I'm having a bad day - flat tire question

[CathyA]

I've been having an intermittent problem with one of my tires going flat. Supposedly I have bent wheels and my tires aren't able to be rotated.
Anyhow......the last below zero weather we had, I had a flat tire. I filled it up with my air machine. It stayed up for a couple weeks. I'm wondering if the bent rims contribute to this? ......and maybe when I drive through frozen snow it makes it worse?

This morning it dropped to below zero and it's flat as a pancake again.....and I can't get the machine to work right. Is it possible that the machine is taking in air that is too cold?
It feels like its pumping out a little air, but not alot. Dang. when it rains, it pours.....

[new2oregon]

CathyA, I would look into getting another rim and tire even if its a used one from a junk yard if its being intermittent. Could be the rim and tire seal also could be the valve on the tire. Its good to be frugal but this involves your safety. You wouldn't want to be stranded all alone at night.

[ToomuchStuff]

For the tire machine to not pump air, it would have to physically be frozen so the pison's couldn't move. If that were the case, you would have quickly blown a fuse as it kept trying to suck power. I suspect your lost your bead seal (where the tire meets the rim), and without it, all your air you pump in, has a hole to go out of. Compressors, can themselves have leaks though, do you hear any non normal hissing from it?

[CathyA]

Thanks new2oregon and TMS.

Actually........I did the same thing I did the last time it wouldn't fill.......I moved the car about 6" and tried to fill it again, and it worked. I think the bead seal that you spoke of TMS maybe needed to be on the bottom of the tire, and have more pressure on it until the tire could fill?? Who knows. So.....I'll keep my eye on it and take it to the tire-fixing store. I've been also looking into a portable air machine, but it looks like most take a 15 amp accessory outlet in the car, and mine is less.
Weird that it seems to happen when it's below zero. But I'm sure, at this point, that it's more than just air shrinking.
Thanks for your input!