Tyre pressures

[ChrisPro]

In order to mitigate against the damned annoying 'low tyre pressure' warning every time I start the engine, earlier today I inflated my tyres to the Eco recommended Bar pressures, mainly to see if there will be any loss in pressure over the next couple of weeks and a higher pressure should show any loss quicker than a lower pressure. Got a couple of questions:

 

I've got 15" wheels and have set the fronts to 2.4 bar and the rears to 2.5 bar. What's the difference between standard inflation (2.1 on front and 2.2 on rears) and the Eco pressures and how will the more inflated tyres likely react to day-to-day driving? i.e. I take it the ride will be harder and louder, especially on our pot-holed roads.

 

Can anyone recommend a 12v tyre inflator? Recently purchased this from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audew-Portable-Compressor-Cigarette-Basketballs/dp/B0727QV5T8/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1523207385&sr=8-19&keywords=12v+tyre+inflator, had to send back as it wasn't calibrated correctly and showed fronts at 3.2 bar and rears at 3.3 bar. I've had to resort to my old foot pump for now.

 

 

[roaddetective]

Although I use my own compressor to inflate my tyres, I don't really trust the gauge on it. Once inflated I check the pressure using a digital pressure gauge from Halfords, "other stores are available".

[Ootohere]

Why is there a 'low tyre pressure warning',  are you not setting the TPMS or is there a fault with it?

 

Can you not just pay 20 or 50 pence and inflate the tyres,  then if you get yourself a good tyre pressure gauge l £5-10 should do it) let tyres back town to a pressure that suits your needs.

 

Only you will know how the tyres feel or sound to you.

Higher inflated tyres might have less traction / friction, especially in the wet, cold etc, even in the dry, to be ECO settting they must have or how else could they use less fuel if the same traction and friction.

Edited 8 April, 2018 by AwaoffSki

[Yetiherts]

On our 3rd Mk3 Fabia, my last one I sold 4 weeks ago original tyres 22k miles still loads of tread on fronts backs looked like new. For less noise I always run on (old school) 30 PSI. Used same foot pump for over 20 years but use a regularly changed quality gauge. Never had any problem with TPS I reset after every check. The only time TPS triggers is if I take a local hump back bridge a little vigorously.

[ChrisPro]

Thanks for the advice AwaoffSki, although I thought the idea of a forum was to ask questions and seek advice, especially as I've owned the car for less then two weeks and never owned a car with TPMS before. Clearly I've got that first part wrong judging by your comment, I'll try to think through every possible scenario before posting in future. 

Edited 8 April, 2018 by ChrisPro

[Ootohere]

Sorry,it was not meant as being cheeky,  unlike i read your reply as,  i asked why the Low Tyre Pressure Warning.

?

So have you not reset the TPMS with the tyre pressures being reset, or read the Owners Manual on it.

[thamestrader]

We run our Fabia Se, 15 inch standard wheels, on the ECO pressures, plus side 4-5 mpg improvement, there may be a slight increase in tyre/road noise, but road surfaces vary so much anyway. To me its negligible. As to road-holding and traction - I've not noticed any issues with either.

 

Once you have inflated your tyres to what ever pressure you decide on the TPMS needs to be reset using the touch screen option. I can't remember where it is because in two years I've only had to use it once. 

 

Some TPMS  systems can give false alerts; one type has actual pressure sensors in each wheel these will tell you the wheel with the fault, the alternative (simpler) system uses the ABS to detect a difference in rotational speed - this cannot indicate the wheel only that there is a difference in rotational speed which indicate a difference in rolling diameter somewhere. Hence the comment about hump back bridges, pot holes, or even enthusiastic cornering which can cause a difference in rotational speed. 

[ChrisPro]

Thanks Thames, 4-5 mpg is quite an improvement. It'll be interesting to analyse if the improvement in a manual is quite as impressive as an automatic. Managed to get average of 50 mpg on a 40 mile round trip around some winding A roads this morning which was my best yet, although I was stuck behind a 'Sunday driver' for a significant part of the return journey.

