YACT: Tire Problem

[xanis]

I drive a 2000 Chevy Cavalier 2-door with ~73,000 miles on it. I bought the car used last year around February from a dealership. Before it went on sale it had a thourough inspection which included some maintenence (new tires, fluid changes, etc). Today, I went outside to Windex my windows and I notice that my rear passenger-side tire looked really flat. I took my tire pressure gauge and put it on the fill nipple. The pressure didn't even register on the gauge. After about 5 minutes of filling the tire with an air compressor, I only gained about 6 psi. I listened for a leak and heard none. Right now I'm thinking there's a slow leak from hitting a big pothole or something, as there are quite a few on the roads I frequent.

What struck me as unusual was that while I was told that all of the tires were new and had been replaced, the one that looks flat is a different brand than the others. I have three (front driver, front passenger and rear drive) Kumhos, but my problem tire (rear passenger) is a Mastercraft.

Any suggestions on what to do? Can I just replace one tire, or is that not reccomended for the sake of even tread wear? I'm a student and I really don't have much money, so cheap options are welcome. Thanks.

 

[desy]

Tires are a wear and tear item.
You may have pciked up a nail and they can put a plug in cheaply if you have lots of wear left.

 

[TheGizmo]

hahaha KumHo

 

[xanis]

Originally posted by: desy
Tires are a wear and tear item.
You may have pciked up a nail and they can put a plug in cheaply if you have lots of wear left.

That's what I was thinking. There is still substantial wear left on the tires.

 

[SVT Cobra]

For a cheap option since you are a student? Fill it with Fix a Flat, and it will take care of any small leaks and things that might be wrong, and you can forget about it until it is time to get new tires. Not something you want to do on a regular basis though as it can rot the tires.

 

[xanis]

Originally posted by: SVT Cobra
For a cheap option since you are a student? Fill it with Fix a Flat, and it will take care of any small leaks and things that might be wrong, and you can forget about it until it is time to get new tires. Not something you want to do on a regular basis though as it can rot the tires.

I can get that stuff at any Pep Boys or NAPA or something, right?

 

[nakedfrog]

I got a flat, so I stole your tire and put my flat on your car. Sorry

And actually, I might wonder if there's a problem with the rim/wheel itself. That could explain why there's a different tire on it now.

 

[Sentinel]

Cheap option is just to take it to the local shop and have 'em patch it. If you fix it with fix a flat they might not patch it if you need. I just had a flat yesterday, fixed in under 11 minutes including taking the spare off and the reg wheel on.

 

[SVT Cobra]

Originally posted by: Xanis

Originally posted by: SVT Cobra
For a cheap option since you are a student? Fill it with Fix a Flat, and it will take care of any small leaks and things that might be wrong, and you can forget about it until it is time to get new tires. Not something you want to do on a regular basis though as it can rot the tires.

I can get that stuff at any Pep Boys or NAPA or something, right?

Yep. And, why I reccomend this over trying to get it patched is because the tire might not be mounted right on the wheel. Fix a flat will seal any of those minute gaps.