Tyre valve damage and MOT query

[jonjc]

I got my current Octavia VRS new in January 2019 and it  came with fancy metal Skoda tyre valve caps (thrown in as a freebie due to a few inconvenient delays in supplying the car).  About 6 months later, two of these had rusted and fused onto the valve and I had to cut them off.  Admittedly I made a bit of a mess of it (slight damage to end of valve) but I've always been able to check the tyre pressure and add air if needed without difficulty and the plastic dust caps screw on OK.

Last month the car was in for a service and they mentioned the damaged valves, claiming not to be able to check or adjust the pressure.  I thought this was a bit pathetic since I've never had any problem with it and I wondered why they'd not noticed or mentioned this on any of the 3 previous occasions the car had been in for servicing since the damage occurred.

 

My questions are:

Now that my first MOT is due in January 2023, could this be a reason for it to fail?  Should I pre-empt this by getting the valves fixed before it goes for MOT?  The tyres themselves (on the rear) are not ready for replacing (low-ish mileage due to reduced travel during pandemic but these tyres and valves have done 25,000+ miles without a problem).  Pictures attached.
Your thoughts and wisdom on this appreciated 🙂

[Ootohere]

They should not be a fail as not checked at a UK MOT.

 

If you had an accident / blow out, valve blow out a Police Officer / Accident examiner should kick your back end IMO.

 

You need new valves fitted and really why go about with ones like that on the car.

You might well have to pay for valves and the wheels balanced.

 

As it is i would be changing wheels / tyres from front to back anyway and checking and adjusting pressures and not wanting a valve to blow out on me anytime be it parked or driving or god forbid causing an accident.

Edited 14 December, 2022 by toot

[jonjc]

43 minutes ago, toot said:

They should not be a fail as not checked at a UK MOT.

 

If you had an accident / blow out, valve blow out a Police Officer / Accident examiner should kick your back end IMO.

 

You need new valves fitted and really why go about with ones like that on the car.

You might well have to pay for valves and the wheels balanced.

 

As it is i would be changing wheels / tyres from front to back anyway and checking and adjusting pressures and not wanting a valve to blow out on me anytime be it parked or driving or god forbid causing an accident.

Thanks - that's helpful.  I agree that one should regularly check pressures (which I think was clear from my post that I do) and I have also swapped front to back - that wasn't what I was asking about.

But it seems that you are saying that my valves should be OK with regards to MOT but should still be changed for safety reasons - which is fair enough. 

But is that advice based on my description and the (not very clear) pictures?  It sort of raises a question for me about the difference between genuine risk (and I'm not an expert so I accept that someone more knowledgeable than me might rightly say that this is a genuine risk) and minimal or theoretical risk that we worry about purely to cover ourselves.  How far from 100% perfect does a tyre or a tyre valve have to be before I start worrying about covering myself (or before I start worrying about genuine and significant risk).  Is a tyre or valve that is 99.99% perfect too risky to ignore?  Is a tyre or valve that is 95% or 90% perfect too risky to ignore?  Is a tyre or valve that is 75% perfect too risky to ignore?  I realise that the cut off point might be different for valves and tyres and it's always the safer and more responsible position to err on the side of caution.  But where is the cut off point?  What counts as reasonable caution?  I guess this is clear with tread depth but with other imperfections (like a slightly chipped valve end) it may be a more difficult one to call.  If you're arguing that any imperfection in a tyre (or a whole car) car is too risky to ignore then I should be buying new tyres and valves for every journey (and perhaps replacing my car every few weeks).

Thanks & kind regards,

 

Jon

 

[Gaz]

1 hour ago, toot said:

You need new valves fitted and really why go about with ones like that on the car.

 

+1 👍

 

Get 'em changed IMO.  I wouldn't want them on my car, for cosmetic, or functional reasons.  Where has the metal gone - if you've inflated the tyres since, have you blown metal swarf into the tyre? Very unlikely I expect in reality, but what if?

 

Metal caps are known to get stuck in the circumstances you've experienced.  Best avoided - as you now know.

 

Gaz

 

[Ootohere]

The actual valve is seated in that corroded metal / threaded part and exposed to  more road salt now and there is no valve cap covering it.

 

A hard inpact on ironworks, roadworks drop in surface could be enough for a inner valve to just exit right or left. 

Imagine that in an outside lane with HGV's or any other traffic in the next lanes /lanes

[jonjc]

52 minutes ago, toot said:

and there is no valve cap covering it.

Obviously I took the valve cap off to photograph it.  I don't drive around without valve caps on.

