Oh dear....horseshoe yellow light stays on - TPM

[Dexta Man]

This "walk round and check your veh" probably come from habit of the military/ex-military amongst us who served in the 70's.

[twoladies]

Yesterday I was nervous about the tyres - went to Tesco and used their tyre pressure machine - which didn't work properly

 

So went to Kwik Fit (forgetting to fill up at Tesco!!) and they did the tyre pressure to 36 all round.  One side had been 26 (Tesco) and the other 40!!!!

 

Told me to come back during the week and they would look at them again.  That's what I call service - and although very busy, they checked them immediately.

 

Anyway, soon I will know whether the TPM light was just an aberration.

[longedge]

Have you though about investing in an electric tyre inflator. I carry mine in the boot at all times (together with an additional 'accurate' gauge) with my jump leads and tow rope. I gave up carrying the 5 litres of fuel and 5 litres of water years ago as I thought that was a bit O.T.T.

 

p.s. that reminds me - haven't checked the first aid kit recently!

Edited 7 February, 2016 by longedge

[twoladies]

Yes, I do have one in the boot - but oh dear - the weather!!  Kwik Fit is easier (he got wet,not me!) and I don't really trust these ickle machines   Unfortunately, I don't have a garage - she has to live out in the drive.

[VAGCF]

Doesn't matter if you have a garage or not most aren't used for cars! Mine's used for motor and push bikes!

 

I wouldn't bother with an electric pump (I've got one but it's never used - too noisy and slow) get a foot pump from Halfords and a digital tyre pressure gauge. I've checked the gauge on the foot pump against the digital one and it's pretty accurate so I just use it as a check now and then.

 

I mainly starting using the foot pump for my motor bikes but prefer it for the cars now rather than the garage - at least I know it's accurate and is a source of exercise!

[Llanigraham]

Have to say that the Skoda provided electric pump is very effective.

I also have a 20 year old Black & Decker one I keep in the caravan that is also excellent.

[Ryeman]

Doesn't matter if you have a garage or not most aren't used for cars! Mine's used for motor and push bikes!

 

I wouldn't bother with an electric pump (I've got one but it's never used - too noisy and slow) get a foot pump from Halfords and a digital tyre pressure gauge. I've checked the gauge on the foot pump against the digital one and it's pretty accurate so I just use it as a check now and then.

 

I mainly starting using the foot pump for my motor bikes but prefer it for the cars now rather than the garage - at least I know it's accurate and is a source of exercise!

Mines a so called 'truck pump' via the cig lighter and would beat a foot pump (I'm less than ONE rat power) and its lighter also.

Plus a 'Schrader' gauge.

[twoladies]

Doesn't matter if you have a garage or not most aren't used for cars! Mine's used for motor and push bikes!

 

I wouldn't bother with an electric pump (I've got one but it's never used - too noisy and slow) get a foot pump from Halfords and a digital tyre pressure gauge. I've checked the gauge on the foot pump against the digital one and it's pretty accurate so I just use it as a check now and then.

 

I mainly starting using the foot pump for my motor bikes but prefer it for the cars now rather than the garage - at least I know it's accurate and is a source of exercise!

Threw the foot pump away a while ago - broke me stilleto on it!!   (Not really, just for those who think I'm not a real person! :clap:)

 

QF is only just down the road from me and a few yards from Skoda.  I have had the digital thingy quite a few years, so will have to see if it still works.  Used to have a little silver stick which you put on the valve - got stolen :|

[longedge]

Hmm... - if I need to put in more than a few psi, and that's once or twice a year at most, then there's something wrong and it's next stop tyre fitters. TBH mine (tyre inflator) comes out mostly to pump my grandson's football up and sometimes his bike tyres

[Brijo]

This "walk round and check your veh" probably come from habit of the military/ex-military amongst us who served in the 70's.

 

...And earlier, young man.  Much earlier. 

[Ryeman]

...And earlier, young man. Much earlier.

'65 'draft' me. Edited 7 February, 2016 by Ryeman

[soda]

The tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) on my last car with run flats, BMW, did sometimes give a 'false' alert. Mostly when picking friends up from airports. You can probably guess that the alert now referred to one or more tyres warming up leading to increased pressure. So when this happened the first time, I pulled off the M-way to stop at a lay by, and checked the tyre pressure with my old but still usable Michelin foot pump with built in pressure gauge. No pressure loss on any tyre, but of course higher pressures indicated at the back as the tyres were now warm. The back tyres were supposed to be at a higher pressure anyway than the front tyres, even without any extra passengers with luggage, which I believe is quite common for vehicles.

 

Please don't come back with "Oh no! You've got that wrong. So and so vehicle or front loaders or whatever have higher pressures on the front tyres" Yes, I know that. I'm not totally stupid, just sometimes.

 

I am also not bothered about trying to calculate what the pressure should be once tyres have warmed up or use tables to verify this. I was happy that there wasn't an immediate problem with pressure loss so I reset the TPMS which only took a short distance to re-calibrate, maybe a hundred yards. As I said, the re-cailbration came up as successful on that car's system within a hundred yards or so. Reading related earlier posts about this issue makes me think that the Volkswagen Audi Group (VAG) version of TPMS does not indicate when the system has re-calibrated. Maybe VAG will implement this if they haven't done so already. 

 

So far, so lucky in terms of those rare occasions when a big increase in load due to more passengers and lots of luggage triggered the TPMS. But, I did have to stop to reset the system. It wasn't possible on that car to do the reset with the car moving and besides, on each occasion I wanted to check that the tyres were OK. 

 

Other occasions related to what I believe was anti-social behaviour. Getting in to the car at home, driving off and within a few yards 'bong' goes the audible alert, 'tyre pressure' warning shows on the screen. The first time, I couldn't immediately see what was wrong with any of the tyres but the front passenger side tyre pressure was lower than it should be. Moving the car on a short distance, showed a masonry bolt had got in to the middle of the tread. Interesting and an expensive experience as the tyre could not be repaired. A few months later, the same thing happened but now with a nail. 

 

At least with the run flats on that car, it would have been safe enough to drive with a puncture for a short distance at reduced speed. (The blurb stated about 50 miles at a maximum speed of 50mph so quite easy to remember. I wonder why? Please don't tell me as I can also guess why. Pedants, please feel free to correct my mistakes, omissions or need for amendments and alterations as you wish). 

 

On all occasions, I was grateful for the TPMS and wish my Yeti had some system like that. I will probably get the TyrePal TB99. Any thoughts on this please or should it be a separate thread?

[Ryeman]

Ford Exploder err sorry Explorer drivers would appreciate TPM ........lawyers in the U.S. wouldn't of course.

[gumdrop]

Race X RX0014 Tyre Pressure Gauge a good accurate pressure gauge

The crap tyre monitoring system, it doesn't even indicate which tyre has

a problem. When I collected a screw through the sidewall I had a good

look around, including feeling the inner walls of the tyres and failed to

locate the puncture until I (luckily) got home.

Edited 16 March, 2016 by gumdrop

[Ryeman]

TPM would have saved quite a few Ford Explorer (Exploder) drivers in the U.S. (not mention the civil suits against Ford) and probably Firestone from the Bridgestone takeover.

I imagine that's where it all started 20 odd years ago.

The same drivers seem to have a problem with floor mats and a propensity to sue over that also.

We are being smothered with protection from ourself.

Edited 16 March, 2016 by Ryeman