Why does the tire lose pressure?

Tire pressure is a very important operating parameter. Along with the residual tread depth, it directly affects traffic safety. When using a car regularly, it is recommended to check the pressure at least once every two weeks. If the tire icon with an exclamation mark suddenly lights up on the dashboard, or when checking the pressure, the pressure gauge shows a value below normal, you need to understand why the tire is deflating.

First of all, you need to inspect the wheel for damage. It's best to start with the sidewall, where cuts or punctures will be immediately visible. If you see such a thing on your tire, it seems you'll have to spend money on a new tire. Unfortunately, the sidewall is non-repairable in most cases. In any case, it's better to show the tire to a specialist to make an accurate diagnosis. If the sidewall is intact, then it's the tread's turn. Finding damage here can be more difficult. Sometimes a nail or screw is visible immediately, and sometimes you need to take a closer look, especially on a studded tire. If the tire is deflating slowly, you can pump up the wheel and drive to the tire shop. If it's deflating quickly, it's worth replacing the wheel with a spare. Because driving on a deflated tire can damage the internal sealing layer and the tire will have to be thrown away. A puncture in the tire can be easily repaired. You can install a temporary plug with which you can reach a good workshop if you picked up a nail on the highway. But for the tire to serve you for a long time, it's worth taking a closer look at the repair. It is necessary to disassemble the tire, inspect it from the inside, and install a patch or mushroom at the puncture site.

If the tire is intact and has no damage, you need to inspect the valve and the disc itself. Sometimes the valve starts to leak slightly over time. To understand if air is escaping from it, you can moisten it and observe if air bubbles appear. If the pressure is indeed escaping through it, you'll need to dismantle the tire from the disc and replace the valve with a new one. Sometimes it happens that on an old disc with rust or dents, air can escape in areas where the tire does not fit tightly to the disc's rim. In this case, you can give the disc to the masters for geometry restoration and painting. Well, the tire itself, over a long period, loses pressure bit by bit. Therefore, it's very important to inspect the tires and promptly eliminate the cause of pressure loss in them.