Is rate of tire leakage due to a nail consistent?

Today I had my tire repaired due to a nail puncture.
This could have happened three nights ago when I drove and parked in a difficult terrain, but I am not sure. Knowing this would help me determine if there is blame, or just bad luck.
Knowledge of leakage rates might help me learn whether it is likely or unlikely this is when I got the nail puncture.
Forty-four hours after I went over this terrain, the pressure warning light had not yet turned on. It is supposed to come on when pressure drops 25%. My tire pressure started at 35 lbs., so after 44 hours, apparently no more than 9 lbs. of air had leaked out since 75% pressure would bring me to 27 lbs.
I first noticed the pressure light on 12 hours later as soon as I started it up in the morning. Nineteen hours after the light was last off, the repairman told me my tire pressure was down to 18 lbs.

This means that If I did go over the nail three nights ago, the leakage had accelerated from no more than 9 lbs. leaked in 44 hours, to another 9 lbs. leaked in just 19 hours.

Is this possible? If so, is it likely?

Or should I conclude it is not likely the nail punctured my tire three nights ago?

 

I think the leaking rates would change if you drive around too vs sitting, air temps/tire temps, maybe the nail loosen up when it went low and let more air out, ect. I can see flats not being the same in leaking air out though.

 

Sometimes a nail in a tire will cause problems almost immediately, other times it could be days before it leaks down enough to notice. It could be a lot more than 3 days, or less than 3 seconds. Every incident is different.

 

We're missing part of the story here........... you drove there, who are you going to blame? For what?

Curious, where does this number come from? My TPMS will light at 1/2 that.

As others indicate, the nail could have been in a week. Or an hour.

There is no way to be definitive, only assume. So again, clueless what you are trying to accomplish here.

Are you trying to figure out how to give someone else the bill for your tire repair?

I suggest just moving on with life.

 

Wtf. It’s just a nail in a tire, patch or plug it and be done. By the way I thought it was just a little piece of metal but I had a 12 penny nail in my tire for 7 months. Never leaked. If I hadn’t got new tires I would probably still be driving around on it.

 

I have a nail in my tire for the past 5 months. The head of the nail has since worn off, but the body is still in there. The air pressure is still staying steady

 

my tractor had a nail in it for 5 years, only had to add air in spring

my truck had a nail once and it slow leaked in a week

ex got a nail and tire went flat in hours

 

I once put a sheet metal screw into a nail hole and drove 350 highway miles before I could repair it. It did not lose a pound. Nails can self seal too. You just never know.

 

No.

 

There is absolutely no way of knowing. Patch it and move on.

 

Too many variables to determine without around the clock observation.

 

Punctures are not consistent. Leakage rates from the SAME puncture aren't even consistent. Too many variables (temp, distance traveled, cornering forces, etc) to even try to calculate where you picked it up.
Even if you knew when it happened, who would you blame, and how? And more importantly, why? Be an adult, patch it and move on.


OR:
Pull the nail. Analyze it closely to determine the country of origin and who the manufacturer was (I'm sure it can be done; mail it to the CSI people in Vegas or something). Then, when you know who manufactured the nail, sue them for your repair costs. Also, sue the importer, the distributor, and the store that sold it at retail, since it's probably their fault too. Your leaky tire has obviously caused you pain, suffering, and mental anguish, so you deserve compensation.

 

Iamsqueaking said: ↑
It is supposed to come on when pressure drops 25%.
Clearwater Bill asked:
Curious, where does this number come from? My TPMS will light at 1/2 that.
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My understanding is when the govt started requiring TPMS the system activates when 25% was lost in any tire from when the system was last reset. Example reset with front tires at 32 pounds, rear at 36. If either front loses 8 pounds or either rear loses 9 the warning light activates.

Have been told by my local tire shop they see a lot of people come in the fall with first cold snap - just enough where a cold tire drops below the 25% before being driven.

I tested mine - activates at 25%.

Have a friend who resets his with all tires aired down to 20#, then raises the tires to 32# - his normal pressure. If a tire drops 5#, the system lights up. If reset was at 32, it would take a 8# loss to activate.

 

Why are you looking to assign blame on something simple like this?

 

Hard to tell how long it's been in there. TPMS actually works pretty good. Mine went on and a day later, the tire shop told me I had 3 nails in my tire. It was the max number they could patch it, and the punctures were more or less equal in distance from each other.

I think I pick up nails at the dump. It seems every time I have to drive up to the pit to throw something big away, I get nails in my tires and find out about it a few days later when my TPMS goes on. I hate driving to the dump.

 

This reminds me of one of those math problems in HS that everyone in the class had a different answer for.

The answer is: patch it and move on

 

I’ve had a huge nail go through my tire and have never lost any pressure... found it while washing my truck. Had no idea how long it was there.

Not sure why you want someone to blame.
Shit just happens.

 

This sounds more like a 3rd Gen question. I would go ask over there.

 

Rate of leakage dp/dt is not inversely proportional to the amount of air left in the tire. Temperature also is a factor remember pv=nrt

 

Smarter folks there ?