HELP!!! I went back to the service center yesterday for the 7th time in 2 months!

[Meldav86]

Hello everyone. I am going to try to make a really long story short.

I purchased my 2007 hatch blazing blue yaris on october 19th. It has EVERYTHING on it, including the trd 18inch rims. I waited 4 months for the dealer to find my car (i wanted a manual so it took a while) and finally it came. So i went down the dealer purchased my vehicle and was happy as could be. Then i was told that my front tire on the drivers side blew out from the drive from portland to seattle (where i live). I was a little bummed because i had to wait till the next day for a new tire (the tires were pireli tires) but i was happy to have my new car. So i went back got the new tired and i was off. Not a week later i was driving on the freeway and hear a weird sound. I pulled off and noticed the tire on the front drivers side was flat. I got the donut put on and went back to the dealer. They told me that the bead wasnt sealed and that they resealed it and i was off. One week later it was flat again. I took it back. They told me that there was some rubber on the inside of the tired causing it not to seal so they shaved it off. I was sent off again, this time with a lb meter to check on it. I checked ever couple days and it was losing air. I took it back. They then ordered me a new rim. One week later my tire was at 25lbs again (supposed to be at 40). I took it back. They ordered me a new tire. One week later at 25 again. NOW im pissed at this point. No one can seem to tell me what the hell is going on. So they had some kind of meeting with their managers and found someone in illinois or something that had the same problem as me with the pireli, so they ordered me 4 new yokohama tires (ill get the model later if needed). I got the new tires on, was given 100 dollars and 4 free ioil changes for my trouble and i was off. NOW here it comes . . . . so its been 2 weeks since i got the new tires and BAM i go out to my car from work and notice the front is looking low (i had been checking it but it was fluctuating from 42 to 40 to 38 and i was told that was just the cold weather pressure) i checked it, and its at 25. So i call very angry asking when are they going to get me a new car because obviously something is wrong with the front wheel area. No other tires go flat, and even if you put a different tire in the front driver side that tire will go flat, they tried that as well. I am so lost at this point. I have complained, called their human relations everything i just dont know what to do. Im not mad at the service team i mean they have never seen this before and are trying to figure out whats going on but how many times does my tire have to go flat before they do SOMETHING?? they even questioned me if someone was playing tricks on me! I honestly think that the guys who drove my car from portland hit something, or threw something off i dont know . . . its not the tires or the rims there is something wrong with the front wheel area of my car, thats what i think, but i dont have any experience in cars so i dont know. So i have my car back today they said they cant find any leaks and to check it every day and if its losing air to bring it back and that they are calling their corporate office and having a phone meeting to see what options they have. I never thought this would be my first brand new car buying experience. Any ideas, input, similar stories would really help me, im completely lost at this point. Thank you.

Melanie

[eTiMaGo]

How secure is your car overnight? It could actually be someone playing a trick on you, cuz I find it hard to see how the tire could keep on deflating like this, even after you change the whole rim!

[eflb55]

Ya that is a pretty messed up trick considering how much money the dealership is loosing and how much work and effort they are putting into your car, usually they are evil but you have a good one. My advise, get one of those laser activated trip sensors and have it between some point and your tire. I don't think they cost much, probably can pick one up at walmart.

[boris13]

The problem has got to be those TRD 18-inch rims. Maybe you can switch to the Toyota 15-inch alloys.

[Meldav86]

the thing is, the air is leaking slowly over the course of an entire week. it doesnt lose 20 lbs overnight. And im getting air valve locks to prove its not someone playing a trick.

[mikeukrainetz]

ive had tons of slow leak problems on stock alloys around the beads, not just on one car but many and with multiple brands of rubber.
try pulling off the wheels and pour some dish soap/water around the bead and watching for bubbles.
it does seem weird that even when switched from back to front the tires go flat.
anyone know what the weight bias is front / back maybe a couple hundred extra pounds makes a big diff?

