncture repair kit and fix it yourself. If you find the puncture in a sidewall, which cannot be repaired safely and should not be attempted, get a new tire.
If you don't want to go through all of the above, take the car to a service station and they will do it for you.
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