Nikki K Posted January 12 Posted January 12 I have a fairly new set of Michelin Defender tires on my 2007 Lexus LS460, roughly 2,800 on them. I am losing air pressure on all four tires. The front tires seem to be the worst ones. Filling to 34# then in two weeks time, like clock work, down to 27#. The rear tires, down to 29-30. I’ve taking it to a Lexus Dealership three time for an answer. The last time they dismount each tire, cleaned, removed any rust or corrosion, applied a tack sealant, and remounted the wheels. This lasted approximately three weeks. Rinse and repeat! All valve stem have been checked. I’ve reached out to Michelin and they say there are no recalls, according to them it’s in the rim. Has anyone else experienced this? My Lexus has 80,000 on it and with the exception of this tire issue it’s in excellent condition. Due to the age of the vehicle I refuse to spend $300+ per tire on new rims. Any suggestions?
Dean2 Posted January 12 Posted January 12 If the rims have been cleaned and didn't leak with the old tires, and valves are good, then you need to identify the source of the leak. Take a front tire, completely submerge it in water, watch for the bubbles. Flip onto the other side and check it too. Kind of old school but it works great and is easy to do.
RX400h Posted January 13 Posted January 13 Have you considered taking your car to a tire shop. They probably deal with leak issues, often.
Nikki K Posted January 14 Author Posted January 14 On 1/12/2025 at 4:57 PM, Dean2 said: If the rims have been cleaned and didn't leak with the old tires, and valves are good, then you need to identify the source of the leak. Take a front tire, completely submerge it in water, watch for the bubbles. Flip onto the other side and check it too. Kind of old school but it works great and is easy to do. Thanks for your input. This we will try.
Nikki K Posted January 14 Author Posted January 14 On 1/12/2025 at 4:57 PM, Dean2 said: If the rims have been cleaned and didn't leak with the old tires, and valves are good, then you need to identify the source of the leak. Take a front tire, completely submerge it in water, watch for the bubbles. Flip onto the other side and check it too. Kind of old school but it works great and is easy to do. Just now, Nikki K said: . Just now, Nikki K said: Just now, Nikki K said: On 1/12/2025 at 7:57 PM, RX400h said: Have you considered taking your car to a tire shop. They probably deal with leak issues, often. We contacted a tire service company that for $135/wheel would correct any problem with the wheel. However, they do not mount and dismount the wheels. We would need to hire another service provider for that for an additional $150+. We might as well purchase new wheels which we didn’t want to do. Thanks for your suggestion. We’ll continue to look around for this type of avenue for help.
Dean2 Posted January 14 Posted January 14 You are being quoted ridiculous prices to fix rims that you don't even know what, or if anything is wrong with them. What I was suggesting is finding out what and where the leaks are. You do that by filling the tire to 50 psi, and submerging it in water. A kids wading pool that you buy for $30 is all you need to do this. Fill up the pool, lay the tire on its side, look for air bubbles. Any decent tire shop will also be able to do that as that is how they locate tire leaks. Once you locate the source of the leak it is really easy to figure out the fix. They are most likely leaking around the bead, which means they weren't cleaned and mounted properly, taking them to a top tire shop and have that redone will only cost about $30 a tire.
Nikki K Posted January 14 Author Posted January 14 Thanks for the additional info. I’m 75 my husband is 73, there in is another factor to deal with. Thanks again.
Dean2 Posted January 14 Posted January 14 Well, that does make a difference. I am 69, but can still wrangle a tire. Get why you guys might not want to. Take it to a good tire shop and get them to submerge the tires and rims for you. They should easily be able to determine where the leaks are, and it will only cost about 20-30 bucks a tire.
Nikki K Posted January 14 Author Posted January 14 Thank you! We will follow up with our outcome as soon as we get this issue resolved.
GS450hSE Posted January 14 Posted January 14 (from the UK) It is almost definitely the rims. You might be surprised how even the tiniest leak - micro-bubbles in slightly soapy water that are barely visible under a magnifying glass can get the pressure down enough in a month or two to trigger the low tyre warning. The rims need a scrub with a wire brush and perhaps a tiny coat of a good sealant and the nuisance will stop. Any other cause is too remote to worry about. 1
RX400h Posted January 14 Posted January 14 4 hours ago, Nikki K said: Thanks for the additional info. I’m 75 my husband is 73, there in is another factor to deal with. Thanks again. I'm in my late 60s. Yesterday, I lifted a couple of 45-lb suitcases from the floor to the back of our RX400h. I immediately felt a lower back muscle tearing. This is much easier to do when you reach senior citizen age, especially when lifting and twisting. Tire shops are almost always equipped to test for leaks.
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