Auto Mechanics | Blog | Flat Tire Without Puncture

Why Is My Tire Going Flat Without A Hole?

The first thing to inspect if your tire is going flat is for holes or cracks along the tire tread and sidewalls. If your search comes up with no cracks or tire punctures, the next thing could possibly be your valve stem or leakage around the rim. 

Lets explore…

Flat Tire Without Puncture Problem

One of our customers stopped by with this problem: 

I just bought new tires recently and ever since, one of them keeps losing air and going completely flat. I brought my car back to where I bought the tires to check for holes and they said there isn’t any punctures in the tire. I’m so confused, how does a tire go flat without any holes in it?

Trust us, it’s not a riddle. These things happen often.

If you experience a tire that continuously goes flat without a visible puncture, the next step is to get a dishwashing soap bottle mixed with water (soapy water) and cover the tire spot by spot to notice any bubbling of the suds. It is possible that the puncture is so small that its almost invisible to the eye. However, armed with soapy water solution, you will spot any air leak in or around your tire.

Flat Tire Puncture Solution

If you’re first test is clear of a leak, the next step is to pour some of that soapy water around the valve stem. The part where you put air into the tire. Unscrew the cap and throw some soapy water on top of the valve and around the valve where it comes through the rim. 

Whenever replacing old tires, these valve stems might be rusted, worn or contain debris that has shifted the position of the stem seat during a tire change and causes air to leak.

The last place to inspect a tire leak is around the rim itself, where the tire seals against the rim. Beneath the tire which you cannot see when installed, the contact of the bead of the tire to rim may be corroded. Whenever a tire install is performed, it is a good idea to sand down and clear any corrosion that has built up on the inside of the rim. This will make for a proper seal required to avoid any air escaping through the corrosion.

Other than a tiny hole puncture, these are the two main possibilities where a tire leak can lose air. Both areas described above, around the rim and the tire valve, may be a slow or fast leak. Whatever the case, these two spots are critical to service whenever a new tire is installed onto your rims, wheel or mags.

In extreme cases, if you’ve encountered a pothole on the road, you will want to check around the rim for damage. This would most likely be a noticeable bend or crack on the wheel itself.

After determining the mysterious cause of the leak, you can then take your vehicle back to the shop you purchased the tires from knowing the problem and requesting they correct it.

Or as our customer did, stop by one of our locations and we’ll fix your flat in a hurry and have you back about your busy day!

We hope this concludes the perplexity of a tire going flat without any hole or puncture.

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