Can I continue using a tire with a nail puncture if it's not leaking air?
3 Answers
Tire punctured by a nail but currently shows normal tire pressure. This situation only indicates that the nail has recently penetrated and is tightly lodged, causing no immediate air leakage. However, with continued vehicle use, gaps will develop at the puncture site, eventually leading to air loss. Therefore, whenever a nail puncture is detected in a tire, it must be repaired as soon as possible. Below are relevant points about automotive tires: 1. When a car tire's surface wears down to the triangular indicator mark, it should be replaced promptly to prevent safety hazards. 2. After tire replacement or repair, wheel alignment and dynamic balancing should be performed immediately to prevent abnormal vibrations during high-speed driving. Avoid driving at high speeds over potholes to prevent tire blowouts.
I just encountered this situation last month. The reason the tire doesn't lose air when punctured by a nail is that the nail blocks the leak, which is actually extremely dangerous. I consulted a mechanic with over 20 years of experience, and he said the steel belts inside the tire might have already been severed by the nail. It's somewhat acceptable for short, low-speed trips to the repair shop, but never take it on the highway—the chance of a sudden blowout is several times higher than normal. Only after removing the tire did I see the nail head lodged in the tread groove. Once pulled out, the air leaked very quickly. I recommend going to a tire shop immediately for a mushroom plug repair. Holes larger than 6mm usually mean you'll need a new tire.
Once I had a small screw stuck in the sidewall of my tire without any air leakage. The mechanic sprayed soapy water and spotted tiny bubbles. He explained that tires have multiple layers—if two layers are punctured, the tire is done for. It's worse if a nail penetrates the tire shoulder at an angle, as the complex structure there makes it unrepairable. Here's a handy tip: Mark the puncture spot with chalk before pulling out the nail to help locate it during patching. But the safest approach is to avoid DIY fixes and let a professional shop handle it, including wheel balancing, or else the steering wheel might vibrate. After the repair, I drove over 20,000 km without any issues, but the mechanic advised against mounting a patched tire on the front wheels.
