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Checking Tire Pressure
Dec. 2nd, 2006 08:12 pmRemember how I promised I'd check my tire pressure regularly? R. just found a new tool for that, and I bought it. For $5.00 at Target, you can get a thing called "4 tire pressure valve caps." They look sort of like these. Or cheaper versions of these.
First you get all your tires to the proper pressure in the way you normally do. Then you replace your regular valve caps with these things. They have a button that pops out. If your tire has enough pressure, you can see a green edge. When it gets low, you can see only a red line.
So, it's no good for helping you adjust a tire's pressure, but it might be good for checking the pressure regularly. I'm hoping it will be more sensitive than visually noticing that one's tire looks a bit flat.
And they insist that you need to check for air leakage right after you put on these caps. "Cover the valve cap with soap and water and look for bubbles or movement in the soapy water." They show a paint brush in the picture. I think I will use a paper towel. If there's a problem, they say the valve stem may have gotten damaged. So I wonder if you need the soapy water test every time you add air to the tires and then put this cap gauge back on.
At Target a set of four is sold in a red box about five inches square located on, as it says right on the packaging, "Automotive Gift Endcap." So I guess they are intended to be stocking stuffers. The problem is that you have to know the recipient's car's ideal tire pressure. There are two options. One is 32 pounds per square inch, for "cars" and for "22 PSI to 32 PSI." The other is 36 for "SUV's, Vans, etc." and for "26 to 36 PSI." R's truck tires, like my car tires, prefer 32 psi, so I would have guessed wrong, were I to have guessed.
First you get all your tires to the proper pressure in the way you normally do. Then you replace your regular valve caps with these things. They have a button that pops out. If your tire has enough pressure, you can see a green edge. When it gets low, you can see only a red line.
So, it's no good for helping you adjust a tire's pressure, but it might be good for checking the pressure regularly. I'm hoping it will be more sensitive than visually noticing that one's tire looks a bit flat.
And they insist that you need to check for air leakage right after you put on these caps. "Cover the valve cap with soap and water and look for bubbles or movement in the soapy water." They show a paint brush in the picture. I think I will use a paper towel. If there's a problem, they say the valve stem may have gotten damaged. So I wonder if you need the soapy water test every time you add air to the tires and then put this cap gauge back on.
At Target a set of four is sold in a red box about five inches square located on, as it says right on the packaging, "Automotive Gift Endcap." So I guess they are intended to be stocking stuffers. The problem is that you have to know the recipient's car's ideal tire pressure. There are two options. One is 32 pounds per square inch, for "cars" and for "22 PSI to 32 PSI." The other is 36 for "SUV's, Vans, etc." and for "26 to 36 PSI." R's truck tires, like my car tires, prefer 32 psi, so I would have guessed wrong, were I to have guessed.