 

I set the TPMS as per the manual, note: it's in' Car' and within the 'Tyre' sub-menu (or something similar), I'm surprised the TPMS system flagged a deflation alert so soon after purchasing the vehicle as I'd have thought Skoda would have thought to set it correctly as part of their 1,000 point inspection, perhaps it resets itself after new tyres are fitted - don't know, never owned a car with a comparable system.

[Jedispooner]

I run our 2016 Fabia Estate 17” on 2.5 bar all round, getting average 50mpg.

 

I never understood the TPMS, I press SET every time I top up the tyres, never had a warning. My tyres seem to all deflate a little bit at the same amount, so I guess TPMS won’t pick that up?

[AGFalco]

Air comes out of tyres whether you use the car or not. About 0.1 bar per month is normal.

 

The TPMS system fitted to the Fabia III does not measure your tyre pressure.

The car will tell you which tyre it think is low in air pressure on the Bolero infotainment screen.

The TPMS needs resetting after any change of tyre, pressure change or any change of position of a tyre.

 

It will only notice a quick ( pressure ) change in the rotational speed of a tyre using the ABS/speed sensors.

If a tyre is going down quickly the rotational speed increases because the tyre is getting smaller.

 

The higher the pressure the lower the rolling resistance. Try it on a push bike!

The tyre bends more at the bottom if there is less air in it which increases the rolling resistance.

A car with the higher eco pressures will have better fuel consumption and they will last longer.

The tyres will also not wear the edges out as much, inside edge on the front tyres is common.

 

I was averaging over 60 MPG for 6 months last summer. I has been lower during the winter but is now going up again.

 

Thanks AG Falco

 

 

[punyXpress]

 . . and always check pressures when cold.

[horkin]

Had one of these Ring Tyre inflators for years. Best I've ever owned. Very fast and reliable.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ring-12v-Car-Automatic-Digital-Tyre-Air-Compressor-Inflator-Electric-Pump-RAC600/192504588575?epid=2155711520&hash=item2cd22ae91f:g:bpIAAOSwSJVayK9O

[ffox]

I've had a Ring inflator for several years too.   Easy to use and works well except that when it's very cold the pressure gauge doesn't  indicate.  I then put it on a radiator or in the airing cupboard for 5 minutes after which all is OK.

 

It's worth noting that it pumps up to 0.05 bar above the set pressure before cutting out, probably to cater for an expected slight pressure loss when disconnecting. 

 

[ChrisPro]

Cheers for the recommendations - one of my neighbours recommended the Ring inflator too. I used my old foot pump to inflate the tyres to the desired Bar pressures (Eco), set the TPMS and have had error message free motoring since.

 

Will look into the Ring inflators next time I feel the urge to spend some money.

[Gerrycan]

Assuming the Fabia has a similar system to the Octavia then not only will it give warning of individual tyres but it is also capable of a general warning.

My original OEM tyres (17 inch) all lost more air as they aged and I failed to check the tyres for at least 2 months when I got a general inflation warning. They were all down to about 27/28psi from my usual 37 psi.

[Flopsy]

On 10/04/2018 at 00:01, horkin said:

Had one of these Ring Tyre inflators for years. Best I've ever owned. Very fast and reliable.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ring-12v-Car-Automatic-Digital-Tyre-Air-Compressor-Inflator-Electric-Pump-RAC600/192504588575?epid=2155711520&hash=item2cd22ae91f:g:bpIAAOSwSJVayK9O

 

can also vouch for these; had one for a couple of years and the gauge is accurate. Checked against an expensive analogue pressure gauge. The only annoying thing I've found is that you have to screw the hose onto/off the valve.

[dadumtish]

goodyeaf efficent grip perfomance tyres do not like high pressures ,   they wear out in the middle if its  above 35 or so  so watch it if you have them