More Necessary Stuff

[rfoster]

Today while enroute to Nashville progressing along I 40 West the alarm on the Trusty tire pressure monitor alarmed me that I had a tire going down and fast. It said so loud and clear with a high pitch squeal that would wake up Jdub after too many tacos.

I pulled off at the next exit ramp and pulled out the untrustworthy tire gauge and checked and sure enough I was down to 69 pounds on the passenger side outside dual. This is a great tire, no previous problems. Checked the valve, no problem. Raised the skirt (I like that- used to be more fun) and felt the outside of the tire and discovered a leak by feel. Could have heard it if the engine was not so loud. I picked up a bolt and it drove right into the tread valley of the tire.

Retrieved the trusty tire plug kit (A must have when traveling) and commenced to plugging - After 4 plugs I succeeded in stopping the leak.

Thanks to the tire pressure monitor I was able to detect the tire going down in time to save the tire and possibly a lot more. Damage, personal injury- well just let your imagination go.

Tire Pressure Monitors are a good thing after all. They suck on the 07 and up cars tho.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Good save Roger, glad it turned out to be a non event.

Ditto on the monitors that come on cars, even back to 03.

JIM

[hhoppe]

Roger: Need a few more details please. 1. Name and model of the pressure monitors. 2. Did you have to remove and replace the wheel and tire to apply the plugs. Do you think it's a permanent fix. Describe the plug kit. Thanks.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Damn. Now you got me to thinking I need one of those gadgets.

Without the tire pressure monitor a driver would never know he had picked up a bolt and was losing a tire.

Just a note about repairs. A plug will stop the leak and serve to get the bus rolling again, but the only acceptable repair to a puncture is a plug plus a patch on the inside of the tire according to Michelin and Goodyear.

[adamdegraff]

I'll be adding a plug kit to my bus! Think about it... the tire pressure monitor saved the tire, saved the collateral damage from a blown out tired, saved possible injury, etc.... but the plug kit allowed you to get to a tire shop to get it fixed. (I agree with Jon that the plug is only a temporary fix.) But it seems that these tire pressure monitoring systems are only half of the equation. Any recommendations as to the type of plug kit? Walmart kit ok?

Great post!

Adam

[phorner]

Although I've often thought that an alarm system was probably a good idea, I've always put the idea on the "back burner" as I was sure that I am about as vigilant as it comes to checking tire pressures while on the road.

But this post surely gets my attention. There is no way that an event such as this could be avoided, and luckily Roger had to right tools to avert a potential major disaster.

Good job, Roger! Thanks for the post!

[Orren Zook]

Does anyone here with a Silverleaf Electronics VMS have the TireSafeGuard or PressurePro add on for their SilverLeaf unit? If so any comments on how they work?

[Jerry Winchester]

I have fixed several tires with this kit from Powertank.



http://www.powertank.com/products/sf.../productID/186

[jack14r]

I ordered the Silverleaf with the Pressure Pro on Monday,I will have it in a week.I have had the Pressure Pro for 2+ years and it is super.I will report how I like the new unit in a week or so.

[adamdegraff]

I have the Pressure Pro System. For the most part it works well. It doesn't give you accurate pressure readings, but it does notify you of a change in pressure. Every once in a while you will get false alarms due to a bad transmitter, but every time I have had a transmitter go bad, they have replaced it for free. (you have to send the old one back.) Overall, I like it. I'm not sure how I'd feel about a system that went inside the tire. I like that if the transmitter goes bad I can just unscrew and send it back in. It also occurs to me that the transmitters, at $50 a piece, are easy targets for thieves. Never had one stolen, but it wouldn't be a hard target. Of course, the second it is taken off your tire, you would hear an alarm... but then you have to get your clothes on, get out of the bus, kick somebody's butt... bla, bla, bla.