Tyre pressures

[p5stokes]

Since I am on new car countdown  I'm just gathering information on my new wheels.what you guys tyre pressures? Or are you all just simply following the manufacturers guidelines? Thanks in advance...

[JD52]

I started with the recommended setting and then adjust as I got used to the car.

 

It's each to their own I think for final settings

 

[ahenners]

Pretty much the manufacturers recommendation from the inside of the fuel flap.

[stu83]

Checked mine the other day and they were all 3.05 bar!

 

Think I'll be dropping them to 2.7-2.8.

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

What model are you waiting for, a VRS?

 

I have a VRS, and I do like to experiment with different tyre pressures when I get a new (to me) car. Don't forget that it's not just pressures you need to think about - the brand and model of tyre has a huge influence on the ride and handling too. For example, Toyo T1's are renowned for having very flexible sidewalls (I have run them on a Volvo T4 in the past) so give a comfortable ride at recommended pressures, but fold like a pancake when trying to drive a bit hard - hence I ran 6psi higher pressures on these tyres than the previous Michelin PS3's fitted.

 

Despite these cars having firm suspension, I like to have my handling a bit lively. The trade-off is slightly reduced grip and traction, so you have to drive accordingly. Personally I prefer the car to dance a little over bumps and in corners, but that's just personal preference.

 

For quite a long time now, when I buy tyres I specify an 'XL' fitment - this stands for 'extra load' and means that the construction of the tyre - especially the sidewalls is a little stiffer. You can hence run tyre pressures that are more in line with recommendations, rather than something higher.

 

For the record, my used Mk. 3 VRS had 14,000 miles on the clock when I bought her 8 months ago, and had the original fitment Bridgestones on the rear and a brand new pair of Conti 3's on the front. They're all non-xl. After playing around a bit, I have settled on 38 psi all round to give me the feeling that I want.

 

Lastly and obviously - any tyre pressure setting you decide upon is only as good as when you last checked the pressures - so do yourself a favour and get yourself a nice, accurate pressure gauge (I have a digital one) and a decent tyre compressor - and CHECK THEM at least once a week! This means you can do it at home, and take your time - at at the same time, give each tyre a good once-over for any splits, cracks, sidewall damage or things stuck in the rubber. You'd be surprised how many nasty, sharp little flinty stones can become embedded in them. I often spend a satisfying 20 odd minutes picking litte sharp flints out of my tyres with a small pick!

 

Oh and one more note - the TPMS pressure monitoring systems on these cars is NOT one that has sensors inside each wheel sending information to the ECU. The system is fairly crude and works by noticing a wheel turning more slowly than the others by a certain percentage - i.e. when a tyre suffers a rapid deflation. It cannot tell you when one tyre has dropped by 5 or 10 psi like the other, more sophisticated systems.

 

I hope this helps, and post pics of your new car when it arrives!!

 

 

 

[Gerrycan]

2 hours ago, Ray Luxury-Yacht said:

 

Oh and one more note - the TPMS pressure monitoring systems on these cars is NOT one that has sensors inside each wheel sending information to the ECU. The system is fairly crude and works by noticing a wheel turning more slowly than the others by a certain percentage - i.e. when a tyre suffers a rapid deflation. It cannot tell you when one tyre has dropped by 5 or 10 psi like the other, more sophisticated systems.

 

 

I beg to differ here.

My basic early Mk3 has warned me which specific tyre has a puncture and I have had a general warning about low pressures which also turned out to be true.

I generally run pressures about 38psi on 3 year old 37k km Dunlop which have now developed a certain porosity and require far more regular checking than when new. Also I run slightly higher pressures now  than when new.

Apart from wear you would have to imagine than when they have been 'flexed' more than 15 million times that the walls would be a bit softer as well?

[ahenners]

Agree with the above, was driving down the motorway to receive a tyre pressure alert. Got to work to find one of them had a large nail in it. Was far from flat, and visually it looked fine. System definitely does it's job

Edited 27 May, 2017 by ahenners

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

2 hours ago, Gerrycan said:

 

I beg to differ here.

My basic early Mk3 has warned me which specific tyre has a puncture and I have had a general warning about low pressures which also turned out to be true...

 

Oh right, ok - well then maybe I stand corrected! I was just regurgitating what I had read on this site previously about the TPMS system and how it works - that's what I was lead to believe is all.

 

I might go off and have a bit of a research on google!

 

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

Here's the thread I read about how the system works:

 

[themanwithnoaim]

On 5/26/2017 at 13:21, p5stokes said:

Since I am on new car countdown  I'm just gathering information on my new wheels.what you guys tyre pressures? Or are you all just simply following the manufacturers guidelines? Thanks in advance...

Which car ?

Which size wheels/tyres

Will the car have DCC?

[p5stokes]

54 minutes ago, themanwithnoaim said:

Which car ?

Which size wheels/tyres

Will the car have DCC?

