What are you using to adjust your tire pressure?

cableguy said:

Since there have been a fair number of discussions around tire pressure I was curious as to what people are using to inflate their tires?

Years ago I had an inexpensive device to inflate my tires at home. It crapped out and I haven't replaced it.... This means that I rarely check the tire pressure.... of course it was set when I changed from summer to winter and winter to summer tires....by the tire shop.

With two new cars and expensive 19" tires on both I want to make sure I'm monitoring the pressure and preventing excess wear. And the best way to do that is at home given that you have to now pay for air at every gas station.

Thanks for any tips on units that work well at a reasonable cost.

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I've had this Sears inflator for 8 years and it has never let me down on a monthly basis.
I'm sure there might be something comparable but for $20 it has been the best Sears product I've ever purchased.
Sears alway have sales and this model can go as low as $15 on occasions.

Some of the reviews say it runs hot but that's only if you keep it on for like 15+min constantly... Duh.
Which means those fools haven't been maintaining their psi's!

Best feature is the digital setting which shuts the compressor off once you hit your desired psi. So no guessing or fear of overinflating. I always set this 2 lbs higher for the possbile air leakage from taking off it off the tire stem.

I keep it in the trunk and always regret I don't have it when I don't bring it! Very convenient to have. Very trustworthy and reliable.

rebop said:

But if they are not on the same block you live on, you are likely not checking "cold".

And in 50 years of driving I have NEVER had a dealer or tire shop put the same pressure in all 4 tires. Never. I much prefer to check myself.

While we are at it, what pressure are you all running? I have tried 33, 44, 38 and currently pretty happy at 36 -all around.

~Bob

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Yep, four tire shops within a mile of my house....and as I am not as retentive as some and I'm really not too concerned about the heat buildup during the 35mph stop-and-go drive and 10 minute wait upon arrival at the shop....the tire shops work fine for me.

Obviously I have not had the 50 years of bad luck (poor karma?) that you have experienced, but it could be the relationships I have developed with the car dealers in my neighborhood over the last 24 years that have led to the long term consistency in tire pressures they deliver. And face it, with the modern premium tires we run on (usually Michelin's), it is rare that a tire needs pressure added unless it has a puncture.

I keep a digital gauge in the console of both our cars and check the tires during trips away from the local area....and having just checked the pressure on our Q3 this morning, we are running at 44/46 and getting 27.6 mpg just driving around town. The plan is to drop the pressures to 36/36 (the pressure we've always run in our other cars) tomorrow when I stop by local America's Tire store.

My wife and I both love the handling of our Q3 at 44/46, but we are probably going to sacrifice a little of that, and gas mileage too, for a little softer and more comfortable ride......heck, we may even drop it to 33/33 as recommended by the owner's manual and my Audi dealer.