Help With Tyre Pressure Issue

Pulse

Pulse

Pulse

Soldato
Joined
25 Jul 2006
Posts
3,529
Location
Taunton
Hi all,

Hoping that someone can help diagnose or at least point me in the right direction for solving an issue with my tyre pressure. Vehicle is a 15 plate BMW 320D F15.

About 2 years ago I was given an aftermarket set of alloys - Inovit Blitz. When they were delivered they were not fitted with TPMS sensors (Mrs didn't realise that they needed them and declined them when ordering).

I had the original ones removed from the stock alloys and put into the new alloys, although I'm aware that it wasn't straight forward due to the angle that of the valve on the new alloys... And this is probably where my problem begins. I'm not sure what alterations took place to get them to fit.

Ever since, I have had an issue with just one wheel constantly loosing pressure, but it seems to be more prevalent when it's cold. During the summer I might have only topped it up twice in a couple of months, but now it's cold again I'm doing it literally every day or every other day. Let alone the health and safety issues that this presents.

I have had 3 separate garages look at it where they have supposedly replaced the valve and the inner stem, checked the seal around the valve and the tyre fitting itself, still to no avail. The only have thing I haven't had done is replace the entire TPMS sensor but I have also been advised that this shouldn't make a difference. The only other thing I tried was contact the supplier of the alloys who did offer to have a look at it and try to resolve the issue but they are some 240 miles away, so this isn't easily viable.

Any ideas what I should be looking at? Or what it could be? I thought if anything the issue would be the other way around with the issue being more pronounce in the summer when it's hot, rather than when it's cold. I'm baffled, but this isn't my forte.

Any help is appreciated.
 
Check for cracks? The metal would shrink more in the cold making it bigger if it's there.
 
The tyre fitting place should dunk the whole wheel in a big water tank to check where the bubbles are coming from. Never seen this offered at the likes of Kwik fit, you might need to find a non-chain local place.
 
Last edited:
Yeah I've tried those, and Halfords.... I'm ashamed to admit. But I've been turned away from other local independents as they've said they won't touch the alloys as "the equipment is old and will ruin them".

Is this something I can try and do with soapy water? Reckon a visual inspection might pickup and a wheel off job?

Where's most likely to crack to be? On the inside outside edge?
 
Pulse said:
Yeah I've tried those, and Halfords.... I'm ashamed to admit. But I've been turned away from other local independents as they've said they won't touch the alloys as "the equipment is old and will ruin them".

Is this something I can try and do with soapy water? Reckon a visual inspection might pickup and a wheel off job?

Where's most likely to crack to be? On the inside outside edge?
Click to expand...
The leak could be anywhere - could even be on the bead. You could try with soapy water but the easiest way is to have some kind of trough of water that you can immerse the tyre in and watch for the bubbles.
 
I guess I would be better off trying an alloy repair shop rather than a general garage in this case?

Thanks for the advice though guys, I'll give the soapy water a try later once it's warmed up a little outside.
 
Last edited:
bobuk said:
Fill a spray bottle with soapy water and spray it around the tyre if there is a leak you will see the bubbles.
Click to expand...
Definitely this.

Most tyre fitters (well, commercial vehicle ones at least!) use this technique.

It's surprising how it shows up the tiniest of leak.
 
Scania said:
Definitely this.

Most tyre fitters (well, commercial vehicle ones at least!) use this technique.

It's surprising how it shows up the tiniest of leak.
Click to expand...
It's how my dad taught me to find them in my mountain bike tyres when I was a kid, it's simple and it works.
 
It could be you have some corrosion on the rims. You may not see this on the outside of the rim, but it's just enough to prevent the bead sealing properly. This has happened twice to me. Local tyre place uses a drill with a wire brush attachment to remove corrosion. Replaces tyre. Issue resolved. :cool:
 
Pulse said:
Any ideas what I should be looking at? Or what it could be? I thought if anything the issue would be the other way around with the issue being more pronounce in the summer when it's hot, rather than when it's cold. I'm baffled, but this isn't my forte.
Click to expand...

I'm no expert but the fact that it's worse when cold, when the tyre pressure will be lower, suggests you have an issue where something is not sealing correctly against the rim that is made worse by lower pressure. This may be stating the obvious, but may help in your diagnosis. The more you raise the pressure, the better the seal is getting.
 
I had an issue like this on a previous car. I got so sick of back and forth with garages who claimed they couldn't see any problem, replaced the tyre a couple of times etc that I eventually ended up buying a new alloy. Bit extreme maybe but it fixed the problem.
 
In my experience it happens as alloys age and corrode a bit, i did pay a garage to try and clean them up but it did not work sadly.

I keep an air pump in my car at all times and check the pressures before driving
 
If TPMS valves are moved across wheels, new gaskets should be installed. The gaskets eventually under heat completely meld to the wheel and can't be used on a different wheel.

Entire repair kits are dirt cheap. I moved around valves across sets of wheels and would have slow leaks, especially in the cold where the rubber is more brittle.

www.ebay.co.uk

For BMW 1 2 3 Series X1 X2 X3 4x Tyre Pressure Sensor TPMS Valve Stem Repair Kit | eBay

4 x Tyre Pressure Monitor Stem Valves. Rear Left Air Suspension Shock Strut For BMW 7 Series G11 G12 730d 740d xDrive. Front Left Air Suspension Shock Strut w/ EDC For BMW 7-Series G11 G12 740i 750i. valve for sensor 407003JA0B TPMS for Nissan 433MHz, valve for sensor VDO TG1C.
www.ebay.co.uk

Genuine Continental (BMW oem) ones are a bit more

www.ebay.co.uk

4 Tyre Pressure Sensor Valve Stem Repair Kit TPMS BMW 1 2 3 4 Series Continental | eBay

TPMS Tyre Pressure monitor sensor repair kit. 1 Valve Stem. 4 x Clamp-in valve, with each including 1 Valve Cap. 1 Valve Core.
www.ebay.co.uk
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom