Safety: I will never own a car without...
Safety: I will never own a car without...
Airbags or seat belts are granted. That was so pre-1990.
1992: I had to buy a car with ABS. I insisted to pay $600 to get it as an option on my 1992 Mazda MX-3 GS 1.8 V6.
2005: it was standard since 2003, but I had to get ESP on my 3-series. See my avatar for explanation.
** Fast forward 2017 ** : now I will NEVER own a car without tire pressure actual read-out.
Tonight 5PM returning from work. BAM! Stopping 5 minutes later, I saw some pigeon shit on the side so I thought that a bird hit my car. Three hours later, my car tells me that I have less than 10 psi in the rear right tire, although visually there was nothing wrong.. So at home, I swapped it with one of my winter wheels. Found and removed a large piece of steel.
I wished that I had this luck in 2009. After 10 minutes on an urban highway, my BMW with no-RFT gave me a "yellow" tire signal. Didn't feel or look abnormal so I took the risk of getting to my work, 20 minutes more. A so sorry outcome, with no place to go, no curb. It cost me a tire and a few hundreds more. Not counting the multi-hours aggravation.
I would have never done it with an actual read-out or RFT (which were unbearable at that time)... *Kudos to Acura for having made TPMS actual read-out standard.*
1992: I had to buy a car with ABS. I insisted to pay $600 to get it as an option on my 1992 Mazda MX-3 GS 1.8 V6.
2005: it was standard since 2003, but I had to get ESP on my 3-series. See my avatar for explanation.

** Fast forward 2017 ** : now I will NEVER own a car without tire pressure actual read-out.
Tonight 5PM returning from work. BAM! Stopping 5 minutes later, I saw some pigeon shit on the side so I thought that a bird hit my car. Three hours later, my car tells me that I have less than 10 psi in the rear right tire, although visually there was nothing wrong.. So at home, I swapped it with one of my winter wheels. Found and removed a large piece of steel.
I wished that I had this luck in 2009. After 10 minutes on an urban highway, my BMW with no-RFT gave me a "yellow" tire signal. Didn't feel or look abnormal so I took the risk of getting to my work, 20 minutes more. A so sorry outcome, with no place to go, no curb. It cost me a tire and a few hundreds more. Not counting the multi-hours aggravation.
I would have never done it with an actual read-out or RFT (which were unbearable at that time)... *Kudos to Acura for having made TPMS actual read-out standard.*
Last edited by Saintor; Jun 13, 2017 at 09:03 PM.
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Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Mooresville, NC
I tried to be positive and think he actually finally created a thread that was a useful conversation and contribution to the forum. I should have known better.
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Whenever I see lights on my dash, I just ignore them as well.
"Check Engine Light"? Pop hood, checked engine.. It's still there!
And away I go... This has been my go-to/tried and true/proven method of maintaining my cars and without fail, every time I see a CEL, the engine is still there..
I mean, why the fuck do they even bother having a stupid light like that? Like, where the fuck do they think the engine is going to go without the rest of the car?

Damn automotive engineers..
Stay Out Of the Left Lane




Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 9,689
Likes: 1,395
From: SE Mass --- > Central VA --- > SE Mass

You don't notice that you car is driving differently, presumably pulling to the right like no tomorrow.

Suppose it's possible, but I just don't get it..................

Whenever I see lights on my dash, I just ignore them as well.
"Check Engine Light"? Pop hood, checked engine.. It's still there!
And away I go... This has been my go-to/tried and true/proven method of maintaining my cars and without fail, every time I see a CEL, the engine is still there..
I mean, why the fuck do they even bother having a stupid light like that? Like, where the fuck do they think the engine is going to go without the rest of the car?

Damn automotive engineers..

i totally think he's drinking and posting. 9PM on the dot. the other weird thread was in the evening around the same time.
almost reminds me of Professor
and how he would write a tangent about his dog, shotgun blasts, and a oriental rug
almost reminds me of Professor
and how he would write a tangent about his dog, shotgun blasts, and a oriental rug
So what you're saying is the faster your drive on a flat tire, the better!
I'm guessing that's why Saintor never noticed the flat. The TLX looks fast so he never noticed the low air. It all makes sense.
I'm guessing that's why Saintor never noticed the flat. The TLX looks fast so he never noticed the low air. It all makes sense.
So, this went sideways quickly.
I have to say, though, that I do prefer the tire display with actual pressure from my 3G TL over the one in my BMW...
I have to say, though, that I do prefer the tire display with actual pressure from my 3G TL over the one in my BMW...
Last edited by ttribe; Jun 14, 2017 at 03:15 PM.
TPMS being mandatory, I don't see why they don't all have actual readouts. Extremely useful.
Last edited by Saintor; Jun 14, 2017 at 07:02 PM.
Because the (at least in the US) Federal mandate for tire pressure monitoring didn't specify (at least initially, I really don't know if it's changed) that it needed to be an individual tire pressure monitor; only that the system monitor for a low pressure condition.
So it was up to the manufacturer to decide how they implement. Putting one dummy light was enough to satisfy the requirement and could be done cheaper and easier than putting in individual measurements with a display.
Do you see now?
So it was up to the manufacturer to decide how they implement. Putting one dummy light was enough to satisfy the requirement and could be done cheaper and easier than putting in individual measurements with a display.
Do you see now?
Yup, cost is a big factor as is the technique for determining whether there is an issue with one or more tires. My wife's former 2012 VW GTI did not have individual tire sensors, instead it used the ABS system to determine if a tire was under inflated (or over inflated) using wheel RPM deltas to make said determination. With such a system, individual tire pressures are impossible.
Cul0's response was totally within reason when it comes to laws. Doing just the bare minimum to satisfy laws is the American way
Yup, cost is a big factor as is the technique for determining whether there is an issue with one or more tires. My wife's former 2012 VW GTI did not have individual tire sensors, instead it used the ABS system to determine if a tire was under inflated (or over inflated) using wheel RPM deltas to make said determination. With such a system, individual tire pressures are impossible.
What if all 4 are low by the same amount & no single wheels is over/undersped?
The likelihood of four tires dropping from say, 36 psi to say 20 psi, is so very remote as to make it a virtual impossibility. That said, the VW system was sensitive enough to detect that, wheel speed deltas is a primary tool, but wheel RPMs as a group versus the expected wheel RPM at a given speed from the speedometer sensor also triggers the system to report an inflation issue.
So starting at, say 35 psi at 110F and going to 45F would result in a pressure of 35*(45/110) = 14 psi.
That should trigger even binary TPMS systems (assuming it's looking for a threshold value and not a delta between the individual tires).
Source: ideal gas law.
Assuming an isometric system (*fairly* true for a tire), the change in pressure as a factor of temperature is given by P2 = P1(T2/T1).
So starting at, say 35 psi at 110F and going to 45F would result in a pressure of 35*(45/110) = 14 psi.
That should trigger even binary TPMS systems (assuming it's looking for a threshold value and not a delta between the individual tires).
Source: ideal gas law.
So starting at, say 35 psi at 110F and going to 45F would result in a pressure of 35*(45/110) = 14 psi.
That should trigger even binary TPMS systems (assuming it's looking for a threshold value and not a delta between the individual tires).
Source: ideal gas law.
Last edited by horseshoez; Jun 15, 2017 at 10:21 AM.









I have actual readouts on the F150 & just go/no-go on the Flex. Definitely prefer it if available.
