Curious flat tire

[CathyA]

I parked my van in our drive before the last snow storm came, and didn't move it for 9 days. I went out yesterday and the front tire was totally flat. I couldn't understand how that could happen.
I got out our air machine and tried to fill it, and nothing happened.

Then I realized that only this tire was up on about a 3" block of ice. I backed the van a few inches, tried to fill it again, and bingo! It filled up. I've driven it today and the air is staying in.
Help me understand what happened. I'm thinking that because I have some dents in my wheel rims, plus the pressure on the wheel from the other 3 tires being at ground level and this tire was up 3", plus the 20 below zero temps, the air was forced out at a dent in the rim?

Really weird. But I was really thankful I could easily fix it. I'm not able to rotate my tires because of all the dents in the wheels. Bummer. But the car is old and I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on new wheels.

Do you think my assessment of what happened is correct?

[SteveinMN]

Certainly sounds plausible to me. I still would keep a wary eye on that tire for low pressure, particularly if temps take a nosedive again.

I take it your van has a donut spare you can't rotate in with the other tires?

[bae]

I'd be curious to know if that tire is going to pull off the rim during any high speed maneuvers...

[Jilly]

The local news explained the science behind this a few weeks ago when we were in the midst of all that. The tire loses 1-2 pounds of air pressure for every 10 degrees in lower temperature. Since most people do not check the pressure level of their tires often, the chances are good that they were slightly under inflated before the really cold weather began.

My tires froze to the ground, but stayed inflated, although the flat tires happened to several people that I know.

[CathyA]

Steve - yes, just a donut spare.
bae.......dang, I hope not!! Maybe I should wear a parachute, just in case. ;)
Jilly.....that's interesting! Its good to know that its not a totally uncommon thing. We don't have a garage and the tire that was flat was probably the most exposed.
Guess we've just never been this cold before......

[Jilly]

We (upper Midwest/US) have been that cold most years, but never for such an extended time before this year, at least in my memory.

[SteveinMN]

CathyA, how is that tire doing?

[CathyA]

Hi Steve! Its been perfect! I check it constantly, and it has kept its air.
I've been looking for a decent air machine that I can plug into my accessory outlet in the car......but most good ones seem to need a 15 amp circuit, and mine is only 10amp. But so far, I haven't needed it!
Supposedly, you're not supposed to run your engine while filling your tire this way. I would hate to happily get my tire reinflated somewhere away from home, and end up with a dead battery! :0!

Thanks for checking on me. :)