Leaky rims

[Bonobo]

I have alloy wheels on my 2012 Jazz. And they all four slowly leak air around rims (checked with soapy water). I never had anything like that with my previous several cars though all of them had steel rims. Is this just my Jazz or it's a well known issue? And if so how do you guys fight with this issue?

[MicktheMonster]

Common problem on all alloy wheels, firstly, over time, due to environmental conditions and/or damage, aluminium alloy  corrodes becoming porous and expanding, this expansion forces the paint or lacquer on the alloy wheel to flake off leaving small gaps the air under pressure in the tyre to force it's way out (I think).
I have had this problem on every car I've had with alloys over about 8 year old, tyre fitters or garages can remove the tyre, scrape off the corrosion, put sealant on it and reassemble, I've found this to be hit & miss, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt.
I've been told refurbishing the alloys solves it, but it's an expensive fix. It's a frustrating problem they don't warn you about in the showroom when boasting that a car comes with alloys.
Only other fault I could think of is that all 4 wheels have leaky valves or slow punctures which is unlikely, only way to know is to put them in water and find where the air bubbles are escaping. Much easier in the old days when they just put an inner tube in, problem solved!

[culzean]

Had this problem on OEM Civic rims at about 5 years,  Honda wheel supplier had used steel 'knock-on' balance weights and they had gouged the paint under the tyre bead ( really, really stupid ... )this had allowed corrosion under the paint and resulted in leakage of from 2 to 5 psi per week.  Only real answer is refurb of the wheel, from £45 to £55 per wheel (unless you are unlucky enough to have diamond cut wheels, when the price doubles or more).  Could also be corrosion around the valve seat or the valve itself,  but 4 valves leaking at the same time is a long shot.  The other thing is what make of tyres are fitted,  some tyres at budget end can be porous - I have Nokian winter tyres on steel rims and Avon ZV7 on alloys and over the six months these wheels are in the garage when not being used neither set drop any pressure.   I have never had a problem with rim corrosion causing leakage on steel rims,  just goes to show - alloys can be expensive to keep looking good and not leaking air.

[richardfrost]

This was a constant problem with my 2005 Jazz. Solution - bought four steel wheels (you can see them on my profile pic). Anybody want a set of alloys?

[copelandbc]

Where can I get steel wheels (16") at a reasonable price?

[Ozzie]

www.mytyres.co.uk offer a good range of packages but it appears only go to 15" steel wheels.

[culzean]

Where can I get steel wheels (16") at a reasonable price?

I would get 15" rims and 175/65R15 tyres, much cheaper and more choice than 185/55R16 and the car rides much better on the 15" tyres.  My wife had 15" winter tyres on and she was much happier with the ride (in fact she would have left winters on all year round) so I got 15" alloys and 175/65 tyres for summer as well ( her 16" diamond cut alloys on the Si were looking a bit the worse for wear anyway and I was not going to pay out best part of £100 per wheel ( normal alloys around £50 per wheel) to get them refurbed).

I have attached a PDF photo of her Jazz Si with Rial Milano Titan 15" rims from mytyres.co.uk the rims were less than £60 and Avon tyres just over £50 fitted,  so for the same cost to refurb the original diamond cut alloys got new wheels and tyres 

if you look at tyre label on drivers door 'B' pillar it lists both the 185/55R16 and 175/65R15 tyre / wheel sizes - the car was originally homolgated for both sizes,  the speedo is not affected ( I do not have to reset TPMS on her Jazz when swapping from winter to summer wheels ).  If your new alloys are mega expensive you may need to tell insurance,  but if they are cheaper to replace I doubt they will be interested..  Mytyres supplied a TUV certificate with the wheels ( Rial are made in Germany) - I think they do this with everything they sell.  Only downside ( if it is a downside) is that the rims were 60mm ID and they had spacer rings to match the OD of the Honda hub boss ( common practice),  they also came with acorn nuts with 60degree taper ( same UNF thread as Honda) common on alloys but not the same as Honda / Japanese ) so I have to keep Honda nuts for steel rims ( and original alloys if I ever refit them) and 60deg nuts just for Rial rims.

[coffeecup]

Never had this problem over 5 years with mine, would suggest something wrong, go back to a reputable tyre garage.

[culzean]

Never had this problem over 5 years with mine, would suggest something wrong, go back to a reputable tyre garage.

Alloys are well known for leaking,  had several problems - never had a problem with steel rims that a tin of Hammerite would not fix - alloys are expensive to keep looking good because they are prone to corrosion from the slightest stone chip or kerb  encounter..  I no longer use alloys in winter,  I have steels with winters on - probably work out cheaper in the long run.

