I currently have a 05/C6 with Z51 (18s front/19's rear) with original EMT GY RFs (have plenty of tread left) and OEM 05/C6 chrome wheels .
My rear/drivers-side tire/wheel is sporadically losing air (according to my dash status center and air pencil verification). I don't notice any punctures upon discrete inspection and it only loses air sporadically (sometimes never, sometimes as much as 6psi on a drive of any duration). I called a local tire store and they tell me I probably have a "wheel or valve-stem leak" (which I guess means there is a place on the wheel that leaks air and/or near the valve stem or the actual stem itself?).
Any suggestions beyond the one given. Thanks, in advance, to all inputs.
Paul
I currently have a 05/C6 with Z51 (18s front/19's rear) with original EMT GY RFs (have plenty of tread left) and OEM 05/C6 chrome wheels .
My rear/drivers-side tire/wheel is sporadically losing air (according to my dash status center and air pencil verification). I don't notice any punctures upon discrete inspection and it only loses air sporadically (sometimes never, sometimes as much as 6psi on a drive of any duration). I called a local tire store and they tell me I probably have a "wheel or valve-stem leak" (which I guess means there is a place on the wheel that leaks air and/or near the valve stem or the actual stem itself?).
Any suggestions beyond the one given. Thanks, in advance, to all inputs.
Paul
Might have to do with the TPS Sensor/Valve Stem. Could be slightly loose which you could try to tighten yourself on the car and see if it helps. If not whoever installed them may have over tightened them and the rubber O ring inside has been smushed flat and you really need a new one to fix the leak.
Might have to do with the TPS Sensor/Valve Stem. Could be slightly loose which you could try to tighten yourself on the car and see if it helps. If not whoever installed them may have over tightened them and the rubber O ring inside has been smushed flat and you really need a new one to fix the leak.
with ccdan!
Slop some soapy water on the valve stem area and see if there's a leak in that area.
The torque on those sensor retaining nuts is not very great - only 62 inch-lbs (about 5 foot-lbs).
If they're too loose you may have a leak that can be stopped by simply tightening them slightly.
If, like ccdan says, somebody tightened them down too much and the grommets are damaged, you've got a bigger problem because you have to take it to a tire shop to break the bead and get in there to take the sensor out and replace the grommet.
The GM Part# for the O-ring/grommet: 25754190
Below are some pictures of how the sensor is mounted in an OE wheel.
Thanks guys. I think it might have to do more with the sensor O-ring, since the valve-stem "feels" tight enough and I see no bubbles from a soapy application.
It's really very sporadic (sometimes it doesn't vary for weeks at a time, sometimes I'll lose air/multi-psi just on a short-trip).
Question, can most tire-shops (like ATC/Wheel-works) affect the repair (with the proper GM sensor O-ring)? What might costs run? Also, am I damaging anything by procrastinating (while it manifests itself more regularly?). Thanks again!
Thanks guys. I think it might have to do more with the sensor O-ring, since the valve-stem "feels" tight enough and I see no bubbles from a soapy application.
It's really very sporadic (sometimes it doesn't vary for weeks at a time, sometimes I'll lose air/multi-psi just on a short-trip).
Question, can most tire-shops (like ATC/Wheel-works) affect the repair (with the proper GM sensor O-ring)? What might costs run? Also, am I damaging anything by procrastinating (while it manifests itself more regularly?). Thanks again!
You say there doesn't appear to be a leak around the valve stem. One other thing to check would be the valve stem core - make sure it's screwed down inside the valve stem. The valve stem cap has a little seal in there, but it's mainly designed to keep moisture and dust out, not keep pressure in.
Any good tire shop should be able to help you out. Discount Tire where I live does a great job - they're careful and knowledgeable about high price wheels, runflats, and sensors. They dismounted my old tires and mounted and balanced the new ones for $20 each, but I think $25 or $30 per wheel would be a good price. I think they should be able to just break the bead and get in there to take out and remount the sensor, but the stiff sidewalls may require them to take the tire off the wheel.
I don't think you're damaging anything (I assume you have runflats). If it's a slow leak, just keep pumping it up when the pressure gets a little low.
As far as the grommet, the tire shop may have them. You can get it at your local Chebie dealer before you go to the tire shop. It looks like it should cost about 10 cents, but I think it's a couple bucks!!!
