Steps to loosening your car’s air valve caps

1. Rotate your wheel/tire so the cap is upside down from your point of view.
2. Spray a small amount of lubricant onto the valve.
3. Tightly grasp the base of the valve stem with pliers.
4. Grasp the cap with your other set of pliers and twist until it becomes free.

Even though you will be fine to drive with a missing air valve cap, we recommend replacing it when you get the chance so that you can keep dust and debris out of your tires. Metal caps can corrode over time and fuse to the stem, and removing it will become extremely difficult when you need to refill your tires.

When the cap is removed, the valve stem is exposed and can get clogged with road dirt, grease or ice. This can make inflating the tire difficult. A missing valve cap can also lead to a slow air leak over time, eventually resulting in a tire going flat.

Replacing your valve stem is an easy task to do, even if you aren’t a mechanic. New valve stems cost about $10 dollars to repair if you do it yourself. If you bring it to the shop, it will cost about $30.

Tire Valve Caps No matter what type of vehicle you drive and what type of tire valve stems you have on your wheels, it’s important to always use valve caps. Valve caps keep air from escaping your tire — they are the second, backup seal that prevents tire pressure loss.

The tire valve stem cap is a critical component of the tire because it helps maintain tire pressure. Every tire has a Schrader valve; this valve is necessary to keep tires inflated. The tire valve cap acts as a cap for the Schrader valve. Without the tire cap, the Schrader valve is not completely leak proof.

It’s not just age that can cause a valve stem to malfunction, either. UV rays, heat and salt can cause cracks, they can get cut by wheel covers if they’re not replaced properly, and rubbing against curbs or rocks can break or damage them.

There are Several Possibilities as to Why Your Tires Lose Air: a hole in the tread, probably from a nail or something sharp in the road. a poor seal where the tire attaches to the wheel, which lets air escape. a loose or improperly functioning tire valve.