you can replace just one tire,
- BUT in my experience with this- depending on how much wear is on the remaining tires, you may/can get nuisance Tire Pressure Sensor alert readings.

 

The bigger issue with changing only one as I understand it is that if the sizes are different it can put stress on the mechanical aspects of the drive on that portion of the car.

 

That's what I had heard/read in the past. I've also heard that if you have an AWD vehicle, you have to change all tires at the same time. I'm not sure if that's feasible though, especially being the cost of one Michelin tire is over $200!

 

As long as the tire can be patched, then don't worry about it. If it has to be replaced, one thing you might try is going to Discount Tire and ask to have the tires rotated. They'll sell you a replacement program with the original tires. Then when it has to be replaced, it is on their dime.

 

If had some plugs last nearly a decade without leaks.

I wish the trades were more careful with their screw and nails.

 

Plug it! If it doesn't leak you should be good to go. If pressure leaks off over a period of time, turning on the TPS light, take it to a tire shop and have them patch it on the inside.

There is no mention anywhere, that I've seen, of replacing all the tires at the same time, as is required on a Subaru. They each use a different AWD system.

 

I plugged it last night and will keep an eye on it through the next few weeks. I think I saw a Scotty Kilmer video where he bashed AWD vehicles as a waste of money and mentioned that when one tire goes, they all need to be replaced. He may have been just referencing the Subaru, but I can't remember.

 

I also found this in the owners manual:
Tire and Wheel Replacement Replace your tires with radials of the same size, load range, speed rating, and maximum cold tire pressure rating (as shown on the tire’s sidewall). Using tires of a different size or construction can cause certain vehicle systems such as the ABS and Vehicle Stability Assist® (VSA®) system to work incorrectly. It is best to replace all four tires at the same time. If that isn’t possible, replace the front or rear tires in pairs. Make sure that the wheel’s specifications match those of the original wheels.

 

Throw your spare on there and see what it does..

I had a 2009 Mitsubishi that got a flat..within a few minutes after putting on the spare, I was getting a light show on the dash about the AWD system...

 

I used the spare- only had TPS warning light- drove 35 miles home then 6 miles to shop to repair. No AWD light came on.
( my gut says the AWD never even activated during that time period TBH )

 

 

I take this as a recommendation("it's best"), not a requirement. They are actually saying here that you can mix worn rear tires with new fronts. When they talk about "SIZE" here, they are talking about the actual size of the tire ie: 215/55/R17, not the diameter.

Of course we can all do what we feel is best. If I'd blow a tire and the other 3 have a ton of miles left on them, I'd probably only replace the blown tire. That's just me. Yeah, it might not play well with the TPS, or maybe it will. If the difference in new vs old is minimum, I doubt that there would be an issue. Best case scenario would to find a used tire of the same size/brand as a replacement. The tire shop up the road from me keeps some good used take-offs just for this reason.

 

PLUG IT and FORGET about it. You do not need a new tire (in my opinion) - that tire has so much tread left!
My CR-V had 4 plugs in 2 tires (3 in 1, and 1 on another) - it was from driving through a construction site while our house was being built. That location is fine and a plug will last a LONG time (if it was close to the sidewall I would replace the tire). I drove at least 15k miles more on those tires. Alos, MANY years ago I worked at a dealership. We would plug our parts truck tires all the time and drive them till they wore out. Never once had an issue. Just make sure you drill out the hole so the plug gets a good seal... or bring it to a shop to have it done. Place near me charged $14.

Personally, I would never replace that tire until it was worn out.

 

PLUG IT and FORGET about it. You do not need a new tire (in my opinion) - that tire has so much tread left!
My CR-V had 4 plugs in 2 tires (3 in 1, and 1 on another) - it was from driving through a construction site while our house was being built. That location is fine and a plug will last a LONG time (if it was close to the sidewall I would replace the tire). I drove at least 15k miles more on those tires. Alos, MANY years ago I worked at a dealership. We would plug our parts truck tires all the time and drive them till they wore out. Never once had an issue. Just make sure you drill out the hole so the plug gets a good seal... or bring it to a shop to have it done. Place near me charged $14.

Personally, I would never replace that tire until it was worn out.

I plugged the tire myself, actually had my son do it to learn how it's done, and have driven several miles on highway as well as city streets. It's holding up fine. I didn't want to take it to a shop and have them tell me they won't patch or plug it since it's near the side and they want to sell me new tires. I'll let you know if it gives out before the tread does. Thanks again everyone, this was an interesting topic to read.

