Why is it so hard to check your tyre pressures.

[Captain Muppet]

Thankyou4calling said:

>rant<

Then my 2 minutes of air runs out before I've done all four tyres omitting the suspect front! Can't be bothered to get another 20p so replace all valve caps but, as is the way, one is missing (nice alloy caps too) I just need to get out of this place. Head home and I've driven 14 miles and its taken an hour. Is it just me who hates this job?

You drove 14 miles to inflate a suspected flat tyre, and decided to leave it until last?

Then you decide not to spend 20p to complete the job.

Did you get your suspected flat tyre inflated, or is it still flat?

I hope your job doesn't involve decision making or financial planning.

>checks profile<

Oh.

[braddo]

kambites said:

Really? My parents have absolutely no interest in cars but still have their own foot pump with a gauge on it (which gets used for the car, bikes, wheel barrow and anything else that has pneumatic tyres on it). I doubt they've ever even noticed that petrol stations have air lines to be honest.

I don't know if they ever actually check their tyre pressures unless they look flat (almost certainly not), but they certainly have the equipment to do so if required.

Whereas I think I am the only person among pretty much everyone I've ever known to have a tyre gauge and pump.

[kambites]

steve singh said:

If you can show me one I'll buy it.

Had tons of ones to use at home and they are rubbish.

Now thinking of buying an air compressor and have done with it !

I've got a cheap(ish) integrated pressure gauge and tread depth thing from Halfords and it seems to measure within 1 PSI of the much more expensive (but rather bulky) calibrated gauge I got when I used to run a racing car.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...

[kambites]

braddo said:

Whereas I think I am the only person among pretty much everyone I've ever known to have a tyre gauge and pump.

So how do people pump up their bike tyres and their air-beds and their kids' paddling pools? I had a foot pump and pressure gauge long before I had a car.

Edited by kambites on Thursday 8th August 09:15

[RobM77]

kambites said:

braddo said:

Whereas I think I am the only person among pretty much everyone I've ever known to have a tyre gauge and pump.

So how do people pump up their bike tyres and their air-beds and their kids' paddling pools? I had a foot pump and pressure gauge long before I had a car.

Edited by kambites on Thursday 8th August 09:15

Same here

oh, and doogz: yes, I coverted from F to C

[braddo]

kambites said:

braddo said:

Whereas I think I am the only person among pretty much everyone I've ever known to have a tyre gauge and pump.

So how do people pump up their bike tyres and their air-beds and their kids' paddling pools? I had a foot pump and pressure gauge long before I had a car.

Edited by kambites on Thursday 8th August 09:15

People I've known:

Bike tyres - at the local service station or those dreadful little handpumps like used for footballs

Airbeds - a specific pump for airbeds that's useless for anything else

Paddling pool - lungs or the perhaps the airbed pump!

[kambites]

braddo said:

People I've known:

Bike tyres - at the local service station or those dreadful little handpumps like used for footballs

Airbeds - a specific pump for airbeds that's useless for anything else

Paddling pool - lungs or the perhaps the airbed pump!

My first foot pump (sounds like a child's toy) came with an adapter for air beds and things.

Probably cost less than one of the stupid plastic air-bed pumps too.

[steve singh]

kambites said:

steve singh said:

If you can show me one I'll buy it.

Had tons of ones to use at home and they are rubbish.

Now thinking of buying an air compressor and have done with it !

I've got a cheap(ish) integrated pressure gauge and tread depth thing from Halfords and it seems to measure within 1 PSI of the much more expensive (but rather bulky) calibrated gauge I got when I used to run a racing car.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...

Sorry I meant one that actually pumps up and gives an accurate reading - every cheap one I've had suggested my tyres are 30psi over what they are !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kambites]

steve singh said:

Sorry I meant one that actually pumps up and gives an accurate reading - every cheap one I've had suggested my tyres are 30psi over what they are !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ah, I see. I don't really know then. I think if you want a pump and a gauge, buy a pump and a gauge; the inbuilt gauges always seem to be a bit rubbish unless you spend a lot of money. Except for the very first pump I owned (which I bought for bikes not cars) I've never had a combined unit.

