Slow Tyre Leak and Petrol Smell (Unconnected)

Apr 26, 2004 10 Replies

My clio has a slow pressure leak on the rear drivers side. About a month ago I noticed that it was lower than the others since then i hadnt taken the tyre pressures until today where it was around 15psi ie around half the pressure it should be. As the tyre is on its way out is it ok to leave it and keep a check on the pressure of this tyre? There is around 5000 miles left then I will change both rear tyres at an estimated 26K these are the original sets.



Also over the last 5 nights I was rather horrified to smell petrol from around my car. I went out tonight and the smell had gone and so had next doors H reg Fester! I never realised that the smell might be coming from another car! The fuel cap assembly is rather loose and moves, as far as I know i think its normal to allow it to move slightly with the normal vibrations of the road but I was worried that it was gonna cost me a fair bit for a new fuel tank, now its gonna cost her next door. Cars Who'd have em!


Jesus...you only check the tyre pressures once a month and then only cos one looks a bit flatter? I bet you had real fun going round left corners fast. Are you so physically numb that you couldn't tell there was something wrong?

It may be a leaky valve or the bead between the tyre and rim may be leaking. Check it regularly...every few days and no more than once a week. Its not suddenly going to let go.

Yeah, its amazing how intrusive the smell of petrol is.

The message from Conor contains these words:

I doubt more than one in ten drivers could tell if they had a tyre down to half pressure.

Perhaps someone filled your tyres up with Petrol?

/just a thought

Ronny

Guy King ( snipped-for-privacy@zetnet.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

There's a scary percentage of drivers who couldn't tell if they had a completely flat tyre - and probably even some who wouldn't notice a wheel missing entirely.

Personally, I blame it on the engineers 'engineering' out the feedback in the chassis in return for refinement.....

I did a scary amount of motorway miles with a flattening rear tyre on the Primula before I noticed (the noise and smell of burning rubber did it)...... however, in an Alfa I'd notice something almost immediately.

I bet very few people check their tyre presures monthly or anything like it. My sister relies on my annual service for both that and oil !

It's probably got a nail in it. Take it in an get it repaired, save the worry. If it can't be repaired, quite likely, you've lost 20% of the value of two tyres, or about £20.

E-mail address, hopefully self-explanatory Andy Pandy

I've seen one woman who didn't realise hers was totally flat, and travelling at 50mph on the M56!

Pete.

The message from Pete Smith contains these words:

I have to own up to driving half a mile or so with a flat tyre during the winter. I was driving on snow and the noise and handling were so out of the ordinary that I didn't realise it was /also/ a flat.

TBH I think that'd be counted as reasonable.

Im lazy and I can honestly say that I didnt notice. When I got them all to the right pressure though the car seemed to handle alot lighter and be more twitchey and sensetive! Probebly my imagination.

Yeah ! Maybe someone did fill my tyres with petrol although this is unlikely with the price of it these days!

Richard

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