Rental car tyre pressure issue.
Discussion
Many moons ago I started working as a delivery/collection driver for one of the larger hire companies.
The state that some of the cars came back in was unreal.
I did that job for quite some time as I was driving nearly new cars (I was in my 20's at the time) & as long as the deliveries/collections were done in reasonable time all was good & you were left to it with a list/keys.
The guy who quality controlled (checked etc) the cars suddenly decided he was going to up and leave. I got asked to take over from him.
On a normal day it was a reasonably easy job and the time allocated allowed a full check of everything. The exceptions were when a car had been abused by the previous renter or the office staff rented every car out and they all arrived back the same day, sometimes moments before they were due back out again.
On times like that it was simply impossible to check everything & that's when the cars got a quick check over if they were lucky.
I enjoyed my time working there as we had some quite interesting stuff on fleet that I wouldn't have come across at the age I was (Vauxhall gte/gsi, calibra turbo, Peugeot 405 mi16, Volvo 960, Mercedes e class stick in my mind) compared to the 1.2 nova I was driving they were a different world.
I cant see that car/van rental has changed that much as I hired a van that they cant have done more than a once over not that long back. Saying that the check sheet read like a book and I am not sure it would have been possible to pick out any extra damage as it was a heap.
The state that some of the cars came back in was unreal.
I did that job for quite some time as I was driving nearly new cars (I was in my 20's at the time) & as long as the deliveries/collections were done in reasonable time all was good & you were left to it with a list/keys.
The guy who quality controlled (checked etc) the cars suddenly decided he was going to up and leave. I got asked to take over from him.
On a normal day it was a reasonably easy job and the time allocated allowed a full check of everything. The exceptions were when a car had been abused by the previous renter or the office staff rented every car out and they all arrived back the same day, sometimes moments before they were due back out again.
On times like that it was simply impossible to check everything & that's when the cars got a quick check over if they were lucky.
I enjoyed my time working there as we had some quite interesting stuff on fleet that I wouldn't have come across at the age I was (Vauxhall gte/gsi, calibra turbo, Peugeot 405 mi16, Volvo 960, Mercedes e class stick in my mind) compared to the 1.2 nova I was driving they were a different world.
I cant see that car/van rental has changed that much as I hired a van that they cant have done more than a once over not that long back. Saying that the check sheet read like a book and I am not sure it would have been possible to pick out any extra damage as it was a heap.
Chucklehead said:
Have you worked in the industry then?
The threat of death due to negligence and repercussions for lapses in duty of care (in the UK anyway) are so serious that each car rental company has pretty rigorous checks before each rental.
That's true, they all have rigorous checks that are written in MS WORD, distributed to all the Franchises, printed off and then quickly signed with no regard for the vehicle.The threat of death due to negligence and repercussions for lapses in duty of care (in the UK anyway) are so serious that each car rental company has pretty rigorous checks before each rental.
I had a missing windscreen wiper once. Pretty bloody rigorous if you tell me.
Chucklehead said:
Have you worked in the industry then?
The threat of death due to negligence and repercussions for lapses in duty of care (in the UK anyway) are so serious that each car rental company has pretty rigorous checks before each rental.
The Hertz driver who delivered a Focus to me last week didn't notice the nail in the rear tyre or indeed the resultant flat during this rigorous check.The threat of death due to negligence and repercussions for lapses in duty of care (in the UK anyway) are so serious that each car rental company has pretty rigorous checks before each rental.
A5 I picked up from a hotel on the outskirts of Heathrow. Mum in the back complained that it was quite a hard ride in the back.
I put that down to the nature of the car. Eventually the TPS light came on. Pulled in to check the tyres, all of them were over 45psi.
Eased them down to 34 front, 32 rear and the ride was much more comfortable.
Had to put half a litre of oil in that one too, but as I had already done about 3000 miles in 2 weeks I didn't complain about it and gave the other half to Mum.
I put that down to the nature of the car. Eventually the TPS light came on. Pulled in to check the tyres, all of them were over 45psi.
Eased them down to 34 front, 32 rear and the ride was much more comfortable.
