Tire inflation knob

[Roz]

So we have a customer who claims that our soft cloth machine took off the air inflation knob on their front tire. I see the pic but am in disbelief. Anyone ever see such an issue? Really hard to believe unless the tire is defective.

 

[OurTown]

Are you talking about the valve stem cap? If so it was probably not screwed on tight in the first place. What is the big deal? Is it some fancy one?

 

[OurTown]

Now that I think about it maybe it is the whole valve stem? That would be a big deal and yeah that seems to be about impossible to get torn out from a friction machine.

 

[Roz]

It broke off and caused the tire to go flat according to the customer. I suspect the tire is defective and the plastic wheel cover got pushed by the HP water wheel cleaners such that it cut knob. The cut looks to be at the height of the plastic cover.

 

[OurTown]

Maybe the valve stem already had a slice in it from elsewhere. The valve stem is pressed into the back side of the wheel before they install the tire on it. Maybe the wheel cover was put on in an orientation that pushed on the valve stem. The wheel cover should not touch the valve stem. It should cost only about $25 to fix assuming the person did not drive on the flat and ruin the tire and or wheel. Can you post the pic?

 

[Roz]

 

[HeyVern]

it looks like the valve stem was rubbing on the wheel cover and just happened tp break in your wash, if he was actually in your wash when it broke. No way the machine did it.

 

[OurTown]

Its hard to tell but it looks like aluminum. Most are rubber and the high pressure ones I see are usually brass. I have seen some stainless ones. It does look really close to the wheel cover and that probably is a factor. The cover is clocked wrong.

 

[washnshine]

I cannot see any friction component causing this.

 

[Randy]

I've seen it before were the valve stem core as unscrewed from valve stem. It looks like it corroded aluminum. It was probably just the time for it to fail. Discount Tire here will fix that at no cost.

 

[MEP001]

Good faith would be paying for the repair since it'll be very cheap. Doesn't look like damage from your equipment because it didn't even clean around the stem.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Doesn't look like damage from your equipment because it didn't even clean around the stem.

I agree, the brush probably never touched it. I would point this out to the customer, but probably go ahead and pay for it.

 

[Roz]

In speaking with the person it sounds like he knows that the tire knob should not come off that easily and had nothing to do with our machine. We offered him a handful of free washes whose value is above the tire repair cost. Hopefully that ends the issue.