DONT FORGET TO CHECK YOUR PSI

[R2d2]

Originally Posted By: Patman
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Patman -
What is the approximate range of temps you see cold to hot?
[Not racing]



Generally speaking my tire pressures will go up by about 3-4 psi from when the tires are cold to when they are fully warmed up.

This is another thing I like about the TPMS, it allows me to check the tire pressures on the go, at highway speeds. I wish my Civic had this system, the US models of the EX got it, but for some reason they felt us Canadians didn't need it.

The US Civics didn't get TMPS until 2008 when it became mandatory (sold 07 civic ex). My Accord has just the simple light, seems to go off if tire pressure falls about 5pounds below spec. The Chevy Impalas I drive at work give individual tire pressures.

 

[johnsmellsalot]

The best time to check tires is in the morning before the sun shines on them. The sun heats up the tires and gives you a false reading. Also, use a digital pressure gauge. They are very accurate. Fill the tires to what the manual says. Never go by the maximum pressure on the sidewall.
Originally Posted By: OtisBlkR1
Just a friendly reminder, climb out from under the hood once in awhile and check your PSI, I got fresh rubber on the truck a few weeks ago and as soon as it got home i checked the PSI, it was about 1-2 PSI off per tire, rechecked cold in the am, and adjusted accordingly. temps outside were in the 90's with heat index over 110' now were in the 80's so i rechecked today, every tire was off almost identicaly 3psi low..

So i just felt like a friendly neighborhood reminder, check your PSI often !

 

[Bruce T]

The TPMS in my new 2009 Civic Hybrid didn't even trigger when I had a complete flat! After they fixed the flat, it started working. Even when working properly, mine won't activate until a tire has lost 7 psi. TPMS is nothing more than a dummy light for major pressure losses, not a substitute for checking the air pressure regularly.

 

[johnsmellsalot]

Originally Posted By: Bruce T
The TPMS in my new 2009 Civic Hybrid didn't even trigger when I had a complete flat! After they fixed the flat, it started working. Even when working properly, mine won't activate until a tire has lost 7 psi. TPMS is nothing more than a dummy light for major pressure losses, not a substitute for checking the air pressure regularly.
The manual in my car says that the low tire pressure light doesn't come on until a tire is 12 PSI lower than the others.

 

[Bruce T]

Man, 12 psi is ridiculous. Yes, I'm jealous of the systems that display individual pressures (like Patman and SteveSRT8 have). Very cool feature. I've seen the same increase as Patman between cold and fully warm tires: 3-4 psi.

 

[Colt45ws]

The tolerance on the Buick is so wide because it likely uses the indirect TPMS (aka ABS sensors) vice the direct TPMS with sensors in the tire.
So it is looking at how fast the tires are spinning and when one gets more that X% out it sets the light off. But again another bug shows up there because if you drain all the tires to 20psi under it wont come on because they are still within X% speed.

 

[Bruce T]

Yes, I've noticed something similar. If all my tires are equally low (such as 20 psi), it doesn't seem to trigger the TPMS light. The system seems to be looking for one tire that is significantly lower than the others. Maybe it's because gross inequalities create unstable handling?

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted By: johnsmellsalot
The manual in my car says that the low tire pressure light doesn't come on until a tire is 12 PSI lower than the others.

That sucks! The TPMS in my Corvette warns me if one tire is 5psi lower or higher than the others, or if any one of the tires goes below 25 psi. That has saved me a few times now, where a tire had picked up a nail and it had only just begun to slowly leak, and I was warned of the slightly lower pressure before it even got too low to drive on safely.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: Patman
Originally Posted By: johnsmellsalot
The manual in my car says that the low tire pressure light doesn't come on until a tire is 12 PSI lower than the others.

That sucks! The TPMS in my Corvette warns me if one tire is 5psi lower or higher than the others, or if any one of the tires goes below 25 psi. That has saved me a few times now, where a tire had picked up a nail and it had only just begun to slowly leak, and I was warned of the slightly lower pressure before it even got too low to drive on safely.


Likewise. I was backing out of the garage and the dash display alerted me to the RR tire being low. Sure enough it had a nail in it!

 

[Hameed]

I wonder if there is an market system we can install in our cars so that we can see the precise psi in each tire all the time....

I have an 06 Civic Hybrid (Canadian) and would love to have this feature in the car.

I keep my psi to about 2-4 psi below the tire manufacturer recommended settings.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: Hameed
I wonder if there is an market system we can install in our cars so that we can see the precise psi in each tire all the time....

I have an 06 Civic Hybrid (Canadian) and would love to have this feature in the car.

I keep my psi to about 2-4 psi below the tire manufacturer recommended settings.

The pressure on tire sidewall is the cold tire maximum that you should not go over it, not the recommend pressure. The recommend pressure for your car in usually on the placard on the door.

 

[Hameed]

I found one tire pressure monitoring system, however it's not exactly cheap - http://www.tirepressuremonitor.com/products/6-wheel-dipole-monitor/

$175 for the monitor and another $200 for 4 sensors.

 

[Hameed]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: Hameed
I wonder if there is an market system we can install in our cars so that we can see the precise psi in each tire all the time....

I have an 06 Civic Hybrid (Canadian) and would love to have this feature in the car.

I keep my psi to about 2-4 psi below the tire manufacturer recommended settings.

The pressure on tire sidewall is the cold tire maximum that you should not go over it, not the recommend pressure. The recommend pressure for your car in usually on the placard on the door.
I follow the tire manufacturer ratings, not the car manufacturer ratings.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Hameed
I follow the tire manufacturer ratings, not the car manufacturer ratings.


Where do tire manufacturers recommend pressure levels, considering one size tire fits on several vehicles?

 

[stephen9666]

Originally Posted By: Hameed
[/quote]I follow the tire manufacturer ratings, not the car manufacturer ratings.


The number on the tire is only the maximum safe pressure, not a recommend inflation pressure.

The vehicle manufacturer recommends a tire pressure based on the suspension, vehicle weight etc. As another member mentioned, it's listed on a sticker. On my cars it's on the driver's door jamb or in the glove box.