Tire Inflation - manual or powered?

[Herrenberg]

If you are already committed to the Milwaukee M12 system of tools and batteries, the tire inflator in that line is excellent.

Of course, everything seems excellent when you're comparing it to 120 presses of an old bicycle pump.

 

[ColtRevolver]

Not only will ambient temperature affect tire pressure, but so will direct sunshine. A tire that has had the sun on it for an extended period of time can be up to 20 psi higher than the same tire in the shade.

 

[brucered]

What city? I lived in Yellowknife for a while, that's cold! Saw -68C once at a mine a couple of hundred km north. Nose froze in about a minute

Winnipeg

It's been mild this year, but last year we had a few 2 week stretches that saw temps averaging -30c before windchill as the high. When it gets that cold, it does't really matter if we are talking Celcius of Fahrenheit. Cold is Cold.

Here is a quick overview of the coldest day each year for the past 10y or so.

 

[mcee_sharp]

Winnipeg

It's been mild this year, but last year we had a few 2 week stretches that saw temps averaging -30c before windchill as the high. When it gets that cold, it does't really matter if we are talking Celcius of Fahrenheit. Cold is Cold.

Here is a quick overview of the coldest day each year for the past 10y or so.

View attachment 1767622

And then in the summer you're +40C!!!

Calgary here, so in winter it's either -20 or +20 depending on the day :\

 

[brucered]

And then in the summer you're +40C!!!

Calgary here, so in winter it's either -20 or +20 depending on the day :\

My brother and family are in Calgary, have been for a few couple decades. We used to go out there for spring break (Canmore) and I go out every so often for a specilized medical appointment.

In fact, I'll be out there mid January for a week. I love visiting Calgary.

We have been similar to you guys this year. We haven't really dipped below averages of -5 and often it's +2. We are -2 to +1 this week. That is odd for us in December. I'm still trail running after work in wind pants, sweatshirt and no gloves.

 

[Ron R]

I bought one of these portable tire inflators and they sell a lot of them. I went to 3 different gas stations this spring and all of their tire inflators where out of commission so I was forced to buy a portable one. This one works well and shuts off automatically(buy a decent tire gauge to confirm your desired tire pressure needed.) and its small enough to store in the back of our SUV vehicle. These aluminum rims over time start to leak so 18 uses at $2 a fill at the gas stations now a days pays for this tire inflator. I have used mine at least 6 times and it works well.

 

[njpaddy]

My daughter's Honda Fit is probably 14 years old. Her TPMS light has been on for at least 12. I "fixed it" by putting a small square of black electrical tape over the idiot light. If I remember right, her husband said the dealer needed to replace all 4 sensors to re-calibrate. He chose to stick with my solution.

For 10 years, I've been using a Viair 88p portable air compressor that clamps onto the battery for power. It also screws onto the valve stem, so you don't have to hold it. The gauge isn't too accurate, so I use a Longacre with release valve to check pressure. Well worth the investment.

​

 

[Hms123]

My wife and each have one of these in our cars.

https://www.rei.com/product/132166/topeak-joeblow-sport-iii-bike-floor-pump

(It has valves for bikes and cars.)
Of course, I am the one doing the pumping. Anyway, it seems to work well enough that I bought one for my granddaughter when she got a car recently. She knows how to use it.

On Tuesday, the sensors came on after I left the car sit out in 20 degrees in the shade. One tire took a lot of pumping while others just took a bit. I had my last car long enough (16 years) that the batteries in the sensors died. Replacing them seemed pretty silly given the cost.

 

[brucered]

My daughter's Honda Fit is probably 14 years old. Her TPMS light has been on for at least 12. I "fixed it" by putting a small square of black electrical tape over the idiot light. If I remember right, her husband said the dealer needed to replace all 4 sensors to re-calibrate. He chose to stick with my solution.

For 10 years, I've been using a Viair 88p portable air compressor that clamps onto the battery for power. It also screws onto the valve stem, so you don't have to hold it. The gauge isn't too accurate, so I use a Longacre with release valve to check pressure. Well worth the investment.

​

Another "fancy" workaround is to take the TPMS, place them in a sealed piece of PVC, rig up a valve to it, pressurize it to the vehicles PSI and strap it under the hood. I've seen some truck guys do it, who didn't want to pay $$$ fo new TPMS and programming.

Your way is what I would do as well, if I couldn't pull the bulb for that sensor.

I keep the same compressor in my truck at all times. It's been great.

 

[StillShaving]

We have a little foot one that I used to use to pump up tractor and wheel barrow tires. Those are all 10-15 psi. It still works fine, even if I don’t some days. I think that one was about $15 at Pep Boys over 25 years ago.

And we have an electric B&D Airstation from over 35 years ago that we still use today for the vehicles. Still works like the day we bought it, except for needing a new chuck a few years back. Like everything else in the garage, I don’t use it as much as in years past. It goes well over 80 psi if you need it to, but most of its life it runs under 40 psi.

A few years back, I briefly thought about buying a small electric air compressor with tank to mount on the garage wall … for convenience. But all the newer ones in the sub $300 range don’t hold up, apparently. It’s not like I plan on inflating tires for too many more years anyway. Most of the cars have pressure sensors on them now. We replace them every 10 years, and have two sets to replace next spring with new tires.

So we stay happy with our old Airstation. Its box is starting to get tattered, but it’s not too much work to haul it out of the cabinet 1-2x a year. I think I paid under $30 for it when Ronald Reagan was still President. It’s US made, and gives us no troubles. I still see good used ones for sale on ebay, so it must be a well made pump.

