Yesterday, while driving on the M1 my TPM light came on. No other lights (e.g. ABS) lit up.

I stopped at the next service station and checked the tyre pressures with an ancient "pencil" type gauge that I had in the glove box and all read low (despite hot tyres) and not exactly the same.

I then fed the air pump and checked again, that gave a more credible reading but one was still lower than the others.

I got them all to an average 32psi (hot tyres) and a passing lorry driver used his hand-held gauge to confirm that they were all the same.

I now find that pressing the TPM reset button seems to make no difference, the light remains on.

 

I have two questions:

1. Any recommendations please for a reliable, accurate tyre pressure gauge that I can keep in the car?
2. Any suggestions as to why I cannot reset my TPM light?

 

One further question if I may, my tyres are now some four years and 38,000 miles old.

They recently passed the MOT without problem and I wasn't planning to change them for at least another six months.

Suggestions please for some decent replacement tyres?

 

So the warning was correct since the tyres were not at the pressures you last set them at if one was low and the tyre was hot.

 

The tyre pressures do not need to be all them same when setting them and resetting the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System.

The fronts and rears can be different and you can fit a Spare Tyre and reset the TPMS and then no warning should appear if the pressures stay as set.

 

The Tyre Pressure Machines at Filling stations are regularly calibrated.

 

The TPMS can be faulty and give a warning it is not working as it warns you if you read the Owners Manual.

They suggest checking the TPMS occasionally by the procedure set out in the Owners Manual.

Sensors can be faulty for the ABS / ESP.  

 

A Draper Gauge or one like this Sealley is nice to use and handy for lots of types of vehicle. £12 or so.

(people with bad backs.)

Over inflate the tyres for 20 or 50 pence then let the tyres down to the correct or selected pressures.

Edited 12 April, 20179 yr by Awayoffski

I like tyres that perform and are resistant to pothole damage and they do not need to be expensive.

I now fit TIGAR Tyres (TIGAR Syneris) that are made in a factory Michelin own.

Bought at ATS Euromaster and fitted for around £100 a pair for 205/40 R17

 

Last week though i fitted GOODRIDE SA37 Sport Tyres that ATS Euromaster got in for me. (They are made in China.)

These are in 205/45 ZR17  88W XL, so correct Load / Speed Rating and XL's (Reinforced sidewalls), proving to be pretty good for just over £100 a pair fitted.

Been good so far tried in the dry and wet since fitted.

Edited 12 April, 20179 yr by Awayoffski

Many thanks for that.  I had a look at reviews of Draper & Sealey gauges on Amazon.

There are a few negative comments, usually about difficulty in terms of air leakage but also about over and under reading.

I will probably go for the Draper 69924 Tyre Pressure Gauge with Flexible Hose because it has an air release valve.

 

As far as the tyres are concerned, I have been looking on the Blackcircles website.

I note that they recommend 205/40 R17 W (84) rather than your recommended 205/45 ZR17 W (88) - would this cause problems with Insurance / indicated MPH?

Since my alloys get kerbed so often due to parking in a very narrow street with high kerbs I am keen to get tyres with Rim Protection and was looking at the £100 Continental Premium Contact 6s or I would probably have gone for the £108 Michelin Pilot Sport 3s

Never had them over or under read and i check against professional gauges as i use on Cars, Vans and Bikes.

 

Indicated MPH still over-reads a little as most tyres on a Skoda do unless you go silly big.

215/40 R 17 tyres are ok as are 205/45 R17 because they are as the cars Type Approval allows.

 

You pays your money and makes your choices on tyres, rim protection is good, some say they have yet do not protect Gigaro that well.

Edited 12 April, 20179 yr by Awayoffski

Back home - over-inflated tyres with bicycle "stirrup" pump - used Draper 69924 Tyre Pressure Gauge to deflate all tyres to 26 psi - TPM light now off!
Thanks George :)

Why 26 psi ? Seems very low.

2.3 bar / 33 PSI might be a better pressure. you can always let them down if that does not feel right.

Edited 20 April, 20179 yr by Awayoffski

Yes, should have been 36 psi (2.5 bar) - typo.

Can't correct (edit) the original post.

Edited 21 April, 20179 yr by SeaGoat

I had a puncture yesterday (see attached photo).

The tyres on my VRS have now done in excess of 40,000 miles and I would like to get all four replaced at the same time.

I know that the standard tyres which I have fitted are 205/40 R17 84W Continental SportContact 2.

I don't really want "unidirectional" tyres because I tend to swap them front to rear and left to right annually.

I would quite like tyres that can deal well with wet weather which we seem to get from time to time.

I would prefer tyres with rim protection because the car seems to get "kerbed" from time to time.

I drive within the NSL and reasonably sedately - i.e VERY rare harsh acceleration and never getting on to two wheels round bends.

As if it would make any difference, I would quite like quieter tyres.

I would greatly appreciate any suggestions as to suitable replacements.

Many thanks for any advice.

Edited 24 September, 20178 yr by SeaGoat

I have Michelin pilot sport 3's and they have a VERY big rim protector on.

Thanks for that.
So far as I can tell from the Black Circles website (LINK), the Michelin Pilot Sport 3s doesn't have Rim Protection.
I am currently thinking of the Dunlop SP SportMaxx RT2.

On ‎12‎/‎04‎/‎2017 at 10:42, SeaGoat said:

Many thanks for that.  I had a look at reviews of Draper & Sealey gauges on Amazon.

There are a few negative comments, usually about difficulty in terms of air leakage but also about over and under reading.

I will probably go for the Draper 69924 Tyre Pressure Gauge with Flexible Hose because it has an air release valve - snip snip.

 

 

Yes, I have a previous version of that Draper tyre pressure gauge and it is very accurate, when compared with some calibrated gauges, I also find it annoying that most gauges can not be quickly sealed onto a modern tyre valve - even when you align them up accurately, now what causes this I don't know, is it that most "good" gauges have a very hard rubber sealing insert, or that modern tyre valves have an indeterminate depth down to the top of the valve core so can fail to open and a rough finish on the top of the valve body so they don't seal well?  Cheap and cheery and inaccurate tyre gauges with soft/more compliant insert/seals seem to fit and seal easily though!!

 

Edit:- it seems that some "lesser" DIY quality tyre compressors now have a screw down collar to fix them to the valve, that would be okay if there is enough "room" to keep one hand pushing down on the valve while the other hand fully unscrews the retaining collar - if not, as reviews show, the user ends up setting the pressure spot on, then loses 5>10psi while taking the fixing off!

Edited 25 September, 20178 yr by rum4mo

10 hours ago, SeaGoat said:

Thanks for that.
So far as I can tell from the Black Circles website (LINK), the Michelin Pilot Sport 3s doesn't have Rim Protection.

Hmmm... mine must be fake tyres then....

Edited 25 September, 20178 yr by LGM