@therealjrn When I was a daily hypermiler in the late 2000s, I would inflate my tires to 50 PSI. These were Continental Contact-Pro 195/65 R15 (one size up from stock to get 2% larger circumference) low-rolling-resistance tires. That sounds dangerous, BUT, the specs on tire testing is over 100 MPH + Max PSI + max load on each tire, where the tire is tested to destruction in say 15(?) minutes. The Continentals were 130 MPH + 51 PSI + 1356 lbs on each tire. My 50 PSI tires were mostly toodling along under 60 MPH on the freeway and had maybe 700+ lbs max on each tire. It was a bumpier ride, but I never had a tire failure (or I never met that pothole with my name on it).
@therealjrn My car has a screen that provides an option to display a graphic showing the pressure in all 4 tires. I also usually check it about once a month. Works for me.
@Luko26 Very few of the factory TPMSs will do anything more than just inform you that one of them is low, however. On the other hand, the aftermarket TPMS that is on my Scion will tell me the pressure of each tire, in real time, if I so choose.
@kittykat9180@Luko26 All of them will show a warning that there is a tire that is under inflated, but they seldom actually tell you which one, and almost never by how much. This is why you get huge lines at the free air pressure check at Discount Tire every time there’s a cold snap. Even people who have a tire pump may be unwilling to futz around figuring out how many tires are low, particularly when it may just be one, and it might be by just one or two psi.
@Luko26 It has been my experience that the low tire pressure alert only displays at quite low (read: borderline dangerous) tire pressures.
Better than nothing, I guess, but I prefer to actively check the pressure ~monthly.
(But then I’m retired with lots of free time on my hands. )
@kittykat9180@Luko26 The newest vehicle I’ve driven was a 2021 F150, and it didn’t detail which tire was low (or tell me that one was low and one REALLY low). If the manufacturers have added that capability, I might never see it because I’m absolutely determined never to buy anything that I don’t have the right to repair. From a tech standpoint, I understand why the ones I’ve seen don’t track the locations; that would require four antennas and a more sophisticated BCM that could detect when wheels changed positions on the vehicle. (TTBOMK, the only US models with four unique, non-interchangeable wheels are a few of the post-C5 Corvettes.)
@macromeh In theory, the TPMS is supposed to pop up an alert for any pressure under the minimum acceptable, which may be a few psi below minimum recommended. In practice, our Nissan does exactly that, and we can’t reset the threshold at which it triggers because that’s apparently hardcoded into the sensors. If a factory TPMS is allowing excessive sag, I’d call that a defect or failure.
Sorry… I’m gonna call “bullshit” on all you air checkers…
While you might check the pressure I would be willing to bet good money you don’t really check the actual AIR in the tire…ever!
My newest car was my second. A 1999 saturn in 2004. Sadly she has passed on. No automatic sensors other than the Mark I eyeball.
A few times I measured a tire far lower than it looked.
Oh my way to my dads funeral the 97 expedition blew and disintegrated a rear passenger tire. I don’t know if it was low because I didn’t look at the passenger side on the way out the door… Granted I was considering if it was worth replacing the tires for $700 on a vehicle I paid $400 for… So… Eh…
@unksol Yeah - I have an old (1991) Suburban that runs and drives OK. The tires were getting pretty bad, so I rolled the dice and bought a new set ($$$). Just a couple of months later, the tailgate window got stuck in the down position and I haven’t been able to fix it (it’s old enough that parts are hard/impossible to find). And in the meantime, we inherited my FIL’s pickup. So now the decision to spring for the new tires doesn’t seem so good.
Once an hour.
@yakkoTDI
That’s dedication!
@chienfou It gets tough on long road trips. Hanging out the window can be dangerous.
@chienfou @yakkoTDI Certain very large trucks are equipped with systems to maintain the inflation (and sometimes change it) on the fly.
Unless it’s your actual job, no one checks their tires daily. Or even weekly.
About once a month. I’ve noticed better gas mileage since I started staying on top of if.
@therealjrn When I was a daily hypermiler in the late 2000s, I would inflate my tires to 50 PSI. These were Continental Contact-Pro 195/65 R15 (one size up from stock to get 2% larger circumference) low-rolling-resistance tires. That sounds dangerous, BUT, the specs on tire testing is over 100 MPH + Max PSI + max load on each tire, where the tire is tested to destruction in say 15(?) minutes. The Continentals were 130 MPH + 51 PSI + 1356 lbs on each tire. My 50 PSI tires were mostly toodling along under 60 MPH on the freeway and had maybe 700+ lbs max on each tire. It was a bumpier ride, but I never had a tire failure (or I never met that pothole with my name on it).
https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/my-continental-contact-pro-tires-2642.html
@therealjrn My car has a screen that provides an option to display a graphic showing the pressure in all 4 tires. I also usually check it about once a month. Works for me.
