FlopTop04

Here is a nice, inexpensive upgrade for those of us that are maintenance zealots. I haven't seen it
mentioned in the forum but if it has, my apologies.

The RX makes it easy to check tire pressures from the comfort of the drivers seat. Not so much for the
spare tire in the trunk. It's not unusual for the spare to lose a few PSI every year even though it hasn't
been used. There is nothing worse than getting a flat, digging the spare tire out of the trunk only to find
it's very low in pressure. Normal inflation is 60 PSI and I make it a habit to check it every year. However,
due the the way the spare tire is stored, it must be removed and flipped over to gain access to the valve
stem. Now for the tip. Buy a flexible extension at least 8" long and install it on the spare. Pass the end
through the hole in the rim and bingo! You can easily check and add air to the spare without removing
the tire. The extension can be quickly unscrewed and removed when the spare is needed.

Here is a link to the ones I used ( but there are many others in various lengths available ) :

Before - spare tire stored with no valve stem access



Installing valve stem extension.



Spare back in place with extension. You can see the pass-through hole in the photo above by the brass area of the stem extension.

mikemu30

Super clever. Our RX is going on four years old and I've never once looked at the spare.

FlopTop04

Thanks. !
You'll be surprised at the spare tires pressure after being dormant for 4 years. It might be down to a level that would make putting it on the RX dangerous. When I got my 2016 RX350 as a L-Cert vehicle it was a good 10 pounds light. It seems not many places check the spare during routine service. I'm one of those fanatic's and the extension makes my life easier.

DigitalMan

I'm surprised the spare tires don't come with TPMS. Would be nice to be able to see its pressure on the dash.

Mikes94GS3

Thanks for the post. Reminded me of this one from earlier this year https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...ging-tire.html because you need to be able to remove the lug nuts to mount the properly inflated spare!

mrcheap

I always have a air compressor in all my cars just as back up along with a digi gauge

they are digital and you can set the compressor to stop at a desired psi

Came in handy last time with a screw in my tire and I just topped it off and was able to drive to a tire shop to fix

JSracer

what pump do you use ?? thanks!!

mrcheap

TACKLIFE 12V DC Car Tire Inflator Air Compressor Portable Multifunctional Tire Pump for Car Tires Bike Tires and Other Inflatables

jglipman

I have been using an extension on every RX I have owned. It certainly helps keep spare tire pressure where it should be without hurting your back.

dibl

Thanks for this great tip. My 2018 has been on the road 2 1/2 years, and when I checked the spare, the pressure was 27 lbs., versus the 60 lb. spec. I got the recommended 8" extenders from Amazon, but my spare doesn't have the hole in the rim as pictured -- apparently the F-Sport (or maybe the 2018) spare is different, so I had to use one of the lug holes, which meant the 8" extender wasn't long enough, but since they came in a pair, I simply connected the two extenders and that worked out great.

JasDmw

Can anyone confirm my 2020 FSport doesn't have a TPMS sensor on the spare? Just read through the manual, did a search and can find reference to 4 sensors, but not the 5th.

Cocal

No TPMS on spares especially if the doughnut type as they are only there to allow you to drive to the tire repair shop.