Faulty Tyre Gauge Alert!
Discussion
Also in "Express" - not sure if this should be Genral Gassing....
No matter - ist on page 17 opf today's edition.
It seem that tyre pressure gauges at service station are putting drivers' lives at risk. :eek:
FOUR out of TEN are FAULTY according to research carried out by AA Motor Trust. Some give such imprecise reading that drivers using them are running at under-inflation of up to 25% (have my own gauge.. ist accurate und I have it checked regularly too)
But the researchers found the the forecourt pressure gauges are dirty, poorly kepts und some so badly placed that drivers are often at risk from traffic coming to fill up.
AA ist calling for change in law about this. Law does not require service stations to maintain these gauges :yikes:
Interesting comment und we have said this a few time und ist per gone's recent thread about good driving practices - und real enthusiams und love of the car...:yes:
[b] six per cent of all fatal motorway crashes are caused by the sudden failure of under-inflated tyres [/b]
[i] und :eek: people checked their tyres und believe them to be OK because the gadget at forecourt says so [/i]
Paper re-inforces recent discussions on this board ...maintaining correct tyre pressure ist essential to car handling, steering, braking und grip Yet a recent study by Tyre Industry Council revealed that 90% cars were drivin on under und over inflated tyres
AA Trust director Bert Morris said "Poorly maintained , grubby air pumps are not what drivers should expect on modern petrol forecourts. If they cannot be sure the air pressures are correct und accurate, then they may even skip this vital check. :eek::yikes: :confused: "
paper cites case of 19 year old Jason Dunscombe who died when he lost control of car. Accident investigators said that the car was not speeding when it careered out of control and hit a tree...it lost its grip on road because of uneven tryre pressure. he was a driver of 10 months only at tiem of crash and his mother told paper that it was important that all drivers - especially new and inexperienced like Jason should be warned of dangers of driving with the wrong tyre pressure.
Und ist good call of AA when it says the garages should have a legal resposnibility to ensure equipment like this ist functioning correctly.
No matter - ist on page 17 opf today's edition.
It seem that tyre pressure gauges at service station are putting drivers' lives at risk. :eek:
FOUR out of TEN are FAULTY according to research carried out by AA Motor Trust. Some give such imprecise reading that drivers using them are running at under-inflation of up to 25% (have my own gauge.. ist accurate und I have it checked regularly too)
But the researchers found the the forecourt pressure gauges are dirty, poorly kepts und some so badly placed that drivers are often at risk from traffic coming to fill up.
AA ist calling for change in law about this. Law does not require service stations to maintain these gauges :yikes:
Interesting comment und we have said this a few time und ist per gone's recent thread about good driving practices - und real enthusiams und love of the car...:yes:
[b] six per cent of all fatal motorway crashes are caused by the sudden failure of under-inflated tyres [/b]
[i] und :eek: people checked their tyres und believe them to be OK because the gadget at forecourt says so [/i]
Paper re-inforces recent discussions on this board ...maintaining correct tyre pressure ist essential to car handling, steering, braking und grip Yet a recent study by Tyre Industry Council revealed that 90% cars were drivin on under und over inflated tyres
AA Trust director Bert Morris said "Poorly maintained , grubby air pumps are not what drivers should expect on modern petrol forecourts. If they cannot be sure the air pressures are correct und accurate, then they may even skip this vital check. :eek::yikes: :confused: "
paper cites case of 19 year old Jason Dunscombe who died when he lost control of car. Accident investigators said that the car was not speeding when it careered out of control and hit a tree...it lost its grip on road because of uneven tryre pressure. he was a driver of 10 months only at tiem of crash and his mother told paper that it was important that all drivers - especially new and inexperienced like Jason should be warned of dangers of driving with the wrong tyre pressure.
Und ist good call of AA when it says the garages should have a legal resposnibility to ensure equipment like this ist functioning correctly.
Its the silly season so the newspapers have to find something to put in them. This problem of inaccurate garage air gauges is as old as the hills. Always carry your own. I remember it when I was small so that's over 30 years ago and no doubt there's many who remember the same thing before that...
Yep. Correctly inflated tyres are important. Here's a tip for a quick check when on long routes (where the risks are greatest).
Each time you stop (motorway services, petrol, whatever), walk round the car and feel the tread temperature of all four tyres with your hand. If one is warmer than the others, then, Houston, we have a problem.
Easy, very effective and picks up gradual deflation at an early stage. I would say: 'it could save your life', but that would be melodramatic wouldn't it?
Each time you stop (motorway services, petrol, whatever), walk round the car and feel the tread temperature of all four tyres with your hand. If one is warmer than the others, then, Houston, we have a problem.
Easy, very effective and picks up gradual deflation at an early stage. I would say: 'it could save your life', but that would be melodramatic wouldn't it?
"and his mother told paper that it was important that all drivers - especially new and inexperienced like Jason should be warned of dangers of driving with the wrong tyre pressure. "
Did she? Or is it just a good quote? I know it sounds callous, but if she knew that why did she not tell her son?
I emphasise to my sons the need to check tyres - so they do.. Mind you it took some badgering before it became routine.
Did she? Or is it just a good quote? I know it sounds callous, but if she knew that why did she not tell her son?
I emphasise to my sons the need to check tyres - so they do.. Mind you it took some badgering before it became routine.
I frequently get drivers arriving on Drift days with their own performance cars, from Porkers, Lotus's TVR's the lot.
We get them to check pressures am, "what pressures do you normally run in your car?" I ask.
5/10 we get "I dunno the garage do it when they service it!!!!!" on 160mph cars
this is so frequent its truly astonishing.
Oh safety cameras will take care of road safety I forgot.