 

It’s not nearly close enough to the side. It should hold for a long time.

 

Good feedback guys. I have a plug in a 1 month old tire.

It's holding air just like new.

 

My wife recently had a flat on her HRV AWD. I took her vehicle to replace the tire. I was told by a sales person at the tire store that I needed to replace two tires, rather than just one. I’ve heard this is the past and understood that often it’s needed to buy two, so that each axle has equal tires on left and right sides. My wife drove her car for a week and had horrible issues with bad acceleration, vibration, and horrible noise. She crippled her vehicle home and I scheduled to have it looked at after the Monday after the weekend. The service station called me after I’d brought it in and explained that the transfer case and rear differential were ruined. They later confirmed that the transmission was also ruined. I learned from them that different brands and or size differences of tires from one axle to the other can cause serious drive train issues. Being that this was our first AWD vehicle, I was totally unaware of this until I heard this from our service station. I called the tire dealer and quickly realized that this was something that locally, they could not help me to recoup the amount that I’ve spent because of the damages. I’ve called the tire dealer’s corporate office and trying to work something out.
I’ve pretty much read everywhere that replacing all 4 tires is extremely suggested for AWD vehicles. The tire replacement store even lists this on their webpage and I may have read this on the Honda page too. But, I’m not able to find any documentation from Honda or any general tire documentation to state exactly which drivetrain components can be damaged and what type of damage they can incur from mismatched tires.
Can someone direct my to documentation that explains the potential parts that can be damaged because of mismatched tires on a HRV AWD?
Thank you in advance.

 

what transfer case ?
the HRV has a transmission and a rear differential only -
what year is your HR-V ?
also the rear is not in use unless the computer tells it's clutch to lock up - its mostly in FWD mode ,so it's very hard to do the damage you claim if there were 2 different front tires or 2 different rear tires.
Which 2 did you change anyway ?

 

Hello and thank you for your response. The vehicle is a 2017 HRV ex. Two new tires were replaced on the front of the vehicle, so the front end of the car had new tires and the rear had old tires. As for my term transfer case, I have found that the component is actually listed as a “transfer assembly”. I have been told that the rear differential developers issues because it interprets the difference in tire size as traction slippage and this causes the clutches to constantly engage and dis-engage, in an attempt to compensate. Apparently, this is a highly debatable thought, but most tire shops recommend 4 tire replacement for AWD vehicles and some suggest tire grinding, if less than 4 are replaced. I believe that the practice of replacing 4 at once is even listed in some manufactures owners manuals on AWD vehicles. The only disputes of this practice are individuals and not technical documents or writings. Being that some dis-agree, I’m looking for information that collaborates possible damages by listing which drive train components are damaged. Thank you

 

Well I have a 2017 and replaced one tire no problems (other than the TP light coming on for no reason, at times ) - then i had to replace another tire months later
- we put the 2 'newer' ones on the same axle at this time.
Never had any issues related to the transmission, differential etc. - almost 48,000 miles.
No noise or harsh sounds- no drivabilty issues.

 

For ANY AWD/4WD vehicle, it's always recommended to keep all 4 tires identical...

However AWD and 4WD are non-technical terms.
Exactly what type of AWD/4WD system the vehicle has, determines how critical it is to have all 4 tires exactly the same.

The AWD HRV has non-locking front and rear differentials.
It's primarily a front wheel drive system with a gear set added to the transaxle to drive the rear driveshaft.
The rear driveshaft is always turning. There is an electronically controlled wet clutch in the rear differential to control engaging the rear wheels.

Will you damage anything by running 1 or 2 tires that are slightly different in diameter in an AWD HRV?
There haven't been many reports of that happening on this forum.

Since neither differential is locked, I don't see how either differential could be damaged by mismatched tires.
Since the AWD system is not engaged when driving around town on pavement, I don't see how the rear clutch in the differential would be damaged with mismatched tires.
I could see the rear clutch could be damaged in lots of driving in slippery conditions with mismatched tires.
I don't see how the CVT transmission could be damaged at all by mismatched tires.

If the 2 new front tires were very different in diameter than the 2 old rear tires, that should have set off some warning lights on the dash.


I recommend a 2nd opinion, a 2nd inspection of your HRV to determine exactly what the issues are.
I suspect your HRV had a pre-existing CVT issue and the CVT has failed coincidentally with the tire swap.
Have you have all the recalls and TSB's completed on your HRV including the CVT recall/TSB?


