Despair Tire

Yesterday I decided to check the pressure of the spare tie. The schraeder valve sits face down, so I had to remove the wheel. The hold down bolt seemed stubborn so I got out the work gloves. Channel lock pliers next. Bottom line is I had to beat up the bolt and eventually cut it in half with a dremel/cutting wheel.

If you have never removed the spare tire you might want to try now, not at 2am on a rainy night.There was no rust or water causing this. It appears Subaru sprays a sealer in the spare tire cavity and that must get into the threads. I should take some blame since the spare has been sitting undisturbed for 19 years.

And the tire pressure was very low.....

Yes, good idea. Always check the spare as part of your routine checks.

My daughter had a flat tire and the spare tire had no air. I drove out and plugged her tire. Now every oil change, I will inspect her spare tire. Granted, the car is 10 years old and never needed to use but better to check.