EleVatE

This might be a really noob question... but I want to know if there is a way that you can get a digital tire pressure guage that can be viewed from the car as an aftermarket product. However I think it'd be really dumb if you had to resort to mounting a seperate, blatenly obvious aftermarket screen just for it. I dunno, any ideas? suggestions?

Repecat

Sure, go to www.tirerack.com . They have a system that has pressure sensors in each wheel and a readout that can be mounted in the cabin. $200 to $250 as I recall.

Casper42

Here are a few, Seperate screen though.
http://www.rvupgradestore.com/index....PROD&ProdID=17
http://www.smartire.com/

More info on TPMS
http://www.truckworld.com/How-To-Tec...-pressure.html

EleVatE

The second site said:

"The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has passed a law requiring new passenger cars, minivans, sports utilities, and light trucks to have a tire pressure monitoring system beginning in 2003."

If that is the case, then why doesn't the 04 TL or every other 04 car that doesn't have one... have one?

Casper42

I feel stupid, I clicked all the links and cant find any mention of the NHTSA 2003 thing. Can you tell me exactly which link you used or post a direct link?

Only thing I can think of without reading the exact text is that the 04 TL was designed, built, and in full production Durign 2003. So its possible any NHTSA stuff was passed after this model was "approved". And as long as Acura doesnt change the TL much, they wont have to do this. This would make sense since the 05 RL has them.

EleVatE

Oohs sorry. I clicked on a link from the pages you gave me. its at the bottom of this under "and" :

http://www.smartire.com/products/index.html

Casper42

Well I only found 2 things.
1) It was specifically Nov 2003, the 04 TL was already on sale then.
2) Section 13 of TREAD Act

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall complete a rulemaking
for a regulation to require a warning system in new motor vehicles
to indicate to the operator when a tire is significantly under inflated.
Such requirement shall become effective not later than 2 years
after the date of the completion of such rulemaking.

So theoretically it would take a max of 3 years from the day the TREAD act went into effect until Auto Makers actually have to comply.

I also read something about an upper level court tossing out a bunch of the "rulemaking" mentioned below. Basically they tossed out the passive monitoring systems as they felt they were not accurate enough. (Passive = Monitor ABS system and use Tire Rotation info to determine if one is low, Active = Something that attaches to the valv stem or replaces valve stem cap and actually reads pressure)

More Reading HERE

EleVatE

wow, nice researching Casper, points for you for sure. Thanks a lot!

If i had to get one that mounted, I would want to mount it in a really inconspicuous spot, anyone know a good spot? Or maybe break open the mount box and rewire what i would assume would be the warning LEDs..

Are there any 'dead' switches or spots for switches in the TL? so aftermarket stuff like foglights looks good and not obviously modded in.

Casper42

Over by the VSA Disable is a spot the same size. Only Extra spot I have seen thats blatently obvious.

EleVatE

Any other good spots people ahve used? if you have already installed stuff, post pics if you can!

MR1

Darn, 05 RL and 04 MDX have it, we should too. I was hoping Acura would include it as it's a PITA to constantly check the pressure but very necessary. End or Rant.


I will be lurking and watching, hope you guys come up with something reasonable.

Treblig

I believe one of the monitors is small enough to mount in one of the two compartments in lower center console.

Red05TL

Anyone tried an aftermarket TPMS? The smartire version looks good.

http://www.smartire.com/products/passenger/index.html

http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/...artire_all.jsp

gbriank

I have written some stuff over in the tires section of the board. I have the Smart Tire system and it works great. Make sure if the dealer will not install the system that a reputable tire place does put it in.

gbriank

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...hlight=Goodson

Red05TL

Thank you for the quick reply.

I'm thinking about get one for the TL and one for the wife's SUV. I will try it on her first and see.

I've seem only good reviews about smartire, and mix reviews about all other aftermarket TPMS units.

gbriank

It is one of a very few systems that uses a sensor inside the wheel. Most cars measure the rotational difference between tires (sux....what if all the tires are under inflated? System doesn't signal you... SmarTire does!).

Are you intending to add this to the 17" rims or are you going up to a larger tire? New tires?

Red05TL

I will do it when I upgrade to the A-Spec 18" rims, there shouldn't be a problem right?

gbriank

Nope....did the same thing myself! So, have you chosen which brand of tire you want?

Red05TL

I was a Nitto and Falken guy, but I will stick close to the OEM brand as I can possible do, they are pretty expensive, but I want to see what they are about. My Nitto is sticky but it wears very quicly, I will see what if the Michelins are better.

gbriank

By OEM, you mean Yokohama's AVS100? Are you looking for an All-Season, High Performance All-Season, Ultra High Performance All-Season or a High Performance Summer tire?

Red05TL

My OEM are Michelin, 2005 TL 5AT w/navi, picked it up three weeks ago.

I'm in sunny South Florida, I'm looking for the High Performance Summer tires.

gbriank

Sweet. You've got some excellent choices out there! The Yoko's Acura uses are not bad tires, but there are some better choices. Check out TireRack and read up on what the users are saying. Michelin makes some good tires, but they are expensive.