Newer cars have tpms, so they are checked the whole time your car is on.
@Luko26 Very few of the factory TPMSs will do anything more than just inform you that one of them is low, however. On the other hand, the aftermarket TPMS that is on my Scion will tell me the pressure of each tire, in real time, if I so choose.
@Luko26 @werehatrack
I thought all new vehicles did that these days.
@kittykat9180
Oh, yeah. Has been a legal requirement in vehicles since 2007 to at least show a warning light if the pressure is under by at least 25%.
@kittykat9180 @Luko26 All of them will show a warning that there is a tire that is under inflated, but they seldom actually tell you which one, and almost never by how much. This is why you get huge lines at the free air pressure check at Discount Tire every time there’s a cold snap. Even people who have a tire pump may be unwilling to futz around figuring out how many tires are low, particularly when it may just be one, and it might be by just one or two psi.
@Luko26 It has been my experience that the low tire pressure alert only displays at quite low (read: borderline dangerous) tire pressures.
)
Better than nothing, I guess, but I prefer to actively check the pressure ~monthly.
(But then I’m retired with lots of free time on my hands.
@Luko26 @werehatrack most new vehicles I’ve been in give the actual value for all 4 tires.
@kittykat9180 @Luko26 The newest vehicle I’ve driven was a 2021 F150, and it didn’t detail which tire was low (or tell me that one was low and one REALLY low). If the manufacturers have added that capability, I might never see it because I’m absolutely determined never to buy anything that I don’t have the right to repair. From a tech standpoint, I understand why the ones I’ve seen don’t track the locations; that would require four antennas and a more sophisticated BCM that could detect when wheels changed positions on the vehicle. (TTBOMK, the only US models with four unique, non-interchangeable wheels are a few of the post-C5 Corvettes.)
@macromeh In theory, the TPMS is supposed to pop up an alert for any pressure under the minimum acceptable, which may be a few psi below minimum recommended. In practice, our Nissan does exactly that, and we can’t reset the threshold at which it triggers because that’s apparently hardcoded into the sensors. If a factory TPMS is allowing excessive sag, I’d call that a defect or failure.
I check the reading on the dashboard regularly and sometimes with a gauge.
@therealjrn From the man who brought us Flat Eric!!
@therealjrn Eeep. That’s a real movie. RT rates it 66% on the tomatometer, 46% on the popcornometer. That’s not particularly terrible.
I know! I looked it up from @dseanadams blurb today! Looks fun!
@therealjrn @yakkoTDI I rarely open my mouth when I watch things, but this got me there.
@cfg83 @therealjrn @yakkoTDI That was such a wonderfully bizarre film!
@cfg83 @macromeh @therealjrn @yakkoTDI Are we talking Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes here?
Its posted on the speedometer area. So everytime I drive I see it.
It is on the dashboard, so whenever I care to look.
My car lets me know when there is a problem.
My warning light is always on, because I don’t have any TPMS sensors.
I check the pressure when the tires look like they might be getting low.
Never drove a car but when cycling check tires daily!
@fjp999 For me that depends on which bicycle I am riding and where.
When I walk up to the car I will notice if a tire is low.
Sorry… I’m gonna call “bullshit” on all you air checkers…
While you might check the pressure I would be willing to bet good money you don’t really check the actual AIR in the tire…ever!
@chienfou
@chienfou you don’t know what i vape
My newest car was my second. A 1999 saturn in 2004. Sadly she has passed on. No automatic sensors other than the Mark I eyeball.
A few times I measured a tire far lower than it looked.
Oh my way to my dads funeral the 97 expedition blew and disintegrated a rear passenger tire. I don’t know if it was low because I didn’t look at the passenger side on the way out the door… Granted I was considering if it was worth replacing the tires for $700 on a vehicle I paid $400 for… So… Eh…
@unksol Yeah - I have an old (1991) Suburban that runs and drives OK. The tires were getting pretty bad, so I rolled the dice and bought a new set ($$$). Just a couple of months later, the tailgate window got stuck in the down position and I haven’t been able to fix it (it’s old enough that parts are hard/impossible to find). And in the meantime, we inherited my FIL’s pickup. So now the decision to spring for the new tires doesn’t seem so good.
after every four laps
/showme a dog with car tires lapping up water from a bowl.
@werehatrack Here’s the image you requested for “a dog with car tires lapping up water from a bowl.”
As long as there is no thump, thump, thump, thump sound while the car is moving, there is enough air in the tires.
KuoH