Mag Chloride Can Keep The Roads Clear, But It May Be Causing Tire Problems

DENVER (CBS4)- When the tire pressure light comes on in a vehicle, it can be because of a puncture, faulty sensor, or even cold temperatures. But then a local tire shop explained why CBS4 employees are constantly having to put air in the tire of a news car—and it was surprising.

"What you see right here is pretty much a typical Colorado rim that you start to see over time," said Alex Linnabary.

Alex works at a Denver Big O Tires store and says the magnesium chloride that the Colorado Department of Transportation uses to treat the roads in winter sticks onto tires and then is pressed into the bead that seals the tire.

"Over time it starts to eat the metal away and then you start to get slow leaks," he said.

That's what happened to Arturo Cano, "I got surprised because I was hoping to see a nail a bolt or something and there was nothing."

Arturo thought his tire was flat for the normal reasons, but that wasn't the case.

"They took me inside where they test the tires, and they put the tire in water and it was leaking all around the rim."

One of the ways to fix the problem is to go through a process of cleaning off the metal and applying a sealant.

Mathew Barows, also with Big O Tires, walked through the process, "This helps keep the corrosion out of the tire when it does start to get low so that prevents that from coming back again."

A simple solution to the frustration of having the low pressure light come on once and week and having to go put in air in your tires and a lot less expensive than having to buy new rims every time there's a leak.

"Maybe there are guys who can do that," Arturo said laughing, "But not me."

If you have a slow leak and you don't know the cause, local tire shops suggested going back to the place you purchased the tires as many of them will fix the problem free of charge.

Discount Tire told CBS4 that they fix any flat on any tire for free, even if you didn't get your tires from them.