Re: Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Originally Posted by Kermie
Duh. I looked in the manual and there it was. I didn't realize they showed that in there. They DO have them strapped to the wheels like the first aftermarket kits that we had at Goodyear when I worked there seven years ago. GM and Nissan have the sensors incorporated with the valvestem. I assumed they were all like that now. Thanks for enlightening me. That's cool. When I saw the rubber valve stems, I just assume we had the TPMS that worked off of wheel speed. The actual sensors inside the wheel TPMS are more accurate.
I once got to drive a captured Soviet truck in Vietnam, and it had the pressures in all the wheels displayed on the panel, complete with an underhood pump for pumping them up. So you could come to a muddy spot on the trail, let the air out of the tires and drive through it, then pump them up again and be on your way. All without leaving the cab. Mighty helpful for off-road driving. Hal |
Re: Tire Pressure Monitoring System
The sensors used aren't that accurate. They don't give an absolute reading, just tell you if the pressure is below a set threshold (I think around 26PSI but I'm not sure where I saw that). It is in the manual somewhere, I'll see if I can find it again.
They could put sensors in that communicated the exact pressure, however a threshold is cheaper... all it has to do is ping, no communication protcol so the sensor can be alot dumber (the battery life can also probably be higher). |
Re: Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Originally Posted by TeeSter
Just so you know... in the usual case its not like these sensors give you a real time readout of the tire pressure. They only give you a warning if the pressure drops fairly low. I think I read that in the FEH its set to somewhere around 26PSI). Its far cheaper and more accurate to just use a tireguage regularly.
The intent is just to prevent people from ignoring their tires completely until they are dangerously low. The system's already paid for itself because instead of driving along thinking, "Why is the car handling/sounding/feeling like this?" or a rude awakening upon coming out to the car with a totally FLAT tire (that's let the vehicle sit on the rim overnight), I've been able to catch tire punctures quickly, get the spare on quickly (before the tire's ever let the vehicle sit on the rim, and before I've ever been inclined to drive it further or on the highway w/an unknown developing flat), and take it to service ASAP. I always do a walkaround visual check of my tires (because of the construction around us), but that system is quite handy. I have a tire pressure gauge (digital) in my vehicle but only check my tire pressures once a month unless one looks low (which they never really do until you find yourself headed for a total flat), more if we're driving a long distance on a trip. PS: My spare was only at 35 PSI when I first put it on the vehicle. The pressure for the factory (Goodyear Convenience Spare) spare tire should be 60 PSI so if you check your tires regularly, check your spare as well so you will have ample pressure in it if/when you need it. I was lucky in that I changed to my spare at home on both occasions and had access to an air pump. The spare seems to lose pressure faster than the stock Conti EcoPlus tires, btw, so don't skimp and only check the spare once a blue moon... it'll be down to the mid-30s if you do that. ;) - Shannon, whose finding new routes to drive because 2 punctures in 4 weeks is absurd! (both were tiny nails, one that got wedged perfectly, the other that somehow got bent into a "V" and caused a dual punture. Both, thankfully, well within the middle of the tread -- no sidewall impacts... {KNOCK ON WOOD} |
Re: Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Originally Posted by TeeSter
The sensors used aren't that accurate. They don't give an absolute reading, just tell you if the pressure is below a set threshold (I think around 26PSI but I'm not sure where I saw that). It is in the manual somewhere, I'll see if I can find it again.
They could put sensors in that communicated the exact pressure, however a threshold is cheaper... all it has to do is ping, no communication protcol so the sensor can be alot dumber (the battery life can also probably be higher). All this cobbling together of aftermarket products (Nav system, tire sensors etc...) really hurts on making a nicely integrated system. Regards, rcomeau |
Re: Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Originally Posted by rcomeau
All this cobbling together of aftermarket products (Nav system, tire sensors etc...) really hurts on making a nicely integrated system.
Etc. P.S. Visteon makes the nav system. Visteon is owned by Ford. Not exactly "aftermarket"... |
Re: Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Originally Posted by GeekGal
The system works as intended and serves a useful purpose. Everything else is just window dressing, and increases costs further. It'd be cool if the tires were run-flats. It'd be cool if the tires could be repressurized on the fly, like a Humvee. It'd be cool if we all got a full sized spare Conti Contitrac EcoPlus tire with rim and tire pressure sensor.
Etc. P.S. Visteon makes the nav system. Visteon is owned by Ford. Not exactly "aftermarket"... There are alot of things I'd like to monitor more than my tire pressure, they are just an insurance policy. |
Re: Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Coincidentally, one of my tires was stabbed by a nail yesteday. The pressure sensor allowed me to notice before the tire got deflated to the point of needing the spare, so I was able to get it fixed without jacking the car on the side of the road.
My earlier point was that with the same equipment but a bit more integration could give a better product in the end. I think they took modular too far. For example, the heated seats have the button on the seat rather than on the dash. Good for Ford (the seat was probably made by a sub) and saves them running a wire but bad for the owner because the button is in a virtually unreachable spot without opening the door. Viteon is owned by Ford, but do you think the FEH designer ever spoke to Visteon? Would it have been that hard to have the tire sensors link to the Nav system to give the info? Technically it would have been easy, but that would have required the left hand to talk to the right hand. Visteon, Gentek ... North American cars are becoming more like home built PCs (motherboard here, CPU there thrown into a box with a unique brand sticker on the front) than truly unique products. Enough ranting. Liked the low pressure alarm at least. Now that winter is coming, anyone purchased a second set of sensors for dedicated winter tire rims? Cheers, rcomeau |
Re: Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Originally Posted by rcomeau
Now that winter is coming, anyone purchased a second set of sensors for dedicated winter tire rims?
I'm planning to get a set of chains for those rare circumstances when the all-weather Contis an my AWD FEH won't cut it here in SW Ohio. PQ |
Re: Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Alright, dumb question...why would someone not install an aftermarket kit...this deal seems too good to be true!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/TRUCK...spagenameZWDVW |
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