[steve singh]

kambites said:

steve singh said:

Sorry I meant one that actually pumps up and gives an accurate reading - every cheap one I've had suggested my tyres are 30psi over what they are !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ah, I see. I don't really know then. I think if you want a pump and a gauge, buy a pump and a gauge; the inbuilt gauges always seem to be a bit rubbish unless you spend a lot of money. Except for the very first pump I owned (which I bought for bikes not cars) I've never had a combined unit.

It's a PITA but I might do that...I was thinking of buying an air compressor and do it that way, as it has multiple uses too

[kambites]

steve singh said:

kambites said:

steve singh said:

Sorry I meant one that actually pumps up and gives an accurate reading - every cheap one I've had suggested my tyres are 30psi over what they are !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ah, I see. I don't really know then. I think if you want a pump and a gauge, buy a pump and a gauge; the inbuilt gauges always seem to be a bit rubbish unless you spend a lot of money. Except for the very first pump I owned (which I bought for bikes not cars) I've never had a combined unit.

It's a PITA but I might do that...I was thinking of buying an air compressor and do it that way, as it has multiple uses too

Even with a compressor plumbed into the garage, I still use a stand-alone, hand-held pressure gauge. They just seem to be more accurate. My process is:

1) Check tyre pressures using hand held gauge.
2) If necessary, pump tyres up to significantly over recommended pressure.
3) Use hand-held gauge to gradually let tyres down until they reach the correct pressure.

Of course in practice 99% of the time, I stop after step-1 because the pressures are already correct.

[LuS1fer]

More like this:

Park car.
Struggle into garage to get the electric pump
Remove from case and unravel all the cable and the rubber hose
Pick up all the attachments which fell off in this process
Endeavour to attach to tyre valve.
Get keys to unlock car to start while compressor operating
Compressor cuts out repeatedly or fuse blows.
Finally get all four done.
Wrestle to put the cable and hose back from where they no longer seem to fit.
Replace in cas/box/garage.

[Captain Muppet]

I have a little pencil type gauge, and a decades old Halfords foot pump with a movable arrow on the dial. I set the arrow to give the same reading as my pencil gauge (using a tyre at the right pressure), then just pump up flat tyres until they hit the arrow.

I've given up checking afterwards as they were always right.

I also have a proper gauge that I can connect to my compresser, but the foot pump is so much easier to get out and put away that I've never used it.

[RobM77]

doogz said:

RobM77 said:

Same here

oh, and doogz: yes, I coverted from F to C

You did?

How?

1C is 1.8F.

So a 20C difference is an 36F difference, yes?

So, how did you come to this 6PSI difference? As that's not how it reads to me.

Regardless of what your random graph says, pressure divided by absolute temperature, is a constant, assuming constant volume.

You can argue with physics if you want, but there's no point in arguing with me about it.

[kambites]

LuS1fer said:

More like this:

Park car.
Struggle into garage to get the electric pump
Remove from case and unravel all the cable and the rubber hose
Pick up all the attachments which fell off in this process
Endeavour to attach to tyre valve.
Get keys to unlock car to start while compressor operating
Compressor cuts out repeatedly or fuse blows.
Finally get all four done.
Wrestle to put the cable and hose back from where they no longer seem to fit.
Replace in cas/box/garage.

Sounds like you need a better organised garage.

[Jacks0n]

Just go to your local tyre fitter, bung them a few quid. Job done.

[Captain Muppet]

Jacks0n said:

Just go to your local tyre fitter, bung them a few quid. Job done.

Pay a man to check your tyre pressures?

Good grief.

[Xakid]

I bought a foot pump with pressure gauge from Halfords after the local 'scamps' got into the habit of letting one or more of my car's tyres down occasionally. A bit more work than a 12v compressor but quieter and extra exercise is no bad thing. Handy for use on the scooter too.

As for the OP, I also used to find it a hassle to find a local garage which a)had a compressor, b)didn't have a massive queue and c)wasn't silly money for all of a minute's worth of air.

Even if you don't get a pump, at least get a gauge, so you can check before the journey whether you need air at all, or which tyre(s) need it before you go so save on those 20/50p's

[Rob197]

I am one of said 'fitters' we check and adjust pressures for free!

[cheesesliceking]

yonex said:

This. No garage is complete without air tools

edit. yes

Edited by yonex on Wednesday 7th August 16:12

Like an air guitar?