Well, the sporadic air loss is finally manifesting itself w/more regularity. I'm losing air on a daily/weekly basis. I called my local Discount Tire (America's Tire Company) and they tell me this happens alot with the Corvette C6 tires/rims. Typically, the O-ring/grommet gets "pinched" (over-torqued) and the air loss is originally very slow, then it progresses to the point of a steady "leak" (my exact description at present). They told me to take it in "anytime" and they would fix while I wait. So I have an appt. tomorrow. I will reply post here once they find out specifically what it was. Thanks to all for your help and pix.
Paul
Well, the sporadic air loss is finally manifesting itself w/more regularity. I'm losing air on a daily/weekly basis. I called my local Discount Tire (America's Tire Company) and they tell me this happens alot with the Corvette C6 tires/rims. Typically, the O-ring/grommet gets "pinched" (over-torqued) and the air loss is originally very slow, then it progresses to the point of a steady "leak" (my exact description at present). They told me to take it in "anytime" and they would fix while I wait. So I have an appt. tomorrow. I will reply post here once they find out specifically what it was. Thanks to all for your help and pix.
Paul
Paul
Yes, it sounds like it's time for the tire shop to get in there and do a proper fix on the problem.
Let us know how it works out and what the real problem was.
I wanted to put some closure on this (?). I did make the appt. with the aforementioned tire shop in my previous post. They removed the wheel and tire and found absolutely nothing.
They dipped said tire in a water-tub and nothing leaked out (initial dip and post adjustments). They inspected the sensor, o-ring/grommet, valve stem mechanism and even rebalanced the wheel. They did also "shave" the inner part of the tire (facing the wheel) making it "more" flush tight against the wheel. They found nothing that would cause an air leak. They did these things, just to make sure nothing was overlooked.
At present, the wheel/tire have been air-tight (no air loss - yet). If anything should change, I will re-post. Maybe by doing all these little "adjustment-things", it caused whatever was even boreline leaking to seal-up better? One would think if the tire/wheel didn't leak upon 1st inspection/dip, it didn't have anything wrong with it. But I do have to admit, no air has leaked and it's been a few days (when before, I would lose air every few days). I haven't driven it yet and maybe that will show something more than it's stationary position would?
I'll report back on anything if it warrants. Thanks to all (especially beezeye/Bob - I was born in Miami, FL - many moons ago). Fyi, they did not charge me for any of this.
Paul
I have made numerous, short/local trips and one short road-trip (about 150 miles RT) and the tire is still air-tight. Whatever happened (and I still don't know what exactly happened to make the leak stop), it has now stabilized and no air is leaking (tire pressure has been consistent and exactly the same, for over 7-days).
Case closed, as far as I'm concerned. The only thing I can think happened, is that when they (tire shop) removed the wheel & tire, "something" occurred to normalize & correct the leak (now) permanently (hopefully).
I have made numerous, short/local trips and one short road-trip (about 150 miles RT) and the tire is still air-tight. Whatever happened (and I still don't know what exactly happened to make the leak stop), it has now stabilized and no air is leaking (tire pressure has been consistent and exactly the same, for over 7-days).
Case closed, as far as I'm concerned. The only thing I can think happened, is that when they (tire shop) removed the wheel & tire, "something" occurred to normalize & correct the leak (now) permanently (hopefully).
Again, thanks to all.
Paul
Good news!!!
Glad to hear that they seem to have done something to help the problem.
My local Discount guys fixed a flat on one of my runflats for free. I've heard them give similar service to other forum members.
It is so strange the tire shop I took it to could not find "anything" wrong with the tire or the wheel. I suspect, when they removed the tire from the wheel and re-installed same; they did something to solve the leaking issue, as the tire has kept the exact same amount of air pressure from then to now.
I suspect the previous owner might have had someone (mechanic/technician) handling the tire/wheel-rim that was not as thorough when re-installing the tire, as this tire shop that I took it too was. Hence, the slow leak that eventually got worse. And even though the tire shop I took it to did not officially "find" anything (that needed to be repaired), the fact that they did things right/more thorough, only reinforces the previous mistake(s) made by the previous mechanic/shop.
Or at least that is what I can surmize, based on the tire/wheel being fine now. I might add the personnel at this particular tire shop (America's Tire Store/Dublin, CA) were all very helpful, very thorough and did not charge me for spending well over an hour, trying to diagnose the problem. I committed to purchasing my next set of RF's from them.
As a sidenote, they strongly recommended not purchasing the Firestone RF's, when I asked their opinion of them (since the FR are the only alternative to the GY RF's for my C6 Vette). They said the FR RF's were basically "junk" and to "try to" wait for Michelin to premier their RF's for the Vette (which they opined, might be available before the end of 2007).
Corvette Store
Losing air (sporadically)
with ccdan! 
