- 1). Inspect the valve and the tire around it to determine if the problem really is the valve. If the rubber around the valve is corroded or damaged, the problem might be the seal between the tire and the valve rather than the valve itself. Unscrew the valve cap and place a few drops of soapy water onto the end of the valve to double-check. If bubbles form, you know the valve itself is leaking.
- 2). Set your jack under the appropriate part of the vehicle's undercarriage and jack up the car. Unscrew the lug nuts with a tire iron and remove the wheel. Prop the wheel up against a wall or tree and deflate the tire using the valve.
- 3). Put the valve removal tool onto the end of the valve, then turn it counterclockwise. This tool is also sometimes called a valve core tool. This will pluck out the core, probably with an explosive release of any remaining air, so watch out for dust or flying debris.
- 4). Break the bead of the tire, or separate the tire from the rim, by prying the part of the tire around the valve away from the rim with a crowbar. This requires a lot of muscle, and may prove impossible to do by hand. In that case, hammer a wood block to a length of 2-by-4 lumber to form a lever. Set the block over the part of the tire where the valve is, and have a friend slowly back the wheel of another car up onto the 2-by-4. This method uses part of the weight of the car to break the bead on the tire. This exposes the valve stem. Once the bead is broken, back the car off and put away your wood lever.
- 5). Pull out the old valve stem with a pair of pliers.
- 6). Coat the new valve stem, with a fresh core seated inside, with dishwashing detergent to lubricate the valve. Put the valve far enough through the hole in the rim so you can grab it with the pliers, then pull it into place using the pliers. Reseat the tire into the rim using your hands.
- 7). Inflate the tire and put it back on your car. Put the lug nuts back on, tighten them, release the jack and tighten the lug nuts again.
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