[peteo48]

The leaking alloy thing is a new one on me but it's clearly an issue given 3 posters have mentioned it independently.

I've had alloys on cars since 2006 but you often wonder if they are more trouble than they are worth. The standard fit on the SE trim on the Mark 3 are really fiddly to clean - in fact it takes as long to do the wheels as it does the rest of the car and mine are never that dirty when I do them.

[culzean]

The leaking alloy thing is a new one on me but it's clearly an issue given 3 posters have mentioned it independently.

I've had alloys on cars since 2006 but you often wonder if they are more trouble than they are worth. The standard fit on the SE trim on the Mark 3 are really fiddly to clean - in fact it takes as long to do the wheels as it does the rest of the car and mine are never that dirty when I do them.

There is a phenomenon called 'crevice corrosion' that means that water trapped in a crevice ( especially salt water from winter roads) will corrode worse than the same water on a flat surface - any damage to rim near the bead or even the movement of the tyre bead can cause paint under the bead to crack and once the salt water gets in the result is inevitable.  The corrosion creeps under the paint and sometimes the only evidence is slight bubbling of the surface near the rim.     I will stick to steel rims in the winter, hose them down and put them away in the spring and nice shiny un-corroded alloys back on.

https://www.motor.com/magazine-summary/trouble-shooter-february-2010/

https://community.cartalk.com/t/wheel-rim-corrosion/33206/4

Tester
Jul '09
Alloy wheel corrosion? Happens all the time.
The son works for a local service center, and he’s the main tire/wheel service tech. And he’s told me that everytime there’s a complaint where the tires aren’t holding air pressure, when he pops the bead of the tire off the wheel, there’ll be a white cloud of alumunim oxide dust that comes blowing out of the tire. Then he inspects the bead of the wheel, and there will be pitting. When there’s pitting occuring in the wheel, there is also the possibility that the wheel has become porous.
Tester

[MartinJG]

The leaking alloy thing is a new one on me but it's clearly an issue given 3 posters have mentioned it independently.

I've had alloys on cars since 2006 but you often wonder if they are more trouble than they are worth. The standard fit on the SE trim on the Mark 3 are really fiddly to clean - in fact it takes as long to do the wheels as it does the rest of the car and mine are never that dirty when I do them.

There is a phenomenon called 'crevice corrosion' that means that water trapped in a crevice ( especially salt water from winter roads) will corrode worse than the same water on a flat surface - any damage to rim near the bead or even the movement of the tyre bead can cause paint under the bead to crack and once the salt water gets in the result is inevitable.  The corrosion creeps under the paint and sometimes the only evidence is slight bubbling of the surface near the rim.     I will stick to steel rims in the winter, hose them down and put them away in the spring and nice shiny un-corroded alloys back on.

https://www.motor.com/magazine-summary/trouble-shooter-february-2010/

https://community.cartalk.com/t/wheel-rim-corrosion/33206/4

Tester
Jul '09
Alloy wheel corrosion? Happens all the time.
The son works for a local service center, and he’s the main tire/wheel service tech. And he’s told me that everytime there’s a complaint where the tires aren’t holding air pressure, when he pops the bead of the tire off the wheel, there’ll be a white cloud of alumunim oxide dust that comes blowing out of the tire. Then he inspects the bead of the wheel, and there will be pitting. When there’s pitting occuring in the wheel, there is also the possibility that the wheel has become porous.
Tester

Seems an almighty faff but there is the added advantage that when it comes to selling the vehicle, the alloys will be in mint condition. That makes a big difference. Ropey alloys are a big no no to many savvy folk. They look horrid, but more important, they give you a clue on the way the car has been driven and maintained and that could indicate other potential mechanical problems too.

[coffeecup]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HONDA-JAZZ-Alloy-Wheel-Set-15-2009-2015-GENUINE-HONDA-PARTS/253923462566?hash=item3b1f048da6:g:aKgAAOSwGNtZxSSd:rk:5:pf:0

jUST GET SOME OF THESE !!!

[culzean]

Some alloy wheel cleaners can attack the coating and actually cause more corrosion than if the wheels had been left dirty.  Never had a problem with steel rims going porous or leaking under tyre bead. Winter salt is biggest problem - best use steel rims in winter. There are no advantages to alloy rims except the bling factor, but they can work out expensive when they need refurbishment or replacement.

[peteo48]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HONDA-JAZZ-Alloy-Wheel-Set-15-2009-2015-GENUINE-HONDA-PARTS/253923462566?hash=item3b1f048da6:g:aKgAAOSwGNtZxSSd:rk:5:pf:0

jUST GET SOME OF THESE !!!

Look much easier to clean than the ones that come with the 2017 SE spec.