We get them to check pressures am, "what pressures do you normally run in your car?" I ask.
5/10 we get "I dunno the garage do it when they service it!!!!!" on 160mph cars
this is so frequent its truly astonishing. Oh safety cameras will take care of road safety I forgot.
cptsideways said:
I frequently get drivers arriving on Drift days with their own performance cars, from Porkers, Lotus's TVR's the lot.
We get them to check pressures am, "what pressures do you normally run in your car?" I ask.
5/10 we get "I dunno the garage do it when they service it!!!!!" on 160mph cars
Oh safety cameras will take care of road safety I forgot.
Bless em , they have got the money but not the brains !
the muppets at quickfit etc dont inflate tyres to the correct pressure though, they just bung in 30 psi and hope for the best , 28 in the case of my focus when it should be 32 , and on the wall there are posters bleating on about wrong tyre pressures
DennisTheMenace said:
....
Bless em , they have got the money but not the brains !
the muppets at quickfit etc dont inflate tyres to the correct pressure though, they just bung in 30 psi and hope for the best , 28 in the case of my focus when it should be 32 , and on the wall there are posters bleating on about wrong tyre pressures
Last time I went to KwikFit they changed 2 tyres and didn't bother to tighten one set of wheel bolts properly!!
This was about 15 years ago! Have one of those electric tyre inflators that is kept in the car and used quite regularly. My only complaint is that the correct 32PSi pressure occupies about 1/10 of the pressure dial's travel, but it is accurate.
>> Edited by timtonal on Sunday 21st August 16:02
just to temper this sudden demand to check your tyres, remeber that it should be done when they are cold, as all the manuals will only quote cold pressures.
if you do this when the tyres is warm/hot, then you should expect the pressures to be higher than book, THIS IS NORMAL, if you then let them down to book pressure then you have a problem.
if you do this when the tyres is warm/hot, then you should expect the pressures to be higher than book, THIS IS NORMAL, if you then let them down to book pressure then you have a problem.
safespeed said:
Yep. Correctly inflated tyres are important. Here's a tip for a quick check when on long routes (where the risks are greatest).
Each time you stop (motorway services, petrol, whatever), walk round the car and feel the tread temperature of all four tyres with your hand. If one is warmer than the others, then, Houston, we have a problem.
Easy, very effective and picks up gradual deflation at an early stage. I would say: 'it could save your life', but that would be melodramatic wouldn't it?
Unless you've been going around a lot of roundabouts lately when the nearside will generally be hotter than the offside
m-five said:Not in Continental Europe they won't
Yep. Correctly inflated tyres are important. Here's a tip for a quick check when on long routes (where the risks are greatest).
Each time you stop (motorway services, petrol, whatever), walk round the car and feel the tread temperature of all four tyres with your hand. If one is warmer than the others, then, Houston, we have a problem.
Easy, very effective and picks up gradual deflation at an early stage. I would say: 'it could save your life', but that would be melodramatic wouldn't it?
Unless you've been going around a lot of roundabouts lately when the nearside will generally be hotter than the offside
- Streakystreaky said:
safespeed said:
Yep. Correctly inflated tyres are important. Here's a tip for a quick check when on long routes (where the risks are greatest).
Each time you stop (motorway services, petrol, whatever), walk round the car and feel the tread temperature of all four tyres with your hand. If one is warmer than the others, then, Houston, we have a problem.
Easy, very effective and picks up gradual deflation at an early stage. I would say: 'it could save your life', but that would be melodramatic wouldn't it?
Unless you've been going around a lot of roundabouts lately when the nearside will generally be hotter than the offside
Not in Continental Europe they won't
Sure they will - the nearside in continental Europe is the right side...
As I'm pootling up and down the motorway I like to keep an eye on the cars around me. It's quite alarming how many cars there are with bonnets not latched, doors not fully closed, or visibly underinflated tyres. On average I reckon to see about one of these faults per hour of driving. It seems to be seasonal; in the summer I tend to see underinflated tyres, early winter there seems to be a sudden increase in bonnets left open, I imagine there are people opening the bonnet for the first time trying to top up the screen wash and not closing it properly.
timtonal said:
....
Bless em , they have got the money but not the brains !
the muppets at quickfit etc dont inflate tyres to the correct pressure though, they just bung in 30 psi and hope for the best , 28 in the case of my focus when it should be 32 , and on the wall there are posters bleating on about wrong tyre pressures
Last time I went to KwikFit they changed 2 tyres and didn't bother to tighten one set of wheel bolts properly!!
Well, it makes a change from doing them up with an air wrench so tight you need a 12 foot scaffold pole to get them off again, then putting a torque wrench on them and going "it clicks, so it must be right"...
My procedure for getting tyres fitted is to make use of the spare wheel to take them in one at a time, and put the wheels on the car myself. Or to save hassle and get it done in one trip, park the car outside the tyre place, jack it up in the road and take the wheels in one at a time.
scuffham said:
just to temper this sudden demand to check your tyres, remeber that it should be done when they are cold, as all the manuals will only quote cold pressures.
if you do this when the tyres is warm/hot, then you should expect the pressures to be higher than book, THIS IS NORMAL, if you then let them down to book pressure then you have a problem.
Very true. Therefore the garage gauges are effectively useless even if they're fully accurate, unless you live next door.
B 7 VP said:
So How come nobody uses the correct pressure valve caps.??? mine are 32-and if correct are Green topped.If pressure falls the top goes Red. NO visit to garages , in 2 years.I check with my digi gauge to confirm all well---which has been 100%.£8 for 4.
They have to hold the valve open to work and so increase the risk of loss of pressure. Don't they?
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