Strange Tire Color

[kaneohe]

Yesterday DW said she thought 1 tire was low. Sure enough, pressure was 18psi. Don't how long it's been low or how long it was driven. Tow guy who came to put spare on said it was fine........looking at tire and said problem comes when it's really really flat and you could tell visually. That was comforting so we'll see what Costco says when they fix it.

Flat was put in trunk.......today when I was looking at it in the trunk, I was struck by how yellow/brown both the outside and inside looked compared to the tires on the car (tread of course is black). I thought maybe it was an optical illusion w/ the lighting so I took the spare out and put it vertical next to one of the tires on the car. It still looked yellow/brown compared to the tires on the car which looked blacker (though I guess perhaps there was a lighter shade of the yellow /brown). Don't know if the lighting affected the looks since the installed ones were in the wheel well (?) so perhaps that might have affected things ........still seems like the difference was more than I would have expected.

Was worried that driving the care while the tire was low might have caused that color change due to temp? Just out of curiosity, I wiped a small area of the flat tire w/ a wet rag. It seems to have removed that surface film and the unlying color is black.

Am I worried about nothing? Is the yellow/brown just normal dirt .....looks
more prominent on the flat due to lighting (not being in the wheel well? or whatever you call it).

 

[NW-Bound]

Flat tires have their wall flexed more while driving, and this causes overheating and failure. However, the 18psi does not sound so bad, if you did not drive at high speed.

I dunno. I would put this tire on a rear wheel just to feel safer.

 

[Jerry1]

I would get some of this:

Black Magic Bleche-Wite Tire Cleaner

When I cared about how my car looked, I would clean the tires with that before I’d spray them with a tire shine product. I bet they look the same after cleaning with that.

 

[GrayHare]

Is that car not often driven in rain/snow? In that case dirt can build up on the sidewall and change its color.

 

[NW-Bound]

Is that car not often driven in rain/snow? In that case dirt can build up on the sidewall and change its color.

But the OP said that the underinflated tire had a different color than the other tires still mounted on the car.

 

[davebarnes]

The Google is amazing
https://www.utires.com/articles/tire-sidewalls-turn-brown-prevent/

 

[NW-Bound]

The Google is amazing
https://www.utires.com/articles/tire-sidewalls-turn-brown-prevent/

OK. Perhaps this is the answer.

From the above link:

Tire sidewalls turn brown mainly because of an element added to the rubber called antiozonant. It saves tires from premature drying and cracking due to the process of oxidation.

Why Antiozonant Causes Tire Sidewalls to Turn Brown

Tires bloom because antiozonant pushes its way to the outer edge of the rubber casing with time. As the element comes into contact with oxygen, it leaves a brown residue on the surface of the tire. Antiozonant is organic and helps tires last longer as it slows deterioration due to oxidation. This is what makes it possible to manufacture long-lasting high-mileage tires that can last up to 10 years.

The rubber structure is built in a way that allows the element to move forward to the surface, thus continuingly providing the material with its benefits. As a result, the tire remains pliable and UV/oxygen-resistant for a longer time.

Apparently, the flexing of the underinflated tire as it rolled caused more antiozonant to migrate to the surface, making the tire yellowish compared to the other tires.

The migration of the "good stuff" to the surface is good for the tires, and the flexing of the sidewall is needed to this to happen. That's why tires that sit unused suffer from dry rot.

The underinflated tire had too much of this action.

 

[kaneohe]

Who knew? ...............the wonders of Google & ER.org. Guess it is true that
even old dogs don't know all the tricks. Now to see how smart the Costco guy is

 

[xretro]

Bingo!

 

[njhowie]

Costco will fix it in 15 minutes. Probably has a small pin-hole leak - maybe a nail. They'll plug it and you'll be on your way.

Went through the same about a year ago with wife's car. One tire was causing an alert on the dashboard. It did look a little low on air so I filled it. A couple weeks later it happened again. So, it was a slow leak. Took it to Pep Boys and they pulled a screw out that she ran over. Plugged it and no problems since.

 

[Senator]

Tow guy who came to put spare on said it was fine.

No offense, but have we come to a point where adding air to a tire becomes a job that a tow company is called and the tire is changed?

I understand it needs to be fixed. I have never found it worthwhile to wait for a company to do it, even if it was 'free'.

 

[MRG]

No offense, but have we come to a point where adding air to a tire becomes a job that a tow company is called and the tire is changed?

I understand it needs to be fixed. I have never found it worthwhile to wait for a company to do it, even if it was 'free'.

I put one of these in each vehicle and a plug kit. Last time I tried to change a tire the safety device on my GM pickup bit me and trapped my finger. I was a bit embarrassed when 4 emergency vehicles showed up to rescue me.

I'm really impressed by how quickly this will add pressure and the automatic shutoff is great. I stole the idea from my neighbor, he was up north of here, hit something in the gravel road and flattened two tires.

Kensun AC/DC Rapid Performance Portable Air Compressor Tire Inflator with Digital Display for Home (110V) and Car (12V) - 30 Litres/Min https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J8Y91GC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_E3IBpbsKm6B3V