5th & 6th Generation (2002-2006 & 2007-2011)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 2002-2006 & 2007-2011
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
hey guys, i was picking up ppl tonight to go to a halloween party when i noticed a sound like i had a flat tire. i pulled over and low and behold my rear passenger side tire was flat. so im like, dammit what bad timing(i was in my fred flintstone costume lol). so i drive slowly to the gas station to fill the tire up with air to see if holds air etc. i filled it up and it seemed like it was making the same noise. i drove home slowly to switch cars but when i got to my house, the tire was still inflated. that was at about 10:30pm. i just got home now at 4am so its been sitting for about 6 hrs. it seems like the tire is still inflated but maybe a little less air than before. also, earlier in the day my gf said she thought she heard a weird noise coming from my car but didnt think anything of it.
basically my question is, how quickly can a tire deflate? it seems that it took no longer than 3 hrs for the tire to initially deflate. it has now been sitting for 6 hrs and it seems fine and definitely not totally deflated. what could have possibly done this to my tire(i will be checking it out and prob changing it out tmrw). is it possible my tire is still good if i find that its not losing air(if thats at all a possibility).
You might have run over a nail or some kind of sharp object. Spray some soapy water over each section of the tire to check for air bubbles. Also check your valve stems. I've had my tire deflate on me a couple times due to defective/worn out valve stems.
Have the bead checked going around the edge of the tire where it meets the wheel. Sometimes it won't set well or it will break loose and lose the air, and then if you reinflate it'll reset the bead sometimes. Check that, apply pressure to the sidewall and see if you hear any air escape somewhere. Also, your tire will naturally lose some air during the winter. And since you're in NY, you're winter comes earlier than us
Just take the wheel off, roll it a few feet looking for a nail or screw in the tread and failing to find anything, then go for the soapy water trick. Over half of all flat tires occur on the right rear. Something to do with driving in the outside lane and the front tire kicks up crap that hits the rear tire. Don't let anyone 'plug' the hole from the outside. It needs to be removed and fixed from the inside.
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2007 V6 Camry LE, Built TMMK 27 September 06
"People who think they know it all are particularly irritating to those of us who do."
Just take the wheel off, roll it a few feet looking for a nail or screw in the tread and failing to find anything, then go for the soapy water trick. Over half of all flat tires occur on the right rear. Something to do with driving in the outside lane and the front tire kicks up crap that hits the rear tire. Don't let anyone 'plug' the hole from the outside. It needs to be removed and fixed from the inside.
Why wouldn't he let a mechanic plug the tire from the outside? That's the standard way of puncture repair as long as the nail/object isn't too large, and as long as it's not on or near the sidewall.
I've had punctured tires before numerous times on previous vehicles. My mechanic plugged it from the outside, and I've had zero problems each time. No loss of air, no uneven deflation of time, etc.
And you gotta remember - plugging from the outside will cost between $0 and $10. Taking off the tire, plugging from inside, and remounting/balancing nets you around $20-50. Not to mention how outside plugging takes 5-10 mins only.
__________________ 2008 Camry Hybrid | Magnetic Grey on Grey Leather | Bi-Xenon H1 4300K Retrofit | Italian Hertz Sound System (dash 4" EM 100, front 6.5" ECX 165, rear 6" x 9" ECX 690, 10" ES 250D sub in custom trunk enclosure, HDP5 5-channel amp, 1320W total power) | 4-sensor Rear Parking System | 20% Metallic Tint | Weathertech Floorliners | 17" ASA AR1 Rims | Toyo Garit KX (winter) | Toyo Versado LX II (summer)
Why wouldn't he let a mechanic plug the tire from the outside? That's the standard way of puncture repair as long as the nail/object isn't too large, and as long as it's not on or near the sidewall.
I've had punctured tires before numerous times on previous vehicles. My mechanic plugged it from the outside, and I've had zero problems each time. No loss of air, no uneven deflation of time, etc.
And you gotta remember - plugging from the outside will cost between $0 and $10. Taking off the tire, plugging from inside, and remounting/balancing nets you around $20-50. Not to mention how outside plugging takes 5-10 mins only.
Plugging a tire is not an acceptable or safe repair. None of the tire manufacturers accept it. The tire needs to be dismounted to inspect for damage and then repaired properly with a patch and plug combination or a normal patch depending on the puncture. Even if it's just a bead leak or valve stem problem the tire should be dismounted and inspected to make sure there is no structural damage.
Forcing and object into the tire damages the tire further. Pushing the belts apart when plugging only further compromises the structure of the tire and should be avoided.
Plugging a tire is not an acceptable or safe repair. None of the tire manufacturers accept it. The tire needs to be dismounted to inspect for damage and then repaired properly with a patch and plug combination or a normal patch depending on the puncture. Even if it's just a bead leak or valve stem problem the tire should be dismounted and inspected to make sure there is no structural damage.
Forcing and object into the tire damages the tire further. Pushing the belts apart when plugging only further compromises the structure of the tire and should be avoided.
Do not plug tires!!
LOL please, if plugging a tire from the outside was such a sin, why is that the most common method of fixing a punctured tire? And why do most mechanics do it?
I can understand if you're racing your car or something how you must do it "optimally", but we're talking about family sedan in city and highway traffic. I very much doubt that slight belt spacing will cause me to flip and burn.
Besides, most people don't want to shell out $100-200 for a new tire just because theirs got punctured. If you like to, I'm happy for your fat wallet. But my wallet is thin, and I feel safe enough to drive on an outside-plugged tire since it's the universally accepted method.
