Topic: It's spring check your tire pressures

[lil goat]

Just a reminder to check your pressure and your GAUGE. I had a funny think happen to me this week. I received a very nice tire pressure gauge as a gift a few years back, stainless steel hose shiny really nice and I know it was expensive, had a Harley logo. I have been using it for years. Turns out it is and expensive pretty piece of crap. I put on my summer wheels and tires the other day and check the tire pressure with a different gauge, couldn't find the pretty one. I went for a drive and the car just felt better some how. I checked the tires with the now found pretty gauge. it read 2 1/2 pounds higher than the other. Hmmmm, went out and bought a third gauge. The third gauge read the same as as the the non pretty one. I don't buy the cheap pencil gauges, I get what they call a truck gauge, large clock like dial indicator on the end of a flexible hose with a double side air chuck, they run about $15. I now have 3, 1 useless really pretty one, and two others that read the same. It is amazing how much difference 21/2 pounds of pressure can make on the way our car handles. Any way I try and remember to check my tires once a month, especially when the seasons change as pressure will be different do to the weather. Really makes a big difference and it's all but free. By the way ALWAYS check them after a service or even an oil change at a shop, more than once some well meaning soul has bumped mine to 35 lbs.

[Sly Bob]

Even more important to check the pressure if, like me, you over inflated the tires for winter storage. If you forget, and don't lower the pressure before you take the car out, you will find yourself sliding around corners when you don't expect it.

Don't ask how I know. 

My digital pressure gauge reads the same pressure as the tire pressure monitors built into the car.

[Sol Asylum]

Those of us with pre '08 Kappas didn't have a built in TPMS .  So my first mod to the car was the addition of a Hella TPMS.  Every time I drive my car I scan the display and check the pressure and temp of all the tires.  Now if I can just remember that I need to add about 2psi to all the tires that would be sweet.

[Sly Bob]

Yes I am aware that the 2006 and 2007 model year didn't have the TPMS. Some 2009 GM vehicles now have TPMS as optional equipment and not standard.

2 psi above recommended pressure to reduce flexing of the sidewall or because you are 2 psi lower that spec?

[Sol Asylum]

I'm about 2 to 2.3 psi lower then spec however temps here are still about 50F so if the temps go up I should in theory need less.  I haven't been able to drive it much yet as spring has only sort of halfway showed up, we had snow last weekend and rain most of the week.  I hear fall is right around the corner.  Damn global warming.

[KWhale]

Global Warming, global warming, global warming....I say bring it on!!!  I planted palm trees in the yard last year due to all the talk about global warming.....they're dead now.  When exactly does this warming kick in?

I check the pressures on the daily driver every couple of weeks out of routine, but I do tend to forget about the Sol because it's not thought of as "must be ready at all time" for driving.  Thanks for the reminder though lil goat, and I hear you on the tire gauges...I keep 2 on hand just to double check the other one....until the dog ate 1 of them last winter.  Time to find another one I guess.

[Sol Asylum]

Dog or tire gauge?

I woke up this morning to find snow on the ground.  We have now exceeded the monthly average snow fall here for April.  Funny thing is I got a sun burn Saturday driving the car and working out in the yard.  Global warming my eye.