Pulled a short screw out of a tire, no leak, what should I do?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Jonny Zero, Dec 9, 2012.

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Pulled a short screw out of a tire, no leak, what should I do?

  1. Go to a tire store and get them to poke a hole through and plug it.

    1 vote(s)
    5.6%

  2. Leave it alone, and watch the TPMS and pressure.

    17 vote(s)
    94.4%
  1. Jonny Zero

    Jonny Zero Giggidy

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    So I found a screw in my rear tire. Soap tested it and found no leak. I got bold, pulled it out and found it to be a short wood screw. It is less than 1/4" long including the head. The head was resting on top of the thread so the hole wasn't very deep. Soap tested it again, no leak. What should I do?

    I do check my tire pressures weekly.
     
    #1 Jonny Zero, Dec 9, 2012
  2. dustoff003

    dustoff003 Blizzard Brigade #003

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    If it did not go all the way through you should be fine. I am not a tire expert though, call or stop by a reputable tire shop and they will hopefully not try to sell a tire and give you sound advise.


    Posted from my iPhone via the Tapatalk app.
     
    #2 dustoff003, Dec 9, 2012
  3. Adam Leibovitch

    Adam Leibovitch Member

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    If you are going the plug route, my suggestion would be to go to the tire store and have it patched. Especially if its a tire with a lot of life left.
     
    #3 Adam Leibovitch, Dec 9, 2012
  4. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    If I find a screw in my tire and pressure remains constant I just leave it personally. Should pressure go down later for some reason then it'll get plugged/patched. Many times on small screws/nails the screw/nail itself acts as the plug.
     
    #4 Paradox, Dec 9, 2012
  5. gmcneil05

    gmcneil05 Member

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    No leak no problem.
     
    #5 gmcneil05, Dec 9, 2012
  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    If you still know where it was, mark it somehow, say a dot with a Sharpie Felt tip, on the inside of the rim, for just-in-case.

    And, from the description it sounds like it didn't even penetrate as deep as the tread depth; you're likely fine.
     
    #6 Mendel Leisk, Dec 10, 2012
  7. stream

    stream Senior Member

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    I wouldn't worry about it.
     
    #7 stream, Dec 11, 2012
  8. Judgeless

    Judgeless Senior Member

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    If is find a screw or nail in my tire I leave it in until I have time to go to a mechanic. Never pull it out. Chances are good the tire will go flat on the spot. If it is sticking out the road will file it down as you drive.

    When I have time I go to a small shop and tell them I have a screw in my tire. They pull it and plug it on the spot. Last time it cost me $8 and took about 10 minutes. I have had three on my 2010 Prius so far. It has 100,000 miles.
     
    #8 Judgeless, Dec 12, 2012
  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    ^ Good point. The OP got lucky, the nail being so short. But more typically the nail is going right through, and actually (half *ss) preventing leakage.
     
    #9 Mendel Leisk, Dec 12, 2012
  10. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    I found a similar type screw in my tire which was causing a very slight leak. The tires were close to being replaced. I chose to leave the screw in place until I replaced the tires. The screw was still in the tire several months later when the tires were replaced. No problem except keeping a closer eye on pressure.
     
    #10 jdcollins5, Dec 12, 2012
  11. Jonny Zero

    Jonny Zero Giggidy

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    Yea I know. I decided to pull it after the initial soap test indicated no leak. Had I found leak after the pulled, I was going to put on the donut and visit the tire shop first thing in the morning.
     
    #11 Jonny Zero, Dec 12, 2012
  12. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    Tire repair kits are inexpensive, I keep one in the car and one in the garage.

    FYI, I voted do nothing on your poll. ;)
     
    #12 xliderider, Dec 12, 2012
  13. szgabor

    szgabor Active Member

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    Well, forgive me to say it but this is not smart thing to do . Yes you could leave it and go to tire store ASAP driving slow and gentle ...

    Why? The screw/nail/other-stuff could very easily caught in a road defect and tear the tire ... especially while turning on rough surface. Then the damage could be greater than what can be repaired. OR can get loose while you are driving highway speed you at least could loose the tire worst could get in an accident ...

    Of course it is your car and your tire and you take the risk. I do not ...

    Depending where the screw is it is NOT to difficult to fix it yourself (if you are confident) with easy to use plug-in kit. But if it doesn't work you may not be able to drive !!! (change to the little tire is the only option ...)

    Mavis would fix this for about $20. Not the home plug ... they take the tire off and patch it properly.
     
    #13 szgabor, Dec 12, 2012
  14. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    This happened to me recently, and I had the luxury that the wheel was off the car, switched for snow tires. I got a plug kit a notch up, the Blackjack KT-340 kit. A little pricey at around $55, but much more solid construction, a LOT of plugs (in 2 diameters) and a tub of the solvent/lube, all nicely incorporated into a carrying case.
     
    #14 Mendel Leisk, Dec 12, 2012
  15. Tim Bender

    Tim Bender Member

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    If it were me, I would keep an eye on that tire's pressure for a few days or until it was obvious there was no loss, then go on with my life

    ThunderBolt ? 2
     
    #15 Tim Bender, Dec 13, 2012
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