Pinholes keep showing up in ONE tire on my truck... WTF?

[Big Bad Dad]

Hey guys, this is on my daily beater Ford Ranger, but I could use some help. I have a weird issue with the left front tire on my Ranger. It was low, so I checked and found a leak with soapy water. The leak was from deep within the tread, and we could hardly see it. I paid my tire guy to plug it. A week or so later, it was going low again. I figured the plug had failed. But, when I soaped it, I found another small leak in the tread about 6 inches from the original plug. I just plugged this one myself. Now today, it is low again. I soap it and find another small leak from within a tread. No visible damage seen. I left the soapy water on it, and a few minutes later, another, smaller, pinhole leak showed up about 4 inches from the other. NONE of these 4 leaks show any damage and they are so small as to be pretty much invisible in the treads. All of this in the same tire, is not likely to be a coincidence, I would think. And no visible holes or damage. If I have been driving over something, I would think the leaks would develop in other tires... This tire is a General Altima RT43, and has been on the truck for about a year with probably 13 or 14 K miles. I am wondering if there is some sort of defect in the tire. You guys ever have a similar issue, or an opinion to offer?

 

[Timothy]

Years ago, I had the same issue with a tire and it was a defective tire. The bands had shifted and broke and the bands were poking through causing the air leak.

 

[Don Frelier]

Shitcan it.

 

[Curiousyellow71]

We use tire sealant quite often with good luck. Slime, Ameriseal, etc. Kind of the industrial version of fix-a-flat that you pump in. There is one brand that will work if your rims have pressure sensors. I can't recall what brand but I wouldn't try it unless it's recommended.

 

[zyzzyx]

Check where you bought them. Might be a recall, or they may replace it.

 

[moparedtn]

GENERAL TIRE ALTIMAX RT43 TIRE RECALLS - Auto Recalls for Consumers

 

[PlymCrazy]

You say the tire has been on the truck for a year, but how old is it? Does it have a manufacturing date on it? Wouldn’t be the first time I heard of a new tire being installed on someone’s vehicle that was several years old to begin with.

Edit: I see Ed just posted that recall as I was typing this. He may have just hit the nail on the head with that.

 

[33 IMP]

Tube?

 

[Big Bad Dad]

GENERAL TIRE ALTIMAX RT43 TIRE RECALLS - Auto Recalls for Consumers

Thanks Ed. But I don't see my size listed in those recalls. BTW, they are hard to read, and it looks like the same info is repeated in all of those listed recalls...

 

[moparedtn]

Thanks Ed. But I don't see my size listed in those recalls. BTW, they are hard to read, and it looks like the same info is repeated in all of those listed recalls...

Is all I found on my search, figured I'd toss it out there...