[Robby]

Sorry OP......it'll be back.

Valve stem bore and rim corrosion (aluminum wheels) at a young age is becoming status quo in the snow (salt) belt areas.
Most speculate it is a result of frequent trips through the car wash.
Few realize that car washes reclaim, filter, and re-use their water......think of a large tank like a toilet bowl with a valve and float under the floor on the lower level with all the rest of the pumps and whatnot.

The problem is, you can't filter salt......so for most of the winter you are pressure washing the car with salt water.
This saline solution gets driven at the bead and valve bore area as well as the whole wheel/tire assembly and we suspect it stays damp in those areas for a while.....corrosion is the result.
Eventually the tire must be removed, the rim bead polished and sealed, the valve removed, the bore cleaned and a new valve stem....reassemble and balance......whata pain.

Seems to take three to four winters before this shows up......folks that hand wash/fresh water don't seem to have the problem or it takes a few more years for it to crop up.

Another reason for running steel wheels with snows for the winter.....seems the steelies put up with the salt far longer before corrosion becomes a problem.

Rob

 

[Robby]

I wonder what the WD-40 will do to the longevity of the valve stem. Which I think is the TPMS sensor.

The TPS unscrews from the stem and is essentially a sealed pressure sensor.......the valve stem might degrade if it was continually washed in WD but odds are the short blast will disappear over time and no damage would occur.

Not a recommended process though......just delaying the inevitable......like putting a soup can and hose clamps on a leaking exaust....just buying time.

Rob