Author Topic: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?  (Read 3958 times)

IngaB

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Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« on: May 02, 2019, 12:46:27 PM »
Hi Everyone,

I am looking for some advice from car drivers.

No matter where we live, what car my husband drives, despite good quality tires his cars have - he always has trouble with his car tires.  In the past, there was even a screw in one of his tires. Last week, his tire had low pressure, he went to the dealership and inflated it.       

Yesterday, same thing. He went to the dealership and inflated it.
Today, on the way to work - another deflated tire (different one from yesterday)!

The car he is driving now is 2016 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. It is a nice quality car.
I sit in a front passenger's s seat - I think he is a careful driver (especially with our toddler in the back seat).

I have a suspicion that it is not the car's fault or the tire's fault.   It is my husband's fault somehow.
Do you have any suggestions for improving this back luck with car tires? This constant deflating tire situation worries me.

Thank you.
IngaB

One

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #1 on: May 02, 2019, 01:14:08 PM »
It depends on where you live, we used to get sheet metal screws in our tires from the business that was near our home.  They tore off and installed metal roofs and gutters.  Screws would fall off the old sheet metal in their trucks and cause flat tires.  I don’t think it’s too uncommon to get a screw in the tire every couple of years. Usually cheap and easy to fix.

rothwem

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #2 on: May 02, 2019, 01:30:38 PM »
Is he a shoulder rider? I used to date a girl that always rode the white line on the right, and she got several flats during the time I dated her. And since she drove an SUV, her freaking wheels/tires were ~80 pounds. And guess who has two thumbs and did the tire changing.

My theory was that the shoulders had more debris strewn about them.

ShoulderThingThatGoesUp

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2019, 01:34:35 PM »
Do his coworkers have similar problems?

IngaB

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #4 on: May 02, 2019, 01:40:25 PM »
no, just him.

IngaB

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2019, 01:42:03 PM »
Rothwem,
I will check the dashcam tonight to see if he is a shoulder driver...Thank you.

Dave1442397

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #6 on: May 02, 2019, 06:51:10 PM »
Has he checked his tire pressures against the values listed on the sticker in the driver's side door jamb?

I believe for that car that the COLD tire pressure should be 34psi in the front, and 36psi in the rear. Try to check it with a manual tire pressure gauge, but make sure to check when the tires are cold (before you drive it in the morning is a good time).

Over inflated tires are more susceptible to punctures.

https://blog.firestonecompleteautocare.com/tires/top-flat-tire-causes/

APowers

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #7 on: May 02, 2019, 07:32:01 PM »
I have no advice, but sympathy. Some individuals are just inexplicably *harder* on the things they use. For instance, my brother. He and I slept on identical twin mattresses as teenagers, yet, his had a huge valley/canyon in the center where he slept, while mine was still flat and even. He and I would get identical sneakers from Costco; his would be in tatters in 6 months, while mine would take 18 months to reach the same level of worn.

I can imagine it being the same with cars.

cchrissyy

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #8 on: May 02, 2019, 09:13:41 PM »
it sounds like he never checks the air himself and fills it up at the gas station to match what the label on the car door says. is that right?  he should be doing that occasionally! certainly any time he gets a low tire light, he should take the time to check and fill all 4 tires. not at the dealership but just at the gas station before he drives anywhere else.  at least in my state that's free for customers and most stations have them.  then, knowing everything is filled, if the light comes on again a couple days later, you can suspect the air is leaking. all tires lose a tiny bit of air over time. they all need air added. but they shouldn't need it again within just days or weeks. don't worry at all about the fact they naturally lose a little bit over a longer time!

some cars have faulty sensors, or anyway, especially picky sensors, setting off the warning light. I had that issue once. but of course it didn't follow me from car to car.

screws and other punctures aren't his fault unless he is driving/parking on the shoulder of the road or in gravel lots or other situations with extra debris.

deborah

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #9 on: May 02, 2019, 09:24:22 PM »
Driving on either edge of the lane, driving fast, driving with his tyres at low pressure, driving on unpaved roads, driving more miles than everyone else.

stashing_it

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #10 on: May 02, 2019, 11:49:28 PM »
I have no advice, but sympathy. Some individuals are just inexplicably *harder* on the things they use. For instance, my brother. He and I slept on identical twin mattresses as teenagers, yet, his had a huge valley/canyon in the center where he slept, while mine was still flat and even.

Maybe your brother was getting way more action than you

stashing_it

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #11 on: May 02, 2019, 11:54:17 PM »
Sounds to me like you aren't checking your tire inflation frequently enough.    It really is no big deal to get a pressure gauge, either electronic or not and check.

