Supermarket tyre pressure gauges - BEWARE!
22 October 2003, 11:42 AM
#1
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,959
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I know its stating the obvious - but i took my car down to Tescos - who have a "new looking" free pump.
Fortunately i had a good quality gauge with me.....
Despite the fact that like a muppet ive been driving around with 4 tyres all at various states of 20-30psi deflation..
Thought i'd test what the tescos pump reading actually came out at - for sciences sake
Front tyres. 33psi indicated - 41psi actual!!!!!
33psi indicated - 38psi actual!!!!!
Rear tyres. 31psi indicated - 37psi actual!!!!!
31psi indicated - 35psi actual!!!!!
Even allowing for a dodgy gauge under reading.... they never read what they are actually putting in CONSISTENTLY
AND THEY OVERINFLATED BIG TIME
So beware - make sure you dont EVER trust them....
Jza
Fortunately i had a good quality gauge with me.....
Despite the fact that like a muppet ive been driving around with 4 tyres all at various states of 20-30psi deflation..
Thought i'd test what the tescos pump reading actually came out at - for sciences sake
Front tyres. 33psi indicated - 41psi actual!!!!!
33psi indicated - 38psi actual!!!!!
Rear tyres. 31psi indicated - 37psi actual!!!!!
31psi indicated - 35psi actual!!!!!
Even allowing for a dodgy gauge under reading.... they never read what they are actually putting in CONSISTENTLY
AND THEY OVERINFLATED BIG TIME
So beware - make sure you dont EVER trust them....
Jza
22 October 2003, 02:40 PM
#4
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: London
Posts: 7,039
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You check it against another supposedly accurate guage and see how they compare. Everyone knows the Petrol Station guages are about as accurate as a London Transport "minute" or a Microsoft "second"....
Matt
Matt
22 October 2003, 02:52 PM
#5
Scooby Newbie
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Good idea to have a tyre pressure measurement device so you can easily carry out a quick simple check on your tyre pressure. I think a digital one retail around £5 +/- 1 psi accuracy from Halfords. Keep one in the car at all times.
Trending Topics
22 October 2003, 04:49 PM
#9
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Logged Out
Posts: 10,221
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Put the right amount of air in though and your car is so much better through the gears.
Supermarket air has a much better psi rating, allowing it to be cleaner and lighter then any other air in the world.
Supermarket air has a much better psi rating, allowing it to be cleaner and lighter then any other air in the world.
22 October 2003, 07:32 PM
#11
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: a small planet somewhere near Beatlejuice
Posts: 202
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think you'll find that supermarket air is of a lower quality than the "real" air from Shell and BP. It's diluted, you see, and doesn't have the detergents that "real" petrol stations put in. etc.
23 October 2003, 12:44 PM
#15
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: The home of the game played with odd shapped balls
Posts: 2,037
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Went to an Esso yeasterday and used thier automatic super dooper air pump, when topping all the tyres up the r/o/s was only 20 psi, so I let the machine top it up till it beeped and stopped at 30psi, checked another tyre then went back to the r/o/s and rechecked it and guess what? It said it 35psi, even tho it had just inflated the tyre its self to 30 psi!!!!!
So its not just supermarkets with dodgey air!
So its not just supermarkets with dodgey air!
23 October 2003, 01:03 PM
#16
I believe I remember reading something a log time ago.
Basically if they charge you for inflating tyres they must make sure that their gauges are accurate (by law or trading standards or something).
If they don't charge you there this no obligation for them to make sure their figures are correct.
Not sure if this is still the case, but it seems likely.
[Edited by Miniman - 10/23/2003 1:04:23 PM]
Basically if they charge you for inflating tyres they must make sure that their gauges are accurate (by law or trading standards or something).
If they don't charge you there this no obligation for them to make sure their figures are correct.
Not sure if this is still the case, but it seems likely.
[Edited by Miniman - 10/23/2003 1:04:23 PM]
24 October 2003, 01:46 PM
#18
Scooby Regular
Join Date: May 2001
Location: From the roads of South East Essex....
Posts: 561
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think the rating of the air is all to do with the supplier.... Think that some petrol stns use are of a better "rebound" rating, bit like dampers.... Think the Esso stn had taken a deliver meant for Sainsbury's - no offence intended for the quality supermarket chain... You see, the better the rebound rating of the air the quicker it expands in the tyre from its compressed tate in the pump. Obviously Esso's air was still expanding when it was measured the second time. Simple, init !......
24 October 2003, 02:23 PM
#19
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Runcorn, Cheshire
Posts: 580
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I didn’t read all the posts so sorry if I’ve missed something..
I have a friend who is the manager of a garage.. He changed two of my tyres and checked the pressures of the other two which read well over…. he recommended never using a supermarket air pump, said there **** he said they regularly change there’s it as they can only take so much abuse.
24 October 2003, 02:50 PM
#20
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Notts, UK
Posts: 4,935
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Also if you have driven any distance to the supermarket your tyres will be warm giving an incorrect reading.
What's wrong doing it at home with a cheapo 12V compressor and decent pressure gauge.
Lee
What's wrong doing it at home with a cheapo 12V compressor and decent pressure gauge.
Lee
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post