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-   -   Tyre pressure gauge and portable inflator pump / foot pump (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifications-accessories/2294-tyre-pressure-gauge-portable-inflator-pump-foot-pump-57.html)

That's a lovely typo! Could, I suppose, be one way of inflating tyres :D.

Serious answer: foot pump.

And why not? It might be incredibly tedious for inflating a completely flat tyre, but most of the time we do not need to do that, just adding a psi or two. Foot pumps were all drivers had, for a long, long time.

I am using a Mi Tyre Inflator which has an inbuilt battery. It is quite a handy product but takes quite some time compared to other 12V Tyre Inflators and is a bit noisier.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modif...-inflator.html

Initially I was using portable digital inflater which needed 12v input. But I felt it was very cumbersome to use it every time if I had to check the air pressure. From past 4 years I have been using digital pressure gauge(multi purpose, window smasher and seat belt cutter) and hand air pump to measure and top-up air. It has been super quick, silent and convenient. I feel hand pumps are better than foot pumps, possibility of losing balance when operating foot pump is high comparatively.

Got the Mi Portable inflator. A friend had it and was impressed with the capability. Costs 2500/- on Mi website. Shipping was super fast and received it in a day in Chennai from Bangalore. Yet to try it on the bike.









Was packed well. It doesnt need any power source and thats the USP for me. Has few presets and can be done manually as well. Comes with a nice pouch and 2 extra nozzles. Charged full in about 2 hours. Takes about 5 mins to go from 10-30 psi. Will check accurate time for filling and also the back up for operations and report back. Not too heavy but its bulky.

For me, the charge drops to Amber (20-50%), in just about 5 mins of operation / 30 psi filling. Noticed the trend for 2 fills (similar). A friend mentioned this is way too quick discharge. I raised a complaint with Mi CC and have been asked to visit the centre to check the device.

While its very handy and reasonably quick for a self powered device, i expect a reasonable life for it to be useful.

Mine stopped working after 4-5 uses. Just another Chinese product with a fancy name.

Maruti and Nexa cars are equipped with 12V sockets that carry a rating of only 120Watts. I had previously raised a query here and I am posting an update below for others’ benefit.

Summary: Tyre inflators and vaccum cleaners with 150W rating work fine.


I posted similar query to the accessories store guy at a Nexa showroom in Chandigarh and he told me that 150W tyre inflators work absolutely fine without any issues. I went there with an intention to buy the MGA tyre inflator with a hope that it must be rated at 120W. The accessories guy was so certain about using 150W inflator that he did not even bother replying about the wattage on MGA inflator. He simply said “MGA inflator also has a similar wattage rating and dont worry about using the one you already have as they are compatible”.

Apparently, I did not want to experiment with it but now I have done so and found that 150W inflators can be used with Maruti cars.

150W is the peak consumption by the inflator. I guess it is not necessary to change the fuse or the socket as it works just fine. Although I must say that it is better not to use it for an extended duration.

While it is true that some air escapes during unscrewing the nozzle after filling the air, the quantity of air lost is insignificant. You can fill 1 PSI more than what you intend to fill for compensating this loss.

Is it still in warranty? Do write to their customer care. It is not made in Germany and the seller has smartly written “Germany” on the box rather than “Made in Germany”. To their credit, however, they are selling good quality product rather than a cheap one with poor quakity control. I am assuming that yours is a one off case.

I have been using Michelin Tyre inflator since last few years and today it gave up. I was trying to find the service centre and could not find it in Bangalore. Any one has done the service either during warranty or after warranty ?

My friends Michelin Tyre Pump gave up and he gave it for service on JC Road. Unfortunately, it couldn't be saved and he bought a new one (Cant be repaired in most cases, he was told). Apparently he was the Bangalore dealer

One of the reasons I always bought and used a foot pump is simplicity, reliability and easy availability of spares like nozzle, seals etc.

The first foot pump (costing Rs. 500) lasted for around 7-8 years. The second one (costing Rs. 700) is in use since last two years. This one came with a kit of spares like seals, spring etc. And the spares are also available in the spare parts market in Nana Peth in Pune.

I beg to disagree. I have personally seen 2 instances when use of 150W inflators blew the fuse, once immediately, and once after few months. I had opted for Bergman typhoon inflator for mom's car then, since it claimed fastest inflation. I used it often to top up air and it blew fuse in around 7-8 months of usage. We didn't think much about it, replaced the fuse and everything was fine.

Once some mischievous kids deflated tyres to 10PSI levels. They looked nearly flat. By the time third tyre was inflated from almost zero levels, the fuse blew. It was promptly replaced with a spare fuse and it worked fine again.

We concluded that continuous use was responsible for the quick blowout. Fortunately that Bergman conked off after some months and was trashed.

I've also seen cases of extreme damage like fuse box casing's partial meltdown due to such products. Hence I'll personally never go for them. MGAs can also go bad/cause damage, but if anything happens due to them, I can always push Maruti to cover my losses.

Wrong! MGA inflators are mostly below the 120W mark. Never believe these accessories guys, they are all salesmen and don't care about your car. Some pics:


If memory serves me right, one of Maruti's initial metal body inflators was shade above 120W, and it had frequent blowout issues in some cars. Maruti had discontinued it.

Kindly share details of the foot pump you purchased. Did you purchase it online or from a store in Pune? Since I also reside in Pune, I can purchase directly from shop too.

The foot pump which I am using now is MAX make. This is the second foot pump I purchased after the first one (I don’t remember it’s make) worked for 7-8 years.

I observed that all the foot pumps are of same construction and quality, so the make does not matter. Go for a pump for which you get spares (preferably along with the pump itself).

Most spares (like the “nozzle” or the “rubber inside the nozzle” or the “spring”) are common for all pumps. The spring is mostly common across all makes of the foot pump. The piston seal (it is a simple rubber O-ring, which you can anyway get in the oil seals shop) may or may not be common.

There is one shop by the name Jaswant Motor Stores in Nana Peth. It’s location is available on the Google maps and it is near Alpana Talkies, on the right of Shankarrao Pawar Seat Corner. In this shop, you can get the foot pump as well as it’s spares. I felt that the shopkeeper is bit opportunistic about pricing.

To the right of this shop, after skipping another few shops, there is a small “Tools and Hardware” shop. I bought my current foot pump in this shop. I don’t remember the name now but you can enquire for MAX Foot Pump in the neighbouring ‘Tools and Hardware’ shops. I found this shop bit reasonably priced. When asked, he also gave a little discount.

Now, if you take a simple precautionary measure given below, your foot pump will last even longer than 7-8 years.

Many users have to throw away a working pump just because a couple of nuts often loosen, fall down and misplace themselves. I have bought spare nuts (Rs. 1 each) from the nearby fastener shops in Bohri Ali. You can also put a 1 or 2 drops of Fevikwik on the thread adjoining the nut to prevent loosening. The nuts are shown in the picture below.

If you take care of these two nuts, every other spare part is available in the above two shops. Mostly the replacement will be limited to the Rubber inside the nozzle (Rs. 20) or the Nozzle (Rs. 100). Yes, you may need a spring (Rs. 50 – 80 my guess) once in 3 to 5 years. So buy one spare nozzle, two spare rubbers and one spring along with the pump. You are done for next 10 years.

If the gauge goes kaput, you can always buy a separate gauge. I always have one, irrespective of the gauge on the pump. If the air hose bursts (mine has never) you can buy two feet braided hose at Rs. 40 from a nearby domestic hardware shop and fit it with hose clips.

It is not the low cost but the high reliability of the foot pump that is vital for me. Just keep a spare nozzle & a rubber and the damn thing works for sure. Of course, you need to flex your muscles a bit. In summer, it can be sweating.

Incidentally, I had been to Nana Peth today. The name of the shop is Dhanlaxmi Tools & Machinery. It is located by the side of Ali Tools and Hardware, which can be located on Google maps.

Hi guys, wondering if anyone could share a top recommendation from the Prime Day 2021 deals?