Repairing a Leaking Tire Valve

If you are having problems with air pressure leaking from your tire, then you may have a problem with your tire valve. These are designed to control the amount of air pressure inside the tire, and if this is leaking, then you will find you regularly have a flat tire. With a faulty valve, you will lose balance on that side of the car, which can make the vehicle difficult to handle, and even dangerous. In order to protect yourself, you need to ensure you repair the leaking tire valve quickly. Repairing this valve is not too difficult.

Step 1 - Prepare the Car

Before you can do anything to the valve, you need to lift up that side of the car, so the tire is not supporting any weight. You can use a car platform lift, if you can find one, or simply use a car jack near that tire. Lift up the car so that you can get at the wheel which is causing you problems, and then support it using some car rests, or a few bricks, so that the jack is not taking all of the weight. Put on safety goggles and gloves before proceeding.

Step 2 - Locate the Valve

Examine the edge of the wheel rim, and check that it is not damaged or rusty. This could be the cause of your tire problems, and repairing or replacing the valve would not work, as the rim will simply continue to do damage. If you find a problem, then you need to replace the entire rim. Once the rim has been checked, take the cap off the valve and run a little soap and water over the ends of your tire valve. Bubbles will show that the valve is leaking.

Step 3 - Replace the Core

Using a valve core device, extract the inside of the valve. You can then replace the core by inserting a new valve core into the center. Screw this in tightly, making sure you don't strip off any of the threads, as this will prevent the core from working properly. Add some rust cleaner around the edges of the valve, as this will stop it from developing rust in the future.

Step 4 - Replace the Valve

If you can see the tire valve is cracked or degraded, then you need to replace the valve entirely. A local car mechanic will have the part you require, and you can simply replace it yourself. Make sure the part you install is completely clean, and then polish well to remove dirt. Remove the car from the jacks and supports.

Step 5 - Finish Up

Once you have repaired the tire valve, you can then re-inflate the tire using the air nozzle at a gas station or an air compressor at home. For the next two or three days, check the tire regularly to ensure it is not deflating.