I would also recommend an air pump that plugs into the car outlet.  Check the pressure every 2 months or so on all 4 tires (when cold)   and pump any that are under pressure.   (or occasionally let air out of the over pressure ones)   It's a 15 minute chore every 8 weeks or so.

Nothing you can do about the nails / screws in the tire though

This is similar to the tire guage I have   (there may be better ones)
https://www.amazon.com/Hotop-Gauges-Pressure-Pencil-Style/dp/B073P46V3X/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=tire+gauge&qid=1556862748&s=gateway&sr=8-5

and a pump
https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Tire-Inflator-Pressure-Gauge/dp/B073VB41W3/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2Q1X96UUXYVTN&keywords=car+tire+pump&qid=1556862809&s=gateway&sprefix=car+tire+%2Caps%2C238&sr=8-5


Total cost ~$ 45

APowers

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #12 on: May 03, 2019, 06:38:02 AM »
I have no advice, but sympathy. Some individuals are just inexplicably *harder* on the things they use. For instance, my brother. He and I slept on identical twin mattresses as teenagers, yet, his had a huge valley/canyon in the center where he slept, while mine was still flat and even.

Maybe your brother was getting way more action than you

Haha! Seeing as how we shared a bedroom.....I somehow doubt that.

Monocle Money Mouth

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #13 on: May 03, 2019, 06:51:53 AM »
I would second the suggestion to see if he is riding near the shoulders and gutters of the roads he drives. That’s usually where the nails and screw settle.

I would also recommend checking tire pressure every couple of weeks. Wide temperature swings can also affect tire pressure. As a rule of thumb, every 10 degrees of temperature change usually translates to 1psi of tire pressure change. If you go from 70F one day to 30F the next, it could cause enough of a pressure drop  to cause your TPMS light to trigger.

idiosyncrisia

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #14 on: May 03, 2019, 07:15:33 AM »
Other than driving habits, or not being able to avoid potholes, if you purchase tires through TireRack, you can use their road hazard warranty.

https://www.tirerack.com/content/tirerack/desktop/en/tires/trhp.html

People have had good experiences with this warranty. I haven't had to use it myself yet, but I have been using TireRack for years, and they are fantastic.

Home Stretch

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #15 on: May 03, 2019, 07:52:07 AM »
Seconding the advice to buy a 12v pump that you can plug in to the car directly. I keep one of those in my daily driver and if the low pressure light ever comes on, I can just immediately pull over and fix it right then and there. I think the pump was $40 at Lowe's, but I'm sure they can be purchased cheaper on Amazon.

As far as long-term tire strategy, I swear by Discount Tire. There are a few of them near my house, so it's really convenient. They offer a "tire certificate" with the purchase of new tires. It costs $15/tire and covers any and all damage regardless of the warranty. If your tires have 10% tread left on them and you get a huge nail in your tire, they'll patch it or give you a brand new tire, no questions asked. Hands down the best customer service in the business.

In addition, they do free rotations for the life of the tires regardless of if you buy the certificate or not.

IngaB

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #16 on: May 03, 2019, 08:50:55 AM »
Thank you everyone.

He always goes to the dealership to inflate his tires because the tires have nitrogen in them and not air.

We live in Toronto, Canada. Toronto has lots of construction everywhere, especially those new condos. Perhaps this is the reason for constant punctures in his tires?

But I agree, his driving needs to be more mindful, to account for varius things that can result in tires loosing pressure.

I love the mattress example above :) It made me laugh.
Have a lovely day, everyone!

IngaB

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #17 on: May 03, 2019, 08:57:32 AM »
Nitrogen in tires is completely pointless. It's basically a scam that dealers use to throw on another cost when selling cars (last used car I bought from a dealer, they tried to charge me $100 for nitrogen that they had already put in the tires without me asking).

Read up if you don't believe me:
https://www.lesschwab.com/article/are-nitrogen-filled-tires-worth-the-cost.html

LifeHappens

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #18 on: May 03, 2019, 09:44:25 AM »
Nitrogen in tires is completely pointless. It's basically a scam that dealers use to throw on another cost when selling cars (last used car I bought from a dealer, they tried to charge me $100 for nitrogen that they had already put in the tires without me asking).

Read up if you don't believe me:
https://www.lesschwab.com/article/are-nitrogen-filled-tires-worth-the-cost.html
I actually walked away from a car purchase over this same issue. They wanted $700(!!!!) for nitrogen and absolutely would not remove that fee. I pointed out that Earth's atmosphere is already 78% nitrogen and told them they could keep the car.

