Are you saying you trusted the dealer so much you didn't stop at the nearest petrol station with an airline and check the pressures using your own accurate gauge... or maybe I am just paranoid when it comes to keeping my car on the road... oh well...

I have to agree with hutton_d, (he might be bigger than me!), but I would have checked the pressures the same day. I suspect I would have been able to notice and diagnose the difference in the cars handling sooner than 2000 miles, I would hope I would have felt it within 10 to 20 miles at the most!

How often do you check your oil and fluid levels, or do you leave them alone between services? It's always worth doing the simple checks at least once a week.

POWER: Petrol (!), Oil (engine, gearbox, (!brakefluid!) etc...), Water (coolant, screenwash), Electrics (lights etc...), Rubber (tyres)

Moray
(2)

I'm obviously very naive, or very trusting.

My previous car (an MGF of all things) got first class attention at each of its services - right down to fine details including tyre pressures. I honestly can't fault the dealer (the car is another story!!)

I expected similar service from the (JDPower winning) Subaru dealers.

If they're going to ignore tyre pressures when rotating the wheels, then I suppose in future I'd better check the tightness of the wheel nuts before even attempting to drive off the forecourt! Ooh, and if they change my brake pads, I must remove the wheels first, to make sure they've fitted them properly... where do you stop, and what are am I paying them nearly £200 for?

Paul L
(bad mood today... my job sucks!)

When my car was in for in for its 7.5K service, I got the dealer to swap the front and back wheels around (something I intend to do every service).

For a month or so now I've been cursing my car for its terminal understeer - it really has been bad.

Just checked my tyre pressures... seems the dealer did swap the wheels around but didn't adjust the pressures, hence I've done about the last 2K miles with 33 at the back and 27 at the front - this does not help the handling!!!!

Anyways, back to 33 front and 27 rear again, and handling is back to its sweet old self http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/smile.gif

Damn dealers...

Paul L

Are you trying to say that you hadn't checked your tyre pressures for a month???? It's your own fault then - check them at least once a week.

Dave

Thanks Dave. Very constructive.

Still would've been driving around for a week with dodgy tyres thanks to a dealer.

Hmmmm. My job sucks too! Anyhow, dunno if I would have checked the tyre pressures the same day as the service. As you say, they're the *experts* so you assume they've done all the obvious stuff. BUT if the car wasn't nadling right they would have been the first thing to check.

I find that even a 2psi difference in one tyre can be felt. And use the POWER check as Moray says - at the least check oil/water/tyre pressure EVERY week.

Dave

Must admit to be a bit lazy this time of year http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/redface.gif - not much fun doing car maintenance when you're freezing your nuts off or getting p**sed on!!

No excuse really though s'pose - probably the time of year when maintenance is the most important too - d'oh!

Paul L

Further to Moray's point, i had a new set of F1's fitted last week and checked the pressures 2 miles down the road.
Drivers rear tyre was at 42 and left front was at 18!! Can't complain too much though for £65 each.

Don't use a garage forecourt pressure gauge. Buy a decent one, mechanical or digital they are only about a tenner or so and ar far more accurate.

Mike

Mike,

Good point, and I didn't make it clear enough in my post, sorry! http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/wink.gif http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/smile.gif

Moray

Sorry, but back to the original point..

Wouldnt higher tyre pressures on rear provoke oversteer, not understeer?
Cem

Cem,

Generally, lower pressures = less grip because tyre carcas becomes less rigid.

Hence lower pressure fronts promote understeer.

D

Had mine serviced last week and the dealer swapped the tires and set front/rear to recommended pressures. I then changed these settings to 32/32 which in my opinion gives a better balanced car.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with D.

As long as the pressure changes are within reasonable ranges ( +/- 2 or 3psi for instance), this is how changeing front pressures will work.

If you raise the front tyre pressures (within reason) it will reduce the contact patch and change it's shape, this will obviously reduce the tyres grip, thus promoting more understeer and a less progressive breakaway.

Drop the front pressures (within reason) and you will increase the tyres contact patch and make it more round, thus increasing grip and making for a more progressive breakaway, thus reducing understeer.

By making small changes in the front/rear tyre pressures you can make very noticable changes in the cars handling. This should not, however, be used to compensate for bad suspension geometry alignment.

More pressure all around helps with tyre wall rigidity when running on trackdays, but on the public road (i.e. various surfaces, not just smooth tarmac) I would reccommend sticking closer (within a couple of psi) to the subaru standard pressures.

Insurance companies could, if they wanted to dispute a claim, decide to be annoyed if they found you understeered or spun into a tree/house/bus of schoolchildren whilst running much higher than recommended tyre pressures on your car.

Moray