__________________ 2008 Camry Hybrid | Magnetic Grey on Grey Leather | Bi-Xenon H1 4300K Retrofit | Italian Hertz Sound System (dash 4" EM 100, front 6.5" ECX 165, rear 6" x 9" ECX 690, 10" ES 250D sub in custom trunk enclosure, HDP5 5-channel amp, 1320W total power) | 4-sensor Rear Parking System | 20% Metallic Tint | Weathertech Floorliners | 17" ASA AR1 Rims | Toyo Garit KX (winter) | Toyo Versado LX II (summer)
ok i just lifted the car and its a bolt stick in the inner tread. its holding air, i dont think any air is leaking.. but the head of the bolt is above the level of the tire. the bolt seems like a tiny one. the head is only maybe 1/4" in diameter. what should i do?
Take a piece of chalk or a grease pencil and circle the area where the bolt is located. You can try to remove it and see if it leaks by putting some air in it and then spraying soapy water, or something like Simple Green, on there to see if it bubbles. If it leaks, take it to a tire shop for repairs. Ensure they patch it from the inside.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yazovets
LOL please, if plugging a tire from the outside was such a sin, why is that the most common method of fixing a punctured tire? And why do most mechanics do it?
It's cheap, fast, and most people don't know any better.
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2007 Camry 2.4L 5M
Last edited by touringcamry; 10-28-2007 at 01:12 PM.
ok aside from what touringcamry and TRD said, i brought my car to the gas station and had them plug it. i will take a look at it in a day or two after driving and see how the tread looks..
The tread will look just fine. That's like looking at human skin and assuming everything is just fine underneath. Plugs come out--sometimes abruptly, they compromise the belting, they tend to leak, leading to another plug. It's fast, cheap, low tech, and for a radial tire, flat stupid. Plugging would tend to work on bias ply tires--they were more rigid, but radials flex much more. Do what you want, it's your life on the line, not mine. Just keep your speed down.
__________________
2007 V6 Camry LE, Built TMMK 27 September 06
"People who think they know it all are particularly irritating to those of us who do."
LOL please, if plugging a tire from the outside was such a sin, why is that the most common method of fixing a punctured tire? And why do most mechanics do it?
I can understand if you're racing your car or something how you must do it "optimally", but we're talking about family sedan in city and highway traffic. I very much doubt that slight belt spacing will cause me to flip and burn.
Besides, most people don't want to shell out $100-200 for a new tire just because theirs got punctured. If you like to, I'm happy for your fat wallet. But my wallet is thin, and I feel safe enough to drive on an outside-plugged tire since it's the universally accepted method.
The reason they plug the tire is because they don't make any money off of repairing a tire. Its a quick fix because they want you out of their hair so they can go do something else that will actually give them a profit. That's why its the most common method to plug a tire. He's also not saying that plugging it is going to make you flip and burn, so don't exaggerate. The structural integrity of the tire is compromised because the belts are separated. Its not saying that something bad WILL happen, but it increases the possibility of it happening. Just like a building support may be bending from pressure, but that doesn't mean that its going to fall, just that it has less reliability and integrity as a straight and proper support. Read deeper and don't exaggerate what someone says and put words in their mouth. Good day, sir.
LOL please, if plugging a tire from the outside was such a sin, why is that the most common method of fixing a punctured tire? And why do most mechanics do it?
I can understand if you're racing your car or something how you must do it "optimally", but we're talking about family sedan in city and highway traffic. I very much doubt that slight belt spacing will cause me to flip and burn.
Besides, most people don't want to shell out $100-200 for a new tire just because theirs got punctured. If you like to, I'm happy for your fat wallet. But my wallet is thin, and I feel safe enough to drive on an outside-plugged tire since it's the universally accepted method.
You have no idea what you're talking about. Call any tire manufacturer and ask them if plugging a tire is acceptable. They will say NO. Every single one of them will say no. That to, is a fact.
Many law suits have been filed and won because plugs are not an acceptable repair.
Crack smoking is common also, that doesn't mean that it's good for you and acceptable. If you don't know what you're talking about why would you argue the point? That's just stupid.
I reamed out the Service Manager at the dealership because they plugged my Mom's tire on her Highlander. The Service Manager (who I've known for nearly 20 years) is as stupid as the general population when it comes to plugs. He actually told me that tire manufacturer's RECOMMEND it! I taught him otherwise, but I imagine they still plug tires to keep labor costs down. There isn't any money in having a technician spend 25 minutes patching a tire for a .3-.4 hour labor cost because you can only charge $20-$25 for a patch repair. Plugging a tire takes just a few minutes and you charge $15-$20 while paying the tech .2 hours. Why do shops do it? MONEY! Plain and simple.
But Mr. McCoy said many outlets including service stations and smaller tire dealerships continue to fix tires using plugs or patches, a practice considered temporary and unsafe by most tire repair manufacturers, tire makers and industry associations.
The reason is that tire plugs are made from cord body, which won't vulcanize to the tire and create a permanent repair.
``When you stick a plug in the tire, the only thing holding it in is the cement on the plug,''...
See page 16 of Michelins tire information. As you can see, plugs are not accepted.
all my local firestone or JL will repair tires for free. They should take out the bolt and patch it from the inside. Otherwise, you can probably buy one of those fix a flat bottles for $3 at walmart and patch the tire from inside yourself.
Last edited by danorthface; 10-28-2007 at 11:04 PM.
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If you don't know what you're talking about why would you argue the point? 
That's just stupid. 
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