[Anupam]

Originally Posted by parsh

I had bought the LIMI DTI a year back, pretty costly at that but looked good, http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ml#post3005392. A few of us have bought too. However, it malfunctioned within half an year with not much usage and much precious care, strictly following instructions. Has anybody else experienced any sort of malfunctioning of LIMI DTI yet?

I also bought limi couple of years back, I once had some problem but the manufacturer gave home service and got it sorted, it has saved my skin in some super complex situation during travel and otherwise, no complains whatsoever

But I think the new models on this thread seems to be quite good so I guess it would make no sense to buy limi anymore

[Ayson]

Hi, I had a doubt about these portable inflators.

The air pumps at petrol stations or big tyre shops, usually have a dust filter, moisture and oil extractor for the compressor to ensure that these don't contaminate the stored air / nitrogen. Do these portable ones have any such filters? Oil, and moisture do not do good for the inside of the tyres or the rims.

Also, a few points to add in on the discussion.

The gauges on the pumps at petrol stations tend to vary a lot. They loose calibration with use and age. So, no matter how much you 'trust' a station, the gauge need not be accurate.

The nitrogen inflators too suffer from this inaccuracy.

The pressure mentioned on the chart on the car is the cold tyre inflation pressure. So, it is best to check the pressure, at the beginning of the trip, as close as possible in time and distance.

When one attempts to compare pressures at two different stations, driving to the next station actually changes the tyre pressure, to a level depending on distance.

Finally, any gauge relying on a mechanical means to sense pressure, like bellows or springs are much more likely to loose calibration than gauges relying on electronic sensors like those present in TPMS.

[mvp]

Originally Posted by Ayson

The gauges on the pumps at petrol stations tend to vary a lot. They loose calibration with use and age. So, no matter how much you 'trust' a station, the gauge need not be accurate.

The nitrogen inflators too suffer from this inaccuracy.

I have also noticed the discrepancy of the reading between different inflators, and also when checked with the mechanical gauge, I own.

Finally, I seem to have the answer now. Try doing the below next time:

- Fill up Nitrogen/gas to your desired level, say 34 and remove the pipe
- Check the PSI immediately thereafter and you would be surprised to see a reading of 33 or 32.5 (in the same inflator display)

Clearly, there is a drop of 1 to 1.5. The mechanic there explained to me that this is due to the drop of pressure in the pipe.

So, if you need 34 ask for 35 or 35.5 and you will indeed have 34 in the tyres.

Do correct me if my observation is wrong.

[Sankar]

I bought a Viair 88P portable air compressor a month ago after having wasted my money on a cheap ebay compressor with digital auto cutoff. Compared to the ebay compressor this Viair rocks! I have a video of a test run with this compressor hooked upto our i10, the tyre had 30PSI when i started and the Viair pumped it up to 60PSi in 1 minute and 11 seconds which is incredible.

I cross checked the readings on the Viair inbuilt gauge with a high quality Moroso tyre pressure gauge and both were found to be very close. The difference is negligible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd8hOhtGpes

PS: This was just a test to see how hard the compressor could pump as its rated capacity is 120PSI. The tyre pressure was later brought down to recommended value with a Moroso gauge with bleeder valve.

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by Sankar

Compared to the ebay compressor ...

I have a similar cheapo compressor, that does not have a non-return valve. So , once inflated to desired pressure, if I switch off the inflator without unscrewing the hose, the tyre loses pressure.

Does the Viair have a non-return valve?

Secondly my cheapo compressor shakes so much, that getting a reading off it, is next to impossible. I noticed that the Viair's needle seemed to be rock steady. Is the minimum calibration @ 2psi or higher?

[unk9ja]

Originally Posted by Sankar

I bought a Viair 88P portable air compressor a month ago after having wasted my money on a cheap ebay compressor with digital auto cutoff. Compared to the ebay compressor this Viair rocks! I have a video of a test run with this compressor hooked upto our i10, the tyre had 30PSI when i started and the Viair pumped it up to 60PSi in 1 minute and 11 seconds which is incredible.

Could you share the details from where you purchased this product. 30psi in 71 seconds is awesome for a compressor so small.

[Sankar]

Couple of pics

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

I have a similar cheapo compressor, that does not have a non-return valve. So , once inflated to desired pressure, if I switch off the inflator without unscrewing the hose, the tyre loses pressure.

Does the Viair have a non-return valve?

Secondly my cheapo compressor shakes so much, that getting a reading off it, is next to impossible. I noticed that the Viair's needle seemed to be rock steady. Is the minimum calibration @ 2psi or higher?

With Viar the tyre doesn't lose pressure if the compressor is not ON; non return valve might be present in this.

This one is stable as you can see in the video while its on, my ebay compressor used to shake a lot and was more noisy.

The gauge's dial is attached below.

Originally Posted by unk9ja

Could you share the details from where you purchased this product. 30psi in 71 seconds is awesome for a compressor so small.

Yes its quite good for a compressor this size. I bought it from amazon.com.

[honeybee]

Bought a foot pump with pressure guage from a local tyre dealer. So far used a couple of times and it seems to be good. Even the guage is accurate as tested before buying. Will post a photo sometime later. Price was 600.

[ank.nsit]

Yesterday, I got to know that Maruti is selling digital tire pressure gauges @ Rs. 490. There is another model which has glass breaking hammer, seat belt cutter & all that for 790.
Has anyone tried those? Are they worth it?

[RaguHolla]

Originally Posted by Sankar

With Viar the tyre doesn't lose pressure if the compressor is not ON; non return valve might be present in this.

I have this for past one year. I can concur what you stated. Its very good compressor with less noise. It generates less heat when compared to my earlier Auto air compressor (one bought in Germany Auto store chain, it just like cheaper ebay version). Takes a minute to pump 36 PSI in fully flat tire of my Fiesta (195/60 R14). However I find its gauge is not accurate when compared to my other gauge Moroso 89560. I usually pump more and bleed air to desired psi. Though its good , find it little inconvenient to use battery terminal as against 12v outlet, and need to keep engine on!

[saket77]

I bought an AirBelle compressor last year for Rs. 1900/-. Does the job pretty well & runs on 12V lighter socket. The vibrations are well controlled and the pressure gauge is very accurate (I have another very good quality pen type slick out gauge) and the readings for both are very close. The compressor has a non-return valve and a bleeder switch (mechanical), which one can press to bleed out excess air from the tire. It also has an LED light which is handy in dark.
Though compressor remains cool even after fair use, but the air outlet pipe gets hot, especially at the point from where it originates from the compressor. Rest it has been good for me.

[TheTeacher]

Anybody know of a good 12v compressor that runs on less than 15 Amps, say, 12A?

I bought one rated at 15A thinking it'll work on my car's cigarette lighter socket that is limited to 15A, but the compressor blew the fuse and I've never used it again.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by TheTeacher

Anybody know of a good 12v compressor that runs on less than 15 Amps, say, 12A?

I bought one rated at 15A thinking it'll work on my car's cigarette lighter socket that is limited to 15A, but the compressor blew the fuse and I've never used it again.

Check the fuse rating of the lighter. It should something in between 10-15 Amps. Since the compressor blew the fuse, I am suspecting it to be of 10A. Check the wires of the lighter. If they are thick enough, you may just upgrade to a higher rating fuse (15A) and you should be fine.
IMP: Just make sure that you keep your vehicle's engine running while using the compressor. It will be easy on the fuse and the general electricals to carry the load of the compressor.

[TheTeacher]

Originally Posted by saket77

Check the fuse rating of the lighter.

Fuse rating was 15A.

Most devices have a surge in the current when starting up, and I suspect that was what blew the fuse. When I bought the car, I was warned that the absolute max supply at the cigarette lighter socket was 15A.

I would blame the compressor rather than the car. From my searches on the web, this is a common problem. I am thinking of buying something like this so I can connect to the battery directly.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by TheTeacher

Fuse rating was 15A.

Most devices have a surge in the current when starting up, and I suspect that was what blew the fuse. When I bought the car, I was warned that the absolute max supply at the cigarette lighter socket was 15A.

I would blame the compressor rather than the car. From my searches on the web, this is a common problem. I am thinking of buying something like this so I can connect to the battery directly.

Did you kept the engine running while starting the compressor? It is always advisable to first start the engine and then use power hungry devices. That minimizes the load on the electricals.
If the fuse still blows, then you may need something that connects to the battery directly, but then it will be little inconvenient, as you yourself know.