Even though the Airstation has a nice built in gauge, I’m still using the same hand held air gauge I bought in the early 80s. US-made, glass dial, all brass with a rubber slip case. It still works like the day I bought it. A very accurate gauge. I don’t remember the brand. I think that one was under $20 at some commercial tool counter. I’ve inflated so many tires with that gauge over the years, I can get a tire to within 1/10 psi with it with the letoff (provided my eyes are sharp that day).

My old tire inflator is a no-name hand me down compressor that look liked it would sit on top of an air tank. It might be the same vintage as yours or older. A few years ago, it became excessively noisy and would not pump much over 30 PSI. The clacking ball valve sounded like it was about to self-destruct when reaching that pressure. I did nothing to maintain it, which could explain a lot as don't some of these need a periodic oiling?? I probably should have investigated further and replaced the air hose which may have also been part of the problem.

 

[StillShaving]

Another "fancy" workaround is to take the TPMS, place them in a sealed piece of PVC, rig up a valve to it, pressurize it to the vehicles PSI and strap it under the hood. I've seen some truck guys do it, who didn't want to pay $$$ fo new TPMS and programming.

Your way is what I would do as well, if I couldn't pull the bulb for that sensor.

I keep the same compressor in my truck at all times. It's been great.

I realize the TPMS was mandated to avoid issues like the Firestone-underinflated-tire-blowout-rolling-over-SUV but the system is so expensive to replace/reprogram after the batteries die that it would have been great if there had been some kind of accommodation for alternate implementation. For instance, let the OEM provide a more basic warning light that comes on periodically after some time+distance calculation, sort of like those oil change warning lights. Leaving it up to the operator to reset after checking tire pressures manually. But people are lazy and cannot be trusted, so many older cars with are stuck with idiot lights not worth fixing. I would opt for black tape as well.

 

[Herrenberg]

Not only will ambient temperature affect tire pressure, but so will direct sunshine. A tire that has had the sun on it for an extended period of time can be up to 20 psi higher than the same tire in the shade.

Parking on a non-level surface will do the same, with the pressure showing higher on the low side, and lower on the high side.

 

[Filudo]

Even bike tires are difficult by hand......to the point that I got a CO2 can thing to get them going.....
Electric pumps are so cheap now....just get one and put it in the trunk

 

[SmokedStanley]

For a car/truck and even a motorcycle I would use a manual pump if I had to, but given a choice I would choose one that is powered. Why work harder than you have to.

My Tacoma's TPMS read real time and average about a 4psi increase in the winter from cold to when the tires get up to temperature. I have seen the light come on and then go out after driving a few miles before.

Even bike tires are difficult by hand......to the point that I got a CO2 can thing to get them going.....
Electric pumps are so cheap now....just get one and put it in the trunk

Especially the bike tires that take 50-80 psi. That can be a real PITA using a hand pump.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Especially the bike tires that take 50-80 psi. That can be a real PITA using a hand pump.

I run mine at 105-110.

 

[StillShaving]

An addendum to my experience with inflating tires. Over Thanksgiving, I helped someone inflate their car tires. They had been alerted by their car's TPMS dash light. Took it to a local gas station and attempted to add air to the tires, starting with the one that looked most visibly underinflated. The door sticker indicated 35 PSI but could not inflate it over 30 PSI. It was difficult to get a tight seal on the air hose at the gas station, so I gave up there and tried to find another gas station with a working air inflator but failed and came back home. I topped off all four tires using their bicycle pump but could did not move the needle on air pressure reading as they all read 30 PSI on the pencil tire gauge.

A month later over Christmas I visited again and brought my gauges and pump to second check everything. Discovered that all 4 tires still read 30 PSI using their gauge but were actually around 45 PSI. I deflated them down to 35 and thrashed the defective gauge. While it is not surprising to find that an old gauge has physically worn out or become sticky, I was a little surprised that the car TPMS system did not complain about tire pressures being too high. Perhaps a tire 10 PSI over is not a safety issue, more of a ride comfort and tire wear issue?

 

[Herrenberg]

Perhaps a tire 10 PSI over is not a safety issue, more of a ride comfort and tire wear issue?

Almost certainly, and I'm not even sure that there's a tire wear issue. Car tires are routinely inflated to well below the max rating on the sidewall, for ride reasons. Safety issues would presumably kick above the listed maximum for the tire.

My wife has a horse trailer, and you inflate those tires to what it says on the sidewall. I guess the horse is not too concerned.

 

[brucered]

The cars PSI recommendation will be much lower that the actual tire inflation limit.

I believe my truck tires TPMS and door jam sticker is about 35. The actual tires can be aired to 80. I run them at 45.

To get the optimal tire pressure/wear in any passenger vehicle, use the chalk test. Tons of videos online on how to perform it.

 

[ColtRevolver]

A tire inflation chart is handy to find out the psi needed for a tire based on the load it is carrying.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I still have the DeWalt dual tank air compressor I used when I was in construction to run my nail guns. Based on this thread, I did some checking on Amazon and ordered this one. I'll report back after I've used it.

Why do I need one now? Both our cars have built-in tire pressure sensors but using them to inflate the tires is a pain. You think you are there.... wait a couple minutes and it updates to a few pounds higher, usually.... I would love a real time tire gauge and this one, I can connect to my air hose and get the inflation spot on... or so I hope.

Amazon.com