[Meldav86]

im starting to think it might be the rims as well, although they did replace one of the rims to see if that was the problem. The dealership also kept my car for about 4 days to see if it lost air and it did. I have my car now and im going to be logging the air pressures in all the tires every day. Yeah the service guy that is helping me is really determined to figure out what is going on. He said they did find a couple of cases similar to mine, where the air would leak over the course of a week, and they replaced to tires with a different brand and that seemed to work fine. I have yokohama prada spec 2 tires now. I know its not someone playing a trick on me, but to rule that completely out i baught air valve locks.

[Meldav86]

yeah i guess they tried the soapy water and said they couldnt see bubbles, possibly because the leak is so small. Maybe i should get different rims? My car came with the 18 inch trd rims so i wouldnt see how that could be a problem but i dont know anymore . . .

[foober]

It sounds like something is wrong with the rim. let us know if you figure it out.

[Meldav86]

All the tires are now set to 40 lbs, so over the next two days ill be checking ALL of the tires. They also told me that they rotated the front tires to the back back tires to the front to see what happens. I will definatly keep you guys posted over the next few days.

[whoguy]

Thats a real mystery.... I've had a leaking rim before.... but since you said you switched tire at the front... then that could not be the case.... hmmmm

[07WYarisRS]

Did they try replacing the valve?

A tire or wheel can not leak and then stop then start up again, if you are losing air and no signs of tire or valve leak you have a pissed of neighbor !

FWIW I had a flat tire back in October. Side wall leak aprox 1/2 from the edge of the rim. After the tire was replaced I checked the tire out and these tires are PAPER thin.
BTW Never put the donut on the front. It's very hard on the transaxle/transmission as i
m sure you are aware. Best to use a jack and a jack stand and put the tire from the rear on the front and the donut on the rear At the soonest possible time until you can have it changed

[punch]

I agree check the valves, also what are the markings on the tires?

maybe the tire is to narrow for the rim? (but then all would lose air)

I think your playing games with us, if the dealer finally changed all the rims, and all the tires, and the car sat in there garage and that 1 front tire still lost air???

[bugnuts]

One word... GREMLINS!!! They keep stealing my socks at night! If you catch em' letting air out of your tire ask them where all of my damn socks are!!

[Meldav86]

i assure you im not playing games. I wish i was. this is turning into a real nightmare. They first replaced just the front tire which was originally a pirelli. Then it still leaked so they replaced the rim. Still leaked. They then moved my front tire to the back and the back to the front. Then the front tire that was originally on the back leaked. Then they replaced all 4 tires to 4 yokohama prada spec 2's (really cool tired btw). I checked the pressure for a few days, it went from 45 to 42 to 40 and then stayed at 40 and then i didnt check for a week because all seemed good and well. I didnt even think about it until i noticed it looked low (which let me tell you its hard to tell unless you are looking for it because these tires are really thin) and sure enough at 25. Yesterday they resealed all the tired at les shwab, rotated the tires and we are waiting to see if it continues. we are hoping i have just been unlucky with tires. I seriously dont think someone is going to my car every night and letting 2 lbs out of the valve, but im getting locks to be sure. The service team doesnt necesarilly think thats what is happening but at this point we are trying to think of everything. Im hoping its not the rims because i really dont want to downgrade:frown: i love these rims.

When the dealer changed the tire and it was at the shop it lost 2 lbs over the 2 days it was there, but they said that could just be temp. change. It takes about a week or so for it to get so low i have to put air in it.

Hopefully this is fixed. Its been resealed, rotated and everything so hopefully these tires work out. Whats even weirder tho is that they found a few similar cases to me in other places in the world . . . leaking tire just on one part of the car, but new brand tires fixed it. I guess they called their tech corp or something and told them my scenario and they pulled up similar cases to mine in other states. Anyways ill keep u posted.

[nsmitchell]

I suggest they take 4 wheels and tires from a new Yaris or Scion and put them on your car temporarily. You said the wheels and tires have both been replaced once. Maybe they got 2 bad batches of wheels/tires. Strange but it could happen. I would have them order you another set of brand new wheels and tires. Also it could be the mechanic they have mounting and balancing the tires is screwing something up. Ask them to get their best guy on the job, while the service manager watches the work. Just some ideas.

