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  #1 (permalink)  
Old Oct 6th, 2009, 06:40 PM
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Unhappy Can't remove dust caps

New used owner of a 03 Mini Cooper S with Runflat tyres...

and went to check my tyre pressures, and found that I had metal dust caps on the valves. Which I cannot remove!

tried pliers (but was worried about breaking the valve) tried a spanner, but nothing is shifting them.

hope I am not being completely stupid! but my previous cars have just had boring black plastic ones that screw off.

someone please help!
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Old Oct 6th, 2009, 07:03 PM
PK5
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do you have some lube like wd40?
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Old Oct 6th, 2009, 07:07 PM
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Quote: Originally Posted by PK5 (original)
do you have some lube like wd40?

Will give it a go

was just making sure there wasn't some kind of tool marked 'use me to take your dust caps off' in the boot or something that I'd stupidly missed
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Old Oct 6th, 2009, 07:09 PM
PK5
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no, if that doesnt work you could hacksaw a groove across the top and use a screwdriver, then replace dust caps
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Old Oct 6th, 2009, 10:17 PM
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Are they the locking type?


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Old Oct 7th, 2009, 03:07 PM
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Quote: Originally Posted by M.O.S (original)
Are they the locking type?

seemingly not, managed to get one off with pliers, and it just seemed to have become rusty inside. The others are still stuck, going to have to try a garage.

if/when they come off cheap plastic ones will be going on! never had this much aggro when I only wanted to check tyre pressures.
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Old Oct 7th, 2009, 03:18 PM
PK5
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did you try the method of making a groove acroos the top for a screwdriver?
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Old Oct 7th, 2009, 04:08 PM
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its common for alloy ones to corrode and stick to the valve. in some cases it will be so bad that you have to take them to a tyre place and have them cut the valve and then deflate tyre and fit new valve and remount the tyre etc. I had this happen twice to that point and even using copper clip etc on the caps this still happened several more times where i got them off but not before destoying the caps. I got so hacked off with it that in the end I've gone back to black plastic (which as I have a black alloys doesn't look too bad )

This is the most unprofessional bit of site management I have seen since I was banned from a certain other site...at least they had the excuse that they were enthusiasts who had strong views and not professionals paid to keep thier cool!
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Old Oct 7th, 2009, 07:18 PM
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Quote: Originally Posted by Richard Crofts (original)
its common for alloy ones to corrode and stick to the valve. in some cases it will be so bad that you have to take them to a tyre place and have them cut the valve and then deflate tyre and fit new valve and remount the tyre etc. I had this happen twice to that point and even using copper clip etc on the caps this still happened several more times where i got them off but not before destoying the caps. I got so hacked off with it that in the end I've gone back to black plastic (which as I have a black alloys doesn't look too bad )

Finally got them off! by using a clamp to hold the rubber tube that comes out the tyre in one hand, and a set of pliers in the other.

and yes I'll be switching to cheapo black plastic ones too, I'm not having this fuss everytime I want to check my tyre pressures
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