AWD/4WD vehicles have advantages over 2 wheel drive vehicles but they also have disadvantages.

 

For ANY AWD/4WD vehicle, it's always recommended to keep all 4 tires identical...

However AWD and 4WD are non-technical terms.
Exactly what type of AWD/4WD system the vehicle has, determines how critical it is to have all 4 tires exactly the same.

The AWD HRV has non-locking front and rear differentials.
It's primarily a front wheel drive system with a gear set added to the transaxle to drive the rear driveshaft.
The rear driveshaft is always turning. There is an electronically controlled wet clutch in the rear differential to control engaging the rear wheels.

Will you damage anything by running 1 or 2 tires that are slightly different in diameter in an AWD HRV?
There haven't been many reports of that happening on this forum.

Since neither differential is locked, I don't see how either differential could be damaged by mismatched tires.
Since the AWD system is not engaged when driving around town on pavement, I don't see how the rear clutch in the differential would be damaged with mismatched tires.
I could see the rear clutch could be damaged in lots of driving in slippery conditions with mismatched tires.
I don't see how the CVT transmission could be damaged at all by mismatched tires.

If the 2 new front tires were very different in diameter than the 2 old rear tires, that should have set off some warning lights on the dash.


I recommend a 2nd opinion, a 2nd inspection of your HRV to determine exactly what the issues are.
I suspect your HRV had a pre-existing CVT issue and the CVT has failed coincidentally with the tire swap.
Have you have all the recalls and TSB's completed on your HRV including the CVT recall/TSB?


AWD/4WD vehicles have advantages over 2 wheel drive vehicles but they also have disadvantages.

Thank you for your opinion and suggestions. Being that I’m new to Honda, the HRV, AwD vehicles, and to CVT transmissions, it’s all very confusing. The manual suggests changing all 4 at a time, many tire stores suggest this, and the general consensus that I’ve found also suggest this. But, I may be finding only what I’m searching for, rather than the whole picture. It seems, and this only to me, that much documentation states the practice of 4 tire replacement, but that this is disputed by individuals, rather than manufactures or an engineering group. I accept that a mechanic of multiple years has a reputable experience with the workings of a vehicle or practice, but I’m looking for a written document that a group puts their name behind. This seems to be as if doctors have differing opinions on the treatment of a common cold, but the AMA, FDA, or the Mayo Clinic won’t take a stand. Tap drills are of specific diameters and can be found in a machinist handbook, but there are constant disagreements on counterbore sizes. I guess I’m looking for definitive documentation, rather than personal, shop, or regional opinions. But, this documentation may not exist. Thanks again

 

Always best to post the year and mileage when posting. We have to assume that the car is out of warranty???
First thing I would do would be get a second opinion. I don't think that this mechanic actually knows what is wrong with the car. This sounds like BS to me.

As others have said, as long as you installed the same size tires as the other axle, there shouldn't have been any damage to the driveline. While some AWD cars require all 4 tires to be replaced, the HRV owners manual actually states that it's OK to only replace 2 tires. Tire shops will of course, most times recommend replacing all 4.

I've heard of a few instances of the center carrier bearing in the driveshaft, going to the rear diff, failing. This would cause vibration and noise. It's not a very expensive repair.

It would be nice to be able to find documentation on say, the percentage of speed difference between front and rear wheels before the rear diff would engage. I doubt that this info is available to the public and probably not even to the technician. Let us know how you make out.

 

@John35g your car is AWD?

P.S. I can smell this thread getting locked and/or merged with the recent thread that @Ein posted

Do I Need To Replace All 4 Tires On An AWD?

The question that keeps coming up. https://www.consumerreports.org/tires/tire-shaving-awd-car-no-need-to-replace-all-four-tires-a4235415952/

www.hrvforum.com

 

YES

 

If the front and rear tires were significantly different in diameter, the HRV would detect the difference, conclude that AWD is required and then activate the AWD system, (lock up the wet clutch in the rear differential).
On pavement this would result in drivetrain binding and possibly the rear clutch slipping.

The driver "should" notice the drivetrain binding and noise from the rear clutch.
The AWD light would be on and the TPMS warning light should also be on.

If driven a significant distance like this, the rear clutch would overheat and be damaged.
I don't see how anything else could be damaged though.


I'm a technical guy and only interested in the technical discussion.
However I suspect the OP is looking for information for legal purposes.