low pressure warning
10-29-08, 08:27 AM
#31
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If you check your tires more then once per month you might have too much time on your hands. I check tires when I go on a long trip which is maybe twice a year. I know I should check them more often but why? I have nitrogen filled tires anyways.
10-29-08, 04:50 PM
#34
Wow! I couldn't disagree with your statement more. Tire pressure checks take 2-3 minutes and ensure that you have safe tires, at least from a pressure point of view. I will admit that the alloy wheels on the Lexus hold pressure better than those on my Acura but they still lose pressure. Tire pressure checks are a safety item. Can you ever have too much preventative safety?
10-29-08, 04:52 PM
#35
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This type of "check your tire pressure with every temperature change" conversation happens all the time when I talk to (lecture) my adult girls. I have read that every 10 degree temperature change causes a 1 psi difference in tire pressure (is that Boyle's law? - don't remember). Combine that with the residual monthly loss and it can be 5-10 psi per tire as the seasons change. I have read here that the spare is usually the culprit since we are too energy conservative minded (some might read that as lazy) to lower the spare, disconnect if from the cradle, pull it out and check it. Oth, I own a compressor and I check it 3-4 times per year while checking main tire pressure several times a month.
Nitrogen? There have been lots of discussions on this in other forums. What I THINK I understand is that N2 is slower to leak out and thus, more stable for those that aren't keen on checking tire pressure regularly. In the "I didn't know that" department, the airline companies use N2 in the tires for that reason as well as the fact that N2 won't support combustion in the event of a tire failure or hot brake.
Nitrogen? There have been lots of discussions on this in other forums. What I THINK I understand is that N2 is slower to leak out and thus, more stable for those that aren't keen on checking tire pressure regularly. In the "I didn't know that" department, the airline companies use N2 in the tires for that reason as well as the fact that N2 won't support combustion in the event of a tire failure or hot brake.
Back for my AA Theology now.
10-29-08, 06:01 PM
#36
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Wow! I couldn't disagree with your statement more. Tire pressure checks take 2-3 minutes and ensure that you have safe tires, at least from a pressure point of view. I will admit that the alloy wheels on the Lexus hold pressure better than those on my Acura but they still lose pressure. Tire pressure checks are a safety item. Can you ever have too much preventative safety?
10-30-08, 06:06 AM
#38
Lexus Test Driver
The problem with nitrogen is that if the tires are low, you have to go to a specialty shop to fill it where I can just fill it at home. TPMS, nitrogen or not, you should check your tires at least once a month and do a visual inspection too. Its a much better safety practice than any nitrogen can provide. Like Xfirechief said, we are not racing our car in NASCAR, we are just driving around town, there is no need to fill our tires with nitrogen.
10-30-08, 07:42 AM
#39
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I found nitrogen useful for one other thing that has already been mentioned, and I don't expect it to be like it was in Mexico for me, but I had a nail once in the vehicle and didn't even know about it, and the nitrogen sure enough kept the tire pressure constant enough, because when we pulled the nail out, there is indeed was a puncture all the way through.
10-30-08, 08:30 AM
#40
Lexus Test Driver
Nitrogen do not maintain tire pressure 3 to 4 times better than air like some manufacturers like to claim. Here is a Consumer report article about nitrogen in tire:
The results show nitrogen does reduce pressure loss over time, but the reduction is only a 1.3 psi difference from air-filled tires. The average loss of air-filled tires was just 3.5 psi from the initial 30 pressure setting. Nitrogen-filled tires lost an average of 2.2 psi from the initial 30 psi setting. More important, all tires lost air pressure regardless of the inflation medium, so consumers should check their tires' air pressure routinely.
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/car...nitrogen-.html
The results show nitrogen does reduce pressure loss over time, but the reduction is only a 1.3 psi difference from air-filled tires. The average loss of air-filled tires was just 3.5 psi from the initial 30 pressure setting. Nitrogen-filled tires lost an average of 2.2 psi from the initial 30 psi setting. More important, all tires lost air pressure regardless of the inflation medium, so consumers should check their tires' air pressure routinely.
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/car...nitrogen-.html
10-30-08, 09:44 AM
#41
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One thing I remember from 1/4 mile racing that I noticed after switching to nitrogen is that my times got to be a bit more consistent, say within a tenth of a second rather than 2 tenths or so on a group of runs. That was about late 2004 when I did that and I noticed a few other people who raced automatic vehicles noticed as much, too.
11-02-08, 06:41 PM
#42
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salimshah nailed it
thanks salimshah. all tires were at 35, but the spare was low. my helpful hubby aired it up to 35 and the light went off. in answer to the later question - you do not have to go to the dealer to put air in the spare.
11-03-08, 08:39 AM
#44
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I was once having problems with my TPMS when I would adjust the tire pressure to the manufacturers 30 psi (for my 18" seven spoke graphites). I was told that there is a way to manually adjust the TPMS to respond to a user set setting. Apparently it's in the manual, but I never followed up on this as I told a number of member's advice to use 34 - 35 psi when filling the tires.
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