[redglare45]

That's very weird, but hopefully they get it taken care of.

[60 Somethings]

Just curious, has the dealer actually done all the tire/rim work?

If yes, might a 2nd opinion (like at a Les Schwab shop, or similar place) be in order?

[Nivyn]

sounds pretty crazy. Hope you get it figured out soon

[bugnuts]

If it happens again do the old soap and water trick to find the leak, make sure you check the valve stem as suggested earlier in this thread, I had a set of aluminum rims on a pickup once and in the winter I would have to fill all four tires every week (shrinkage). I also used to work at a aluminum wheel factory, general motors would constantly recieve wheels from us that had porosity in the metal (kinda' like a sponge) that caused leaks, Once they had a brand new corvette setting in the showroom at Detroit with four flat tires (they were pissed!)

[Meldav86]

hmm the wheels from a new yaris sounds like a good idea. They replaced 1 rim (the original rim that was on the front) and that didnt seem to be the problem.

Yes the dealer is doing all the work, and they are also teamed up with les shwab tires as well. I will suggest maybe going to another les shwab in the area besides the one near the dealer and having the manager come along. The manager of the service center really wants to figure out whats going on. They are being so nice about it its hard for me to get mad . . . i guess i got a good dealer compared to some of the horror stories i have seen on this board:redface:redface:

Also the soapy water on the valve stem is something i will try tomorrow afternoon and let you guys know whats going on with it.

Thank you guys for all the ideas/support, i really dont know what to do anymore and all this is really giving me hope :smile: I will talk to my dealer tomorrow and suggest some of these ideas. THANK YOU!!!


So the rims could be causing the leak because of the material they are made out of?? I have the 18 inch trd rims . . . i think they are alloy+alluminum. Should i get different rims?

[60 Somethings]

If the metal in the rims is properly manufactured, it should not be porous.

Remember, besides the tire "bead" and the stems, there is also the little screw-in valve inside each stem. Replacing the stems would take care of that variable, too.

[eflb55]

Did they try replacing the valve?

BTW Never put the donut on the front. It's very hard on the transaxle/transmission as i
m sure you are aware. Best to use a jack and a jack stand and put the tire from the rear on the front and the donut on the rear At the soonest possible time until you can have it changed

That sounds pretty believable in my opinion. Does the car pull at all when the front tire is at normal pressure? Might be possible that extra pressure is slowly being put on the tire and affecting it somehow.

[Meldav86]

i dont notice that it pulls at all. but i havent been looking for that to happen so maybe i will notice it now. So what might be wrong the transaxle/transmission?? I dont know when or where the tire blew out in portland when the dealer drove my car here, but i know when it did blow out they drove it all the way here on the donut which was on the front. hmmm. . . can someone elaborate exactly what might be wrong with the transaxle?? I drove it for a day on the front and a few times in between.

[Black Yaris]

All the tires are now set to 40 lbs, so over the next two days ill be checking ALL of the tires. They also told me that they rotated the front tires to the back back tires to the front to see what happens. I will definatly keep you guys posted over the next few days.

wich crack head set your air pressures to 40lbs. With 18's and those tires, you should be running 30lbs

[Black Yaris]

BTW when you recieved your car with the upgraded TRD wheel they gave you your stock wheels as well, correct? Because you are entitled to them, since you did pay for them, then you paid for the TRD wheels... so I hope you did not pay for 8 wheels and tires and only ended up with 4.

[Meldav86]

i paid only $1000 for the tires and rims, should have been 2000. I paid half because i didnt originally want the rims i just wanted power package and the only car they could find in 4 months was fully loaded every single add on. no i did not get my original wheels and the dealer and les shwab both said my tires should be at 40 to 45 lbs for the tire size.

[fnkngrv]

If you are still around did you get this issue resolved? Just curious.