[Ootohere]

MOT Examiner would never know then.  They do not take off valve caps.

They do not even check behind under body protection / sump guards.

[Warrior193]

6 minutes ago, jonjc said:

Obviously I took the valve cap off to photograph it.  I don't drive around without valve caps on.

How do you manage to read tyre pressures with those damaged stems?

[jonjc]

Given the replies, I'll probably take the advice to replace the valves tomorrow, for the reasons given.   Thanks all.

 

But I still can't help wondering where the cut off point is.  Are we really saying that any valve with any visible damage or any corrosion should be replaced.  I obviously don't know this for sure but this could mean that 95% of cars on the road should get their valves replaced. 

 

The law says that tread depth should be more than 1.6mm but it's advisable to replace tyres when it reaches 2mm.  But presumably, 3mm is safer than 2mm, and 4mm is safer than 3mm.  So, should we replace tyres at 4mm or even at 5mm?  Probably not.

 

There comes a point where we accept a certain level of risk - otherwise none of us would ever drive at all - or, we should at least choose to drive cars that are a lot safer than Skodas (and, IMO, Skodas are VERY safe cars).

Edited 14 December, 2022 by jonjc

[Breezy_Pete]

I'd  have no concerns driving around with them. They won't get worse now you've got proper plastic caps on. As long as they accept a pump, no problem. 🙂

[Jocko]

I would change them. The cut off point for me is the risk against the cost. To get a tyre service to replace the valves is minimal cost. if you got them to balance the wheels they would probably throw in the valve swap for nothing. I had a leaking valve changed and my tyre service only charged me for the wheel balance.

[J.R.]

No need to change them, the valve core is inside and not affected, the plastic valve cap fits and will be sealing against dust or moisture ingress, you are able to inflate the tyres so no problems there, a footpump with a lever type valve connector has a compression ring that fits around the valve threads, perhaps a PCL connector might leak air.

 

However I can see what looks like the rubber outer seperating from the brass core, if that is not simply damage from where you removed the metal caps then I would replace the valve bodies, in all my years I have only experienced 2 leaks from the valve body becoming seperated from the rubber outer, one was probably faulty from new and gave me a slow puncture that could never be found until someone tried flexing the stem sideways and we saw the leak, the other was on an old but functional inner tube on a trailer tyre that I had just replaced, I had just (over)loaded the trailer and the next morning found the tyre flat, I went to hook up the compressor and found all I had was a rubber sleeve with no brass valve body, I found it about 20 feet away!

Edited 14 December, 2022 by J.R.

[J.R.]

2 hours ago, toot said:

The actual valve is seated in that corroded metal / threaded part and exposed to  more road salt now and there is no valve cap covering it.

 

Its not corroded metal, the valve body is brass, it's a trick of the picture that makes it look like corrosion.

[Ootohere]

They are shagged and cost near nothing.

Some might not even bother with a tyre fitter, lay the wheel on the ground and drive te tractor over to break the bead if you have no bead breaker but tyre leavers. 

 

Or just tell the garage next time the tyre pressures are fine, leave well alone.

[StevesTruck]

I'd agree with @tootit's outside of what an MOT would cover if you've got valve caps on, but it's not right, get it sorted.

 

Personally, I'm of the stand point that I'll drive some of the most borderline illegal **** on the road, but there's two things I'll never cut corners on - brakes and tyres. 

 

If they were on my 06 Berlingo and I'd got £50 to last me til Friday, I'd spend £40 getting new valves put on. A 2019 vrs deserves better. 

Edited 14 December, 2022 by StevesTruck

[StevesTruck]

Also worth bearing in mind - ever sit on a loose toilet seat? Imagine doing that and trying to correct it without standing up, after a few beers, at 60mph. That's what sudden tyre depressurisation on the back feels like.

 

I've had it twice in my life, it's very much not fun. The first time, youthful reflexes stopped me rolling it into a ditch. The second time a couple of lorry drivers who were well on the ball let me in out of lane 3 when the back of my van sidestepped and I put my beacons on. 

 

Sudden tyre depressurisation on the front is something I've never experienced, and never want to.

Edited 14 December, 2022 by StevesTruck

[J.R.]

Those valves are completely safe and servicable and are not going to result in a sudden depressurisation.

 

My only slight concern is the rubber lifting from the core body, if it has been caused by the OP's attempts to remove the valve caps then not a problem, there is a very long straight knurled bonded shank beneath.

 

Wino has it right.

 

But the rest of you are correct also, they cost next to nothing to have replaced and if it concerns you (unlike the OP, myself and Wino) then it will be money well spent for your percieved peace of mind.