Had to put half a litre of oil in that one too, but as I had already done about 3000 miles in 2 weeks I didn't complain about it and gave the other half to Mum.
accident said:
so you have a warning light telling you TYRE pressure warning.
your plan is to pull onto a filling station equiped with a TYRE inflator and just look at them?
you then drive from heathrow to the midlands and only then do you actually check the TYRE pressures.
well done
Thank you, I knew someone would have to say it, and you are correct, basically. BUT, I assumed the warning would be for LOW pressure, not far too high, and I could see and feel it was definitely not soft, looked no different than the other three. your plan is to pull onto a filling station equiped with a TYRE inflator and just look at them?
you then drive from heathrow to the midlands and only then do you actually check the TYRE pressures.
well done
The car is a Fiat 500 something or other. There are no tyre pressures marked anywhere in or on the car, though the 'manual' that comes with it states it is inside the filler cap or B pillar. It is not. I can't even tell what model it is, no numbers or letters anywhere in or on the body or paperwork. Just a gutless petrol engined something or other.
Also, no valve caps on the three types that were 38 psi, and a piece of door trim missing from the passenger door.
I shall be having words with them when I take it back on Tuesday. I took the full cover insurance so I was told no worries about inspection before I drove it...... It was the only car left in that class anyway........must be busy, bank holiday etc.
Edited by King Herald on Monday 31st August 03:00
Chucklehead said:
Have you worked in the industry then?
The threat of death due to negligence and repercussions for lapses in duty of care (in the UK anyway) are so serious that each car rental company has pretty rigorous checks before each rental.
The car felt really twitchy and noisy as hell on the M40, I should have stopped and checked them properly, I know, but I'd been traveling two days already, from a ship in Mexico... Dog tired and fed up of traveling.....The threat of death due to negligence and repercussions for lapses in duty of care (in the UK anyway) are so serious that each car rental company has pretty rigorous checks before each rental.
Max tyre pressure I can find for this tyre 145/16 is 33psi ' fully loaded', and that is the rear.
t. GC8 said:
Too hard is dictated by the writing on the sidewall. Too soft is equally difficult - if it doesnt look flat then it is inflated. I see your point, but the more you think about it the less clear it becomes...
Nothing on the tyre wall about pressure. Maximum weight, all sorts of other drivel, where it was made etc, but I could see no pressure limits.
Chucklehead said:
Have you worked in the industry then?
The threat of death due to negligence and repercussions for lapses in duty of care (in the UK anyway) are so serious that each car rental company has pretty rigorous checks before each rental.
I guess Enterprise don't have these checks though - otherwise they might have noticed that the aircon didn't work and the bonnet wouldn't open on the Auris they gave me!The threat of death due to negligence and repercussions for lapses in duty of care (in the UK anyway) are so serious that each car rental company has pretty rigorous checks before each rental.
Jakarta said:
A5 I picked up from a hotel on the outskirts of Heathrow. Mum in the back complained that it was quite a hard ride in the back.
I put that down to the nature of the car. Eventually the TPS light came on. Pulled in to check the tyres, all of them were over 45psi.
Eased them down to 34 front, 32 rear and the ride was much more comfortable.
Had to put half a litre of oil in that one too, but as I had already done about 3000 miles in 2 weeks I didn't complain about it and gave the other half to Mum.
I like the detail about giving a half litre of oil to your mum. Did she like that gift?I put that down to the nature of the car. Eventually the TPS light came on. Pulled in to check the tyres, all of them were over 45psi.
Eased them down to 34 front, 32 rear and the ride was much more comfortable.
Had to put half a litre of oil in that one too, but as I had already done about 3000 miles in 2 weeks I didn't complain about it and gave the other half to Mum.
King Herald said:
Picked up a car from Europcar at Heathrow and noticed the tyre pressure warning was on. I pulled into a petrol station and types looked okay, no flat or even soft look. When I got to the midlands, to my dads place, I checked the pressures. 38 in three types, 42psi in the one giving the warning!!!
How on earth can that happen, seeing as each car is signed for as 'prepared' by some bozo?
Tyre pressures should be checked cold, not after a long drive to the Midlands which could explain why they are all high.How on earth can that happen, seeing as each car is signed for as 'prepared' by some bozo?
Mr2Mike said:
Tyre pressures should be checked cold, not after a long drive to the Midlands which could explain why they are all high.
Tyres were checked after the car had been sat outside in the rain for about four hours.I spoke to the guy who receives the cars when you drop them off in the early am, he started talking about pressure dropping from 3 bar to 2 bar sets the tyre alarm off....
3 bar is 45psi. Maybe I should have dropped the rear seats down to make it go even faster. (if anybody remembers that particular thread here a few years ago?)
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