Anyone a mechanic on here? Advice only (no jobs/quotes etc)

[Waldo]

So I got these metal dust caps to replace the plastic ones on the valves on my car wheels. Big mistake! One is now practically welded in place, and I can't seem to remove it.

 

I tried wd40, no joy. Also had a hex socket over it, it turns, but so does the whole valve. Have tried gripping the valve with pliers and turning dust cap with hex socket. No joy. I applied quite a bit of force, but don't want to go mental on it and damage something.

 

Any suggestion?

 

Ta

[iansheff]

I think you are going to have to take it in to somewhere like Challenger for a new valve if the things you have tried won't work.

Edited September 9, 2018 by iansheff

[Waldo]

I think you are going to have to take it in to somewhere like Challenger for a new valve if the things you have tried won't work.

 

Thanks Ian.

 

Guess I'll need to take the wheel off then? Also, anyone know why the valve itself would turn? Would have thought it was fixed to the tyre?

[joinerisme]

This happened to me,tried to remove it with pliers and the valve body snapped off.Cost £20 odd to replace as they were sensor valves.

[zoco]

^^ As Ian says, it will need replacing. Some of these metal dust caps, particularly the cheaper ones, have a high aluminium content. As the wheel regulary is in contact with water the dust cap fuses to the brass of the valve due to corrosion. This is called 'galvanic corrosion' and is a result of two massively different types of metal coming into direct contact with each other under wet or damp conditions.

 

The more expensive caps, such as the ones you get from a dealer or more reputable supplier, have a different metal content that won't fuse with brass.

[convert]

I agree, the best way is a new valve.

 

You could try a proper penetrating fluid like Plus Gas (WD40 is just a water dispersal fluid - formula 40!)

 

You could also try a little heat.

 

Next time you fit valve caps, just put a little grease (coppaslip) on the valve threads.

[Top Cats Hat]

As others have said, take it to a tyre place and have the valve removed and replaced.

 

The force needed to break the corrosion between the valve and the cap is much greater than that needed to tear the valve body or even rotate the valve in the rim so even if you put the longest pair of pliers in the world on the cap and get Geoff Capes to turn it, the best you can ever hope for is to just turn the whole valve body round and round in the rim.

[Crosser]

OK how about this for a mystery....

 

Got a second hand car from a MAIN DEALER (supposedly serviced and MOT'd before sale)

 

Now, remember this is an automatic, so I expected more wear on brakepads, however after about 9 months (and approx 3000 miles) noticed a rumbling on front end when braking.

 

Yet the fluid reservoir was almost full!

 

when checked the brake pads were down to the metal.

 

This would lead me to believe that the brake pads were not replaced on the service as they should have been.

 

Or is there a scenario I have not considered?

Edited September 11, 2018 by Crosser

[Top Cats Hat]

Not necessarily.

 

There is now no minimum pad material limit for the MOT. As long as there is the required brake effort produced for a car of that weight and power, it will pass the brake test.

 

So a service would not necessarily require the pads to be replaced but would usually require that all fluids including brake fluids are up to the correct level.

 

Your post suggests that you only started to have braking problems after nine months so I suspect that your pads were worn but working OK when you bought the car and they have now worn down to the point where they need replacing.

[alchresearch]

however after about 9 months (and approx 3000 miles) noticed a rumbling on front end when braking.

 

Rumbling on braking could be the ABS kicking in due to a sensor issue. Not in your case though.

 

Hate to say it but a service these days just consists of an oil change and a cursory inspection of the rest of the car.