this post was submitted on 11 Aug 2024

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submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Back in February we paid to get new tires on the car. One of them has been leaky for the last couple of months, something I've continually been putting in the "I'll deal with it later" pile as topping up the air once a week was easier and cheaper than dealing with it.

Now the damn tire is flat. The roadside repair guy said that the tire was soft and decayed. I'm 75% sure that a new tire is not supposed to do that so soon.

Now I'm wondering if the mechanic put on old tires or if I've been an idiot by not getting the tie fixed in time and the frequent deflation/inflation cycles has ruined the thing.

Edit: Fucking hell! The code on the tire says it's from 2007! What the fuck? The damn car went through inspection and everything with that antique on.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Edit: Fucking hell! The code on the tire says it's from 2007! What the fuck? The damn car went through inspection and everything with that antique on.

woah, I thought it was nuts in 2022 when I got a patched one from 2009 installed at a used tire lot... lost both on one side to a pothole on the highway near JFK when picking someone up. Luckily I was early and just rolled on flats over to a used tire lot in Jamaica and got 2 replacements on for 80 bucks (tipped the guy well). Lasted about 19 months before it started leaking

I did also top up a flat every week for a year or so

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

Having done some investigation it turns out that even though this silly little country has rules for everything, there's no legal limit to how old tires can be as long as they still have 1.3 mm thread and they do not look too worn out. It's different in Germany, where we were driving just a month ago, if we had been pulled over there we would not be allowed to drive any further before the tires had been changed.

So, what has happened is either:

The mechanic ripped us off (the place had a little bit shady vibes but the price was good, we had a common acquaintance introduce us and they even fixed something for free they had overlooked so the car could pass the inspection)
Some sort of mistake happened and they put old tires on the car
For whatever reason they did not replace the tires, meaning that the reputable used car dealership that sold us the car in 2021 were putting a car on the road with those death traps installed.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

If you've got time, you can call and ask. You can always assume 'honest mistake' until proven otherwise (but ofc do be prepared for it to be a very intentional decision)

Most tires, even in the US, are expected to be replaced after a set amount of time even if the tread holds, I think 10 years or so? Major shops won't touch them with a 10 foot pole if they are past a certain age unless they are replacing the tires, and 2007 is weeeeeelllllll past what anyone would be willing to patch or look at

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

I concur. Not many tire shops will risk a wrongful death lawsuit over $400. That’s how Paul Walker died.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

Leaky tires may also be due to dented wheels

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago (2 children)

You should be able to tell from the tread how new the tires are. If you just got them in February I would not expect a significant amount of tread wear from new. (Give or take based on your mileage, local road conditions, care, and climate.) A professional will easily be able to eyeball this for you. If there is significant tread wear, they are "balding", or the wear bars are showing through the tread, yes you got fucked.

A new tire should not be "leaky", but yes, driving on underinflated tires causes stress and wear on them in a way that optimal inflation does not. Six months seems fast, but again it depends on what we're calling "underinflated" (i.e. 25psi or 5psi).

If I was you, I'd gather as much context from the roadside mechanic as possible, try to remember how often you've reinflated and by how much, and then take that to the shop that sold you the tire and try to get them to repair it for free. It could just have a bad valve stem that only revealed itself through continuous driving.

But yeah, in the future, it's simpler just to report a leak immediately, it could be a simple fix and save future damage.

Idk how car savvy you are but beware them explaining shit in the most complicated way possible to try to upsell you. If they want you to understand they will, if they want you not to understand, they will. Being somewhat knowledgeable myself I can tell when they're intentionally talking over my head, it's like if instead of saying "taking a piss" you said "I filled up on a dihydrogen monoxide cylinder and now I have to give the system a flush." But don't be a dick either lol, it's a fucking dance with these guys to get them to not rip you off sometimes. Not always tho

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago

It turns out the tires are as far from being new as humanly possible. These death traps dates back to 2007 when George Bush was president and slavery was legal in Mauretania.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Old tires sitting in a warehouse or on a car sitting in a scrap yard or a retread?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Is that the only tire that is bad? The date codes are usually in week number and year number format as WWYY. Are they even the same brand and model? Can you get the shop to actually install the tire you paid for?

If you're worried about inflation, get an electric inflator. They're small and can run off 12v cigarette lighter or 220v wall outlet or battery powered.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

It is the only one that has given me trouble yet. We replaced the front tires two years ago (with the same mechanic) and have not have any problems with those. I need to check the dates of the remaining three tires but they are printed on the inside of the tire, making them hard to read.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I need to check the dates of the remaining three tires but they are printed on the inside of the tire, making them hard to read.

that's fucked up. They're always on the sidewall here. I'd assume that even on uni-directional tires the markings would be printed on both sides: outside and inside.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

Oh dear. I just checked the other tire, it's a different brand. Either some idiot only changed one tire at some point (everybody knows you're not supposed to do that),meaning that the reputable used car dealership sold us a car with rotten tires or the mechanic scammed us and put two random tires from the junk pile on it.

I hate having to deal with an industry this sleazy. Why can't my car people be as nice as my bike people?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Also a weekly refiller who had a flat today. Spent hours talking to different shops to find one that had my size. Kinda strange to know another hexbear was on the same grind today