Just realized the guy at the tire shop in Boise saved my whole week with one trick
Was getting a flat fixed last Tuesday and the tech showed me how he uses a little soapy water in a spray bottle to find slow leaks in seconds. I always used to dunk the whole tire in a tank, which took forever and made a mess. He said 90 percent of leaks show bubbles right at the bead or the valve stem, so you rarely need the tank. Now I keep a spray bottle in my trunk. Anyone else pick up a random trick from a shop like that?
Man that soapy water trick is such a lifesaver, especially when you're stuck in a parking lot with a tire going soft and no clue where the air is escaping. Had a slow leak last winter that drove me nuts for weeks, and sure enough the bubbles showed up right at the valve stem, just like the tech said. The old dunk tank thing always felt like way more work than it needed to be, water everywhere and your hands freezing. It's cool that a guy in a shop took two minutes to pass that on instead of just fixing it and sending you out the door. Feels good knowing there are still folks out there willing to share the small stuff.