If there are no holes in the tire it can either be leaking around the tire to rim seal, out the valve stem, or around the valve stem. The fix a flat works but sure makes a mess when they dismount the tire in the future, all this liquid is in there. Don
ive used it before when i was being to lazy to take it off and fix it. and it did work. matter of fact its still workin after about 1 1/2 yrs.but remember this a tire shop may not change a tire with fix a flat in it or may charge more. ask me how i know lol
I saw a few of those when I was busting tires as a kid.. whoosh... soaked from the balls down, great on a cold winter day. Best off taking the tire off and looking for a nail or any of the above problems. I dip mine in the pool... only if the wife is not around. Bob
No, Bob, make it easy on yourself. When she isn't around use the bathtub ! That is what she gets for leaving you unattended. Don
Use some dish washing soap and water. Take your time and cover whole tire slowly. You'll find the leak. First check the valve stem with the soap. Then the rim on both sides. If you don't find check the inside of the rim at the welds.
Now thats some funny shit! Damm i alway thought using the dishwasher to clean hubcaps was risky but.....
First ya need to find out where it's leaking,my son's was leaking pretty good around the bead i took a hammer a whacked the spot where the bubbles where a couple times(on the rims bead) & whoa-la it stop,i would first check the valve stem also----chuck
They get really pissed off when you're assembling a carb inside the house... (Known by personal experience) Like the others said, "emergency use only". I wont have that crap around. It destroys the rubber in the tire so you cant fix it proper. I use Slime if I use anything at all. its water based and doesn't ruin the rubber.
AGREED!!! I've used it and had it work, and had it fail! My money is on a leaky seal at the lip of the wheel! I had one wheel that leaked no matter what I did. I took it to my tire guy had him break it down, wire wheel'd the bead area, the had him put a sealant on it (that all tire shops have) before remounting the tire. The whole shebang cost a grand total of 6 bux! I'd bet thats the same price as a can of fix-a-flat. But I do keep a can or 2 on hand for emergency!
It's Probably only flat on the bottom. Fix it right. An independent tire shop can get you straightened out and airtight for minimal amounts. The big chains will give you a run around.
Fix-a-Flat will eventually ruin your wheel. It causes rust in steel wheels and corrosion on aluminum wheels if left in to long. All that water will make your tire out of balance also. Nasty and worthless other than something to get you off the road. I have fixed a lot of tires that has had it in them, it is just that most tire stores don't want to mess with them because of all the mess it makes when you break them down, then you have to get the tire dry [SIZE=+0] [/SIZE]enough to work on it. Most of the time you don't make any money breaking tires down and repairing them anyways, so the extra time you spend on the repair makes it a money loser for the tire store.
If you leave Fix-A-Flat in a tire to long will become unpatchable, after it has soaked into the rubber the patch will not adhere to the tire
If the tire is good, then the bead area of the tire is corroded or dirty, or the valve stem is leaking, or there's a hole in the wheel. Squirting soapy water on it will help you find the leak, if you don't have anywhere to dunk it. I use slime on bicycle and lawnmower tires, never on car tires.
Here the "big chain store" that I go fixes flats for free if they sold the tire or if you are a regular customer.
Same with the big chain store here. But I got pissed off at them years ago when I picked up my fixed tire, and it had not been fixed. it's 20 miles round trip to the tire store. Now I use the independent store, that gives good personal service.
Maybe its regional, the chains here suck (BAD) , either that or the few independent dealers left are just that outstanding. ALWAYS some kind of problems at the big chains- excuses, drama, urgency, faux safety, liability explanations, sales pitches. Never a worry at the independent guy & he beat a big chains price on identical tires by 60.00 Each. His everyday price to their sale price. Screw them big chains.
A fix a flat horror story: 20 yrs ago or so, 100° out, 64 bel-air wagon, flat, middle of nowhere, no other option than fix a flat. 20 miles later, an explosion, that at the time, seemed like hiroshima. Lifted the ass end of the wagon at least a foot, peeled a considerable portion of the wheel opening away, and shredded the tire beyond recognition. I believe they have changed the propellant since then. My local tire guy will not deal with tires that have been fix a flatted. Because of the mess. But he's nigh on 70 yrs old, so who can blame him.
like said before soak down with soapy water and watch for bubbles, worked in the big chain and independent tire joints over the years, and nobody wants to deal with that shit in a tire, if you can find a leak in the tread you can plug it yourself rim and valve leaks get a little more interesting and may require a little more help, but just find out what you're dealing with and go from there
Fix a flat sucks when you have to change the tire. Get a spray bottle, mix dish soap and water and find the leak. Give it a overall soak (tread, bead, sidewall and stem) with the soapy water after airing up to max psi and wait, even the smallest leak will show up as small foam bubbles.
Not to argue with anyone but unless they have changed the formula Fix-a-Flat wont cause a patch not to adhere to the inner lining of a tire. Silicone will. Michelin tires have a tissue paper thin inner liner which leave you little rubber to buff before you apply the cement but other than that or someone uses silicone as a mount lube or something you can get them to stick. You do need to pre-clean and use a scraper before you buff the tire for best results. I dont know it all but I was in the tire business a long time before I went into aerospace. servi53 is 100% right. Do what he says
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