 Sorry 2017  Tsi dsg estate.built Tuesday I believe, 19 inch alloys, no dcc as have yet to win the pools 

[themanwithnoaim]

Kinda remember the 19" extremes are 42 psi as fuel flap, much lower will risk your rims in potholes, much higher will risk your teeth fillings on poor roads.

[Ootohere]

Ray Luxury-Yacht, 

Small point, but as to the tyre deflated and with a smaller circumference than when the TPMS was set.

Smaller tyre goes around more revolutions than the larger tyres & as it was when inflated.

So wheel / tyre is turning faster not slower compared to the other 3.

[themanwithnoaim]

IIRC its just a % difference, I don't think + or - comes into it hence, Devon holiday always gives me a off-side TPMS as the nearside tyres warm up through the A303 roundabouts

[Ootohere]

Yes.

 Simple TPMS that suited BMW / MINI with Run Flat Tyres because drivers seemed unable to detect a Blow Out / deflated tyre without a warning in the car.

 

I have seen people 'Check / Reset' the TPMS without actually having checked and set the tyre pressures.

So reset TPMS is set on unknown tyre pressures.

[Item]

9 hours ago, themanwithnoaim said:

Kinda remember the 19" extremes are 42 psi as fuel flap, much lower will risk your rims in potholes, much higher will risk your teeth fillings on poor roads.

 

39.5 (2.8 bar) for standard load with 43.5 (3 bar) for "Eco" on mine.

 

I have messed around a lot and 2.8 bar seems about the sweet spot with the P Zeros

[gregoir]

And remember the recent hot weather will cause the tyres on the sunnier side to increase in pressure.

 

I use the eco pressure of 2.5bar for my 205/55/16. Bit noisy on the  broken urban roads but generally quiet. And 55mpg on long runs.

[Warrior193]

1 hour ago, gregoir said:

And remember the recent hot weather will cause the tyres on the sunnier side to increase in pressure.

 

I use the eco pressure of 2.5bar for my 205/55/16. Bit noisy on the  broken urban roads but generally quiet. And 55mpg on long runs.

 

Ditto for me, but 0.2 bar more pressure in the winter tyres which are wider and have a slightly higher profile.

[Auric Goldfinger]

My 225/35X19 Pirelli P Zero run at 2.7 bar all round.  ( 39psi )

 

 

Edited 30 May, 2017 by Auric Goldfinger

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

On 28/05/2017 at 11:37, Awayoffski said:

Ray Luxury-Yacht, 

Small point, but as to the tyre deflated and with a smaller circumference than when the TPMS was set.

Smaller tyre goes around more revolutions than the larger tyres & as it was when inflated.

So wheel / tyre is turning faster not slower compared to the other 3.

 

Yes, yes of course it is, I stand corrected! In my defence I was well on my way through a nice bottle of single malt when I posted that on Saturday

 

[themanwithnoaim]

11 hours ago, Ray Luxury-Yacht said:

 

Yes, yes of course it is, I stand corrected! In my defence I was well on my way through a nice bottle of single malt when I posted that on Saturday

 

Aberlour ?

[SWBoy]

22 minutes ago, themanwithnoaim said:

Aberlour ?

Aberlour a'bunadh?

[themanwithnoaim]

4 hours ago, SWBoy said:

Aberlour a'bunadh?

Must confess Asda had the 12 year old on £25 a bottle special for about 10 weeks before xmas so, I stocked up however, its now run out & I feel a little snobbie not liking the 10 year old anymore.

 

Its a 1st world problem you know

[Jcbl2]

OK so all good with the new vrs (on 18s with some very noisy Bridgestone Potenzas) except I had been thinking - the ride is a bit jarring - was the test drive route chosen to be very smooth? Growing sense of dread today as we drive around and SWMBO starts wincing every time there's a crack in the road. Eventually she says 'the suspension' s not very good, is it?' Not my favourite moment of the weekend but she has a point.

 

So I go and check the pressures, hoping and praying that they are massively too high and guess what - they're too low. 30/31 PSI on 18s. Not knowing what else to do I put them up to 35, expecting the ride to now reach model T levels of comfort - and it's actually much, much better. You still feel everything but the car doesn't jolt in and out of potholes.

 

I suppose I should be grateful that in 100 miles of driving before checking the pressures I haven't damaged a wheel or (hopefully) damaged the suspension. Don't know why I didn't check, last car was handed over from dealer with wrong pressures as well. Now the car needs a big PR campaign with my wife.

 

I'm not used to these big wheels and skinny tyres. Are they just super sensitive to being at the right pressure, and should I be surprised that 5 PSI too low was enough to make the ride harsher? Will going over a few potholes this way have done any damage?

[Gerrycan]

@Jcbl2 there is a possibility that the front suspension transportation blocks have not been removed by the dealer during the PDI.

It is relatively rare but not unknown in this forum.

Definitely worth checking since they did not even get the tyre pressures right.

You have to jack up the front (one side at a time)  and let the suspension droop and if you see anything colourful there under the shroud then that is a transport block.

Edited 5 June, 2017 by Gerrycan