newbie7

Hi, in late January I got 4 new tires for my C4. I know that it was very stupid but I trusted the installer and did not test the tire pressure when I got the car back. I drive the car very little each day so I have probably driven 2500 to 3000 miles since the tires were installed. Although I have now learned my lesson, I did not check the tire pressure during this entire time. Its one of those things that I just kept forgetting.

Anyway I discovered the other day that one of my rear tires was VERY low. I decided to drive it home because I knew what a hassle it was to change it. When I got home I put the gauge on it and it read 5 pounds! I checked the other 3 and they were reading around 20 pounds. I now have them all pumped up to 35 pounds and am monitoring the rear tire to see how fast it loses air. I cannot find any nail in it and if it is leaking it must be a very slow leak.

I have learned my lesson and will monitor my tires every few weeks now. However, I am concerned about the rear tire because if it is a slow leak, I may have been driving around on it with almost no pressure for months.

So my question to ya'll is this: In your opinion is it safe to drive on the tire that only had 5 pounds of pressure now that I have it fully inflated? It appears okay cosmetically and I never noticed any problem when I was driving before...even when it was almost flat the car drove fine. The tire looks and drives fine now that it is pumped up. But what I am worried about is could there be serious damage on the inside caused by driving it with such low tire pressure for so long.

Any opinions would be much appreciated. I just want to be sure that it is safe to drive on that tire.

One other question: Do you guys find in general that you lose tire pressure more easily and quickly in a C4 than your average family car or SUV?

gerardvg

Hi

Check your tire pressures regularly..... as no doubt you will from now on. Do not rely on a gas station to show an accurate pressure, you can buy a small pressure gauge for a few dollars at a parts store.
The danger is that as the tire flexes the sidewall when even running a bit low the sidewall will heat up.(unless you have runflats) I had damaged a rear tire that was only a few months old, was on the highway only noticed it when the car felt a bit wobbly on the exit. although the tire had only 10 psi had a screw in the tread it was a throw away due to the sidewall damage. Carefully check the tire sidewall for any irregularity and best get it looked at by a professional. You don't want a blow out at high speed. Here is hoping you found out early enough

RollaMo-LT4

Unless you have something wrong (like a leaky valve stem, nail, etc.) you shouldn't lose air any faster than any other tire and wheel.

I know with the wider low profile tires, it is sometimes hard to tell by looking to determine if a tire is low.
But I still perform a quick visual inspection for any obvious issues.
And I carry a digital tire gauge with me, and every few weeks check pressures.

If you have to add air more than once a month, you have a leak that should be taken care of.

Aurora40

Man, if you put 3,000 miles on it at 5psi, I too would be worried about whether that tire was still safe to use. Of course since you never checked them, you don't know if it was 20psi for most of that time, and then just deflated recently, or left the shop at close to that pressure.

But I think I'd be replacing it just to be sure. The other tires have minimal wear, so the tread mismatch will be small. I just wouldn't want to have that hanging over my head every time I drive a sports car hard.

Aardwolf

If it were my car I wouldn't worry about that tire. It could be losing air from a bad valve stem or a dirty bead (poor sealing). You could try spraying the bead and stem with soapy water and look for where it bubbles. That will be the air leak.

87Vetteowner

Last year 2010, I bought a new set of tires for my 87. I had Discount tire replace all the old stuffs like they are supposed to. Lets say, even the new valve stems can be bad. My tire went flat after sitting for a few days. I filled the tire up and they happily replaced and rechecked all the other valve stems.

So even new parts can go bad. Take it back to where you got it done and have them check all the tires.

I try to check my tires every 10 days to 2 weeks and before any event I am going to attend.

pitchadude

not to mention hot summer air reads different when the temps drop.

Sweet 90

Good advice

newbie7

Great information guys. I am feeling nervous about the tire. Again it looks fine on the outside but I just wonder how long it was at 5 pounds and if the inside is torn up but invisible on the outside. You are right....these low profile tires always look low even when they are not so it fooled me. I really didn't know it was low until recently.