“OK, as a mechanic…”
A slow tire leak can be frustrating, especially when you can’t figure out where the air is escaping. The tire might look perfectly fine, but somehow it keeps losing pressure.
Fortunately, you don’t necessarily need any fancy equipment to track down the problem. One woman is showing how a common household cleaning product can make the job a whole lot easier.
In a video with more than 1.9 million views, content creator Kris (@kris103567) shares a simple trick for finding a hole in a tire.
“Life hack: how to find the hole in your tire,” the text overlay reads.
The video shows a tire covered in soapy liquid. She then sprays a section of the tire with what appears to be Dawn Powerwash.
Within seconds, a large bubble begins forming in one spot.
The bubble grows as air escapes from the tire, revealing where the leak is coming from.
Rather than trying to spot a tiny puncture with the naked eye, the soap makes the escaping air visible.
“That’s a big hole,” Kris writes in the caption.
Sometimes a tire leak is obvious, other times, you might spend weeks repeatedly adding air without knowing where it’s escaping. According to AutoZone, one of the easiest ways to locate a slow leak is with a spray bottle filled with soap and water.
Here’s a more detailed list of instructions.
First, inflate the tire to its recommended pressure, then spray the soapy mixture across the tread, sidewall, valve stem, and the area where the tire meets the wheel.
If air is escaping, bubbles will start forming around the leak. If it’s a particularly slow leak, you may have to wait a few seconds.
If you don’t see anything, check for nails, screws, or other small objects embedded in the tread. You can also remove the wheel and partially submerge it in water, slowly rotating it to look for air bubbles. There are other signs of a slow leak, too. These include a tire pressure warning light, the car pulling to one side, sluggish acceleration, or a tire that looks noticeably lower than the others.
Don’t put off getting it fixed. Driving on a tire with a slow leak for an extended period can lead to additional damage and safety issues.
According to Cars.com, leaks generally come from four areas:
Cars.com warns against immediately pulling out a nail or screw you find lodged in the tread. Removing it could turn a slow leak into a much faster one.
And while tire sealants may temporarily help with small punctures, they’re not always effective. They can also leave behind a mess and interfere with tire pressure sensors. In many cases, getting the tire inspected at a shop is the better option, particularly since some repairs require removing the tire from the wheel.
While some people pointed out that using soap to find leaks isn’t exactly new advice, many were grateful for the tip.
“A life hack means it could help someone, and it helped me. They never said they invented anything,” a top comment read.
“Ok, as a mechanic, I did know about the soapy water spray technique. Didn’t think to use a Dawn spray tho. Still a life hack,” another said.
Motor1 reached out to Kris via TikTok direct message and comment. We’ll be sure to update this if she responds.
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