Freedom2016

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #19 on: May 03, 2019, 09:50:40 AM »
WTF I have never in my life heard of nitrogen in car tires and I have been driving for 30 years.

What's the point (scam)?

idiosyncrisia

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #20 on: May 03, 2019, 09:55:52 AM »
WTF I have never in my life heard of nitrogen in car tires and I have been driving for 30 years.

What's the point (scam)?

It's used in racecars because as the tire heats up during racing from braking and friction, so does the gas used to fill the tire. Nitrogen does not change pressure as much as regular compressed air as it is heated, therefore the tire is more consistent during the course of a race.

I.E. It is completely unnecessary when driving a normal car.

rothwem

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #21 on: May 03, 2019, 12:00:00 PM »
So what you’re saying is I can get NASCAR air in my tires? TAKE MY MONEY NOW!

Blueberries

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #22 on: May 03, 2019, 12:05:47 PM »
I am not sure if there are other services like this, but maybe going with Costco tires?  They do free patches/repairs, pro-rated pricing on a new tire (if needed), free rotations, and they fill with nitrogen.  Again, there may be other services like this, but we always purchase Costco tires and have made good use of their tire warranties.

doingfine

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #23 on: May 03, 2019, 12:37:21 PM »
Does your husband work or otherwise travel to an industrial area where there may be a scrap metal recycling center? There is one on my route and it was a big problem until the city forced them to begin cleaning the streets near their facility on a regular basis.

stashing_it

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #24 on: May 03, 2019, 06:09:43 PM »
Nitrogen in tires is completely pointless. It's basically a scam that dealers use to throw on another cost when selling cars (last used car I bought from a dealer, they tried to charge me $100 for nitrogen that they had already put in the tires without me asking).

Read up if you don't believe me:
https://www.lesschwab.com/article/are-nitrogen-filled-tires-worth-the-cost.html
I actually walked away from a car purchase over this same issue. They wanted $700(!!!!) for nitrogen and absolutely would not remove that fee. I pointed out that Earth's atmosphere is already 78% nitrogen and told them they could keep the car.

Wow, I had never heard of this .   Ridiculous

Reynolds531

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #25 on: May 04, 2019, 02:30:41 PM »
Check for corrosion at the TPMS sensors or around the alloy rims.

Monocle Money Mouth

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #26 on: May 04, 2019, 03:10:45 PM »
Check for corrosion at the TPMS sensors or around the alloy rims.

That’s a good suggestion too. I just had one replaced on Friday for a mystery leak. There were no punctures in the tire and nothing obvious after they dunked the tire. I really hope this fixes it.

BussoV6

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #27 on: May 06, 2019, 04:12:04 AM »
WTF I have never in my life heard of nitrogen in car tires and I have been driving for 30 years.

What's the point (scam)?

It's used in racecars because as the tire heats up during racing from braking and friction, so does the gas used to fill the tire. Nitrogen does not change pressure as much as regular compressed air as it is heated, therefore the tire is more consistent during the course of a race.

I.E. It is completely unnecessary when driving a normal car.

Scam indeed!! The theory is that the porous nature of the tire hold the bigger nitrogen molecules in and pressure loss is much slower. Just buy a good quality gauge and check the pressures every couple of weeks. $700 must be super profitable for the tire dealers  :-)

Home Stretch

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #28 on: May 06, 2019, 08:51:46 AM »
I actually walked away from a car purchase over this same issue. They wanted $700(!!!!) for nitrogen and absolutely would not remove that fee. I pointed out that Earth's atmosphere is already 78% nitrogen and told them they could keep the car.

$700?!?! That's unbelievable. Literally highway robbery. For $700 you could buy your own full industrial nitrogen tank and have enough to fill all of your cars tires for life.

LifeHappens

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #29 on: May 06, 2019, 09:02:54 AM »
I actually walked away from a car purchase over this same issue. They wanted $700(!!!!) for nitrogen and absolutely would not remove that fee. I pointed out that Earth's atmosphere is already 78% nitrogen and told them they could keep the car.

$700?!?! That's unbelievable. Literally highway robbery. For $700 you could buy your own full industrial nitrogen tank and have enough to fill all of your cars tires for life.
Further research revealed this dealership is well known for this tactic. Most people apparently don't look at the line items on their sales invoice. The price of the vehicle was otherwise reasonable.

Fishindude

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Re: Husband Always has bad luck with car tires - what to do?
« Reply #30 on: May 06, 2019, 10:48:46 AM »
Sounds like poor driving habits and also poor maintenance.   He's running over stuff in the road, parking lots, etc. and not doing preventative maintenance which is as simple as periodically inspecting your tires and keeping them properly inflated.