Sudden drop in tire pressure

Armand · #1 02-19-2010, 02:50 PM

I checked the tires on my '10 x5 (3500 miles with Michelin RFTs) about three weeks ago and put in some air. Nothing out of the ordinary. Last night, as I started the engine, the TPM light came on and when I checked the pressure of the one tire it was pointing to, it was about five points under. There has been no sudden temperature drop and no other unusual circumstances. This has never happened to me on another car. I am suspecting a leak somewhere. Could it a "normal" thing?

I added some air and reset the TPM. This morning, there was no TPM warning. I am wondering if I should take it in to check for a valve leak or tire damage.

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London Lad · #2 02-19-2010, 03:45 PM

I'd whip it off and have a good look round it and check the valve is tight.

Did you check the other 3 ? Temp could account for 5 psi but obviously they would all change.

Craig · #3 02-19-2010, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by London Lad

I'd whip it off and have a good look round it and check the valve is tight.

Did you check the other 3 ? Temp could account for 5 psi but obviously they would all change.

I check my tire pressure every couple of weeks.

Craig

Thunder22 · #4 02-19-2010, 04:23 PM

The pressure could be on borderline of being low and the overnight temps were just low enough to cause enough drop to set off the sensors.

That being said, I would check the pressures and pump them up - Bad Arnold S. impression there, sorry

Armand · #5 02-19-2010, 11:22 PM

Thanks for all the responses. I did take it in and they spotted a nail in the tire

The SA told me I had to replace it. Of course I expected that. Since the leak was very slow, I decided to take it to the local WheelWorks shop where I have serviced my cars for years. They had no problem repairing it but as it turned out the puncture was too close to the sidewall and they would not recommend it. So, I ordered a new tire which will be there tomorrow. I just checked the Michelin warranty that came with the car and it looks like Michelin will cover it. So, I will be trying my luck with that.

You can guess I did not buy the tire replacement warranty when I bought the car. Now that I am going through the experience, I can see the warranty at $1000 is neither cost-effective nor convenient. Well, if I get three flats in five years, then I will be even on the cost front. But lets see if Michelin will honor my claim.

I don't recall anyone on this board having tried the Michelin reimbursement on a recent RFT. If anyone has, I'd be interested to know if Michelin honored the claim.

London Lad · #6 02-20-2010, 06:28 AM

Glad you found the puncture and the TPM did its job!

I am amazed that Michelin would warranty against a puncture ??? You guys over the pond really have it good in some respects. They would just laugh at you here!

Armand · #7 02-20-2010, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by London Lad

Glad you found the puncture and the TPM did its job!

I am amazed that Michelin would warranty against a puncture ??? You guys over the pond really have it good in some respects. They would just laugh at you here!

TPM did the job very well. I learned that with RTFs visual inspection does not work. The tire looks exactly like the others but was 5 points or so under. I have re-inflated it so I can drive it until the new tire comes in and I am enjoying the peace of mind. It's a whopping big bolt. I saw it when the dealer removed the tire yesterday. Amazing technology.

It remains to be seen if Michelin actually honors the claim. I opened a claim this morning and will take the car to the tire dealer in about an hour when I expect the new tire will arrive. The warranty is clearly documented. A special program for the ZP tires. This isn't that unusual when you think about it. You can actually buy road hazard warranty over here for about $30 per new tire and it covers repair or replacement within a certain period. I guess Michelin has built in that cost in the ZP price. Michelin says the ZP tire can be repaired in most cases so in the case of a repair, they would only pay the $30 or so that will cost to repair it. In my case the tire dealer says repair is not safe due to the location of the puncture. So, I am going for a replacement.

London Lad · #8 02-20-2010, 01:22 PM

Great! I hope they pay up, sound like they should.

Armand · #9 02-20-2010, 06:07 PM

Well folks, I have some good news to report. Situation: I had a puncture and am trying to take advantage of the Michelin warranty for the OEM RTFs.

Michelin went along with the tire shop's assessment to replace the tire. So, the shop went ahead and replaced the tire. Now, there could still be a glitch in this. As they say, it ain't over until the fat lady sings. The tire shop will submit their claim on Monday and we'll see how much Michelin will cover. Once the bill is settled, I will update the post with more details.

Thunder22 · #10 02-20-2010, 06:28 PM

Armand - Under what clause of the warranty are they submitting the claim for a new tire? I wasn't paying much attention when the finance guy explained the tire warranty to me, but I'm surprised that Michelin is going to pay for any part of a new tire that was damaged by a nail puncture. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy about it, but that seems odd to me.

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