Tyre sealants and do they work?

As I only use the F sparingly during the winter (to save as much of my 3000 mile limited mileage policy for the summer) it can stand for up to 2 weeks without being used at all. After 10-14 days one of the the tyres deflates. During the summer when it was used more regularly this did not seem to happen.

I have read about a product called Slime which claims to guard against punctures or leakage from the tyre beads. Unlike tyreweld and similar it is said it can be rinsed out with water as it does not "gunge up" the wheel.

Has any one tried it or any similar product and does it work?

http://www.slime.com/

I would only use tyre sealants in a get me out of the sith type incident. I wouldn't run with it in permanently.

Most tyre gunges do work, but they then hide any underlying problems.

Do you know why you are losing pressure?

Puncture, tyre damage, rim corrosion (Ouch ), cracked wheel, porous alloy?

I guess what I am trying to say is, gunk in an emergency get you home situation, but not for a long term solution. Get your tyre/wheel checked out by a proper tyre place.

cjj wrote: I would only use tyre sealants in a get me out of the sith type incident.

I think a light sabre is more helpful when it comes to Sith

But +1 on the gunk. Tyre places hate the stuff as it makes so much mess when they remove the tyre.

Thanks for the quick response guys. I'm still tempted to try slime or some other sealant.

I used to own a Skoda Favorit (No comments please-I've heard them all many times over! The cheap alloys fitted by the importer leaked air all the time. A quarter of a can of Tyreweld in each used to stop the leaks for 12-18 months at a time but wasn't popular with tyre fitters!

interestingly this is the first problem of this type since I replaced the Skoda. I've had alloys on 2 Ford Sierras, a Rover 420 and my Rover 25

Alan since the car is off the road for extended periods I would definitely take cjj's advice. Take the wheel off the car, drop it in at your local tyre place and get the problem sorted once and for all rather than just covering it up :broon:

It's probably just a slow puncture, slight corrosion on the rim or a leaking valve, any of which the tyre place can sort out in a couple of minutes. The place I use only charge £8 for any of these jobs which can't be much different to the price of that Slime.

Another couple of thoughts. How heavy is the Slime? On a lorry it won't make much difference but they could be an impact on something as light as an F.
Secondly will it have an impact on ride quality?

TBH having seen the video posted by Leigh I would not touch the stuff with a barge pole, don't do a quick fix, see my post at the foot of page 1.

Like so many of these wonder solutions, if they were so fantastic the car manufacturers would fit them as standard or offer them as an extra. Do you see any car manufacturers offering Slime as an optional extra?

I put a bottle of Goop in my Amazon shopping basket but couldn't bring myself to checkout. Tyres for the F are quite expensive so I have decided to get a good tyre fitter to sort it out for me. I can't see me using the F before Xmas so I'll get it done in the new year.

Can anyone recommend a good fitter in the Birmingham/Solihull area?

alanrt54 wrote: Can anyone recommend a good fitter in the Birmingham/Solihull area?

Kwikfit I would think Alan. That way, you could always take the car back for them to sort it if the problem continues.

http://www.autoinsider.co.uk/local/tyre-dealers/ai_14155.php

I agree too with Paul & Clive, sort out the underlying problem, which a good local tyre fitter will do, it could be any one of the items on the list that Paul made. My local fitter also charges about £10 to repair a puncture/leaking tyre/rim ~ i had a Spare Rostyle rim on my MGB which would not seal because the rim was pitted, they put a superduper rim sealant on the tyre bead and rim and solved the problem. Early MGF wheels have been reported to become "porus" corrosion occours between the paint and the alloy allowing the air to seep out over time.
i would not reccomend the use of these slimy sealants, and the tyre fitters will love you when its time to change!!!!!! :rant: