[skydiver]

Hi Guys,

I am having tyre troubles with my 6 months old NHC ZX vtec. It's done only 6K and had company fitted alloys and tyres.

Two weeks ago, I have noticed that the pressure on drivers side front tyre had reduced . I thought it is a puncture. I took it to a tyre shop. The guy took the tyre out and told me after checking that there is no puncture. He even checked the valve and found it to be ok.

I am closely monitoring the pressure since then, and it seems that same tyre looses pressure in a few days... it goes down from 32 to 30 in 4-5 days.
Can you help me figure out what is the reason. What else should I get checked?

Thanks in advance..

[rks]

This question is asked frequently at the forum. Here are some important tips:

1. Set/check your tyre pressures when tyres are cold, i.e. car has not done much running, and preferably, set/check them at some fixed time of the day (say, 8-00 AM).

2. Tubeless tyre pressures seem to be very sensitive to the temperature factor. E.g. last week I set the tyre pressures to 36 psi. This morning when I checked them the front tyres were reading 35 psi and the rear ones 35.5 psi. I believe this drop occurred due to the fact that the weather has cooled down over the past one week, not due to leakage. Alternatively, it is possible that my digital gauge reading is varying due to the temperature factor. Either way, I don't panic. I simply set the tyre pressures every Friday at 8-00 AM using my own accurate gauge and air compressor (worth Rs. 800).

3. If you are really bothered by tyre pressure variations, I strongly suggest that you invest in your own air compressor and accurate pressure gauge. You will find that if you set/check tyre pressures as I suggested, you can avoid unnecessary panic.

[alpha1]

^ I think what you have posted doesn't exaclty address his problem.

If all that was true, he would be "losing" air pressure on all tyres, not just on the driver's front side.

[alpha1]

^ I think what you have posted doesn't exaclty address his problem.

If all that was true, he would be "losing" air pressure on all tyres, not just on the driver's front side.

Not that I can come up with solution to this ...

[Nikhilb2008]

Are you getting it checked at the same place with the same guage ? That is a very important factor most people ignore.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by rks

3. If you are really bothered by tyre pressure variations, I strongly suggest that you invest in your own air compressor and accurate pressure gauge. You will find that if you set/check tyre pressures as I suggested, you can avoid unnecessary panic.

Can you please let me know what guage you are using? I do have an air compressor, but the guage is not accurate in it. An image would help even more.

[rks]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Can you please let me know what guage you are using? I do have an air compressor, but the guage is not accurate in it. An image would help even more.

The gauge I am using is available at this website (which has the image):

ROADGEAR | Products | Hi-Performance Motorcycle Gear

Advantages of this gauge:

1. It "talks", i.e., you can hear the reading. Very convenient in dark places and you can adjust pressure without taking off the gauge to see the reading.

2. Comes with 5-year warranty. We may not be able to make any claims on this warranty from India, but at least the warranty indicates the confidence that Roadgear has in this product.

3. [Quoting from website] "This gauge functions through a 'double-bridge' smart-chip microprocessor that controls accuracy--compensating for ambient temperatures, humidity and altitude variations. "

4. [Quoting from website] "Auto on/off and an easy-to-read, large digital display make it the ultimate no-fuss tool. It's accurate to within ± 1% and measures 5.0-99.5 psi in half-pound increments. The gauge has an easily replaceable lithium battery."

5. Also see the reviews at the website.

Disadvantages:

1. Costs $ 25. Almost double of what you would expect. And add $12 for shipping.

2. It took me a long time to learn how to mount this gauge on to the tyre valve without losing air. The 90 degree mounting angle is claimed to be an advantage for bikes. Not sure about this for cars, but as per the FAQ it can be used for cars or any other vehicle.

Another important quote from the website:

Studies indicate that properly inflated tires promote optimal braking, steering and traction--as well as extended tire life. A 30% reduction in pressure reduces tire life a whopping 48%!

@alpha1: The front right tyre could be getting heated up more, say, because worn-out brake pads may be heating up the wheel. So if tyre pressures are set when the tyre is hot, and you again check the pressure when tyre is cold, you will find a substantial drop in pressure, more than what you would find in other tyres. To avoid such errors, take pressure readings when tyres are cold (i.e., when car has not done much running).

[skydiver]

Thanks for the replies guys,

Yes, I take it to the same shop for checking the pressure. The shop is hardly 3 kms from my house so the car and tyres are not that hot by the time I reach the shop...

I am planning to take it to the tyre shop again to get the valce checked..Is there anything else which can cause the loss of pressure from the tubeless tyres?

Sorry guys, this is my first exp with tubeless tyres so pretty much in dark here at the moment.

Thanks