Will the tire lose all its air overnight if punctured?
3 Answers
Tire air will not completely leak out overnight if punctured. For tubeless tires with a nail puncture, the air can typically last about a week if the nail is not removed. Since the tire is tubeless, it won't immediately lose air when punctured by a nail. However, over time, the air will gradually escape. When driving on highways, if you discover a nail in your tire, you should immediately drive to the nearest exit for tire repair before continuing. The functions of tires are: 1. Transmit driving force, braking force, and steering force to enable vehicle operation; 2. Support vehicle load; 3. Reduce and absorb vibrations and impacts during driving, preventing severe vibrations from damaging automotive components. Tire maintenance methods include: 1. Regularly check tire pressure; 2. Periodically inspect tires for bulges, cracks, cuts, punctures, or abnormal wear; 3. Remove foreign objects such as stones, metal pieces, or nails from tire treads; 4. Perform wheel alignment or tire balancing.
Last time, I didn't even notice that my front right tire was punctured by a nail, and the next day it was completely flat! The mechanic said the location of the puncture was particularly critical. If the nail had hit a thicker part of the tread, the leak might have been slower, but if it had punctured the sidewall or the nail was inserted at an angle, it would definitely have leaked out overnight. Especially in summer when the tire temperature is high, the rubber softens and leaks even faster. So if you ever find a nail in your tire, even if it doesn't seem to be losing much air, don't take the risk. Change to the spare tire or call for roadside assistance immediately. I learned the hard way: you can't be careless with tires. Trying to save time by driving on a punctured tire could even deform the wheel rim.
I've been running an auto repair shop for nearly ten years and have seen countless punctured tires. A small nail might take two or three days to completely deflate the tire, but something larger like a screwdriver can flatten it in just half an hour. The key factors are the location and depth of the puncture: thick tread areas can hold out for a while, but a sidewall puncture usually won't last through the night. There's also the hidden risk of slow leaks—you might think the tire is still drivable, only to find it completely flat the next day. I recommend getting some tire pressure indicator caps; they turn blue when there's a puncture, making it very obvious. If the leak is on the sidewall, patching won't help—you'll need to replace the tire entirely.
