TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems) - GreenHybrid

lkewin · #1 (**permalink**) 10-20-2005, 07:55 AM

I saw some discussion on a Prius specific link and althought I did not start the string, thought it might be benifical to bring the topic out to the General Fourm, as this was news to me.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

Quote:

...final rule requires a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) to be installed in all new passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses that have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 4,536 kg (10,000 lbs. ) or less, except those vehicles with dual wheels on an axle. The final rule requires that the driver be given a warning when tire pressure is 25 percent or more below the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended cold tire inflation pressure (placard pressure) for one to four tires....

of Important note is the phase in timeline

Quote:

50 percent of light vehicles produced between September 1, 2005 and August 31, 2006,

90 percent of light vehicles produced between September 1, 2006 and August 31, 2007

all light vehicles produced after September 1, 2007 meet the proposed requirements.

All the details are on the NHTSA website at the following link:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/....html#Contents

Does anyone know which Hybrids will employ TPMS in the '06 model year?

stevejust · #2 (**permalink**) 10-20-2005, 04:36 PM

I don't know, but this is great-- espcially if hypermilers can hack 'em so that they'll tell us when our pressure drops below __.

fernando_g · #3 (**permalink**) 10-21-2005, 11:50 AM

From the point of view of both safety and mileage improvement, this is great news! I'm all for it!

However, it could be that many people will see it as just "yet another dumb light" to ignore.

bar10dah · #4 (**permalink**) 10-23-2005, 10:30 PM

I think it's a great feature! Especially for the '05 HAH, which doesn't have a spare. I need to know about a slow leak before it gets to the point that sidewall flexing heats the tire to the point that it explodes. Had that happen to me twice since living here in Phoenix. Both times, probably started out as slow leaks, but since I was unaware of it, the tire leaked down to the point of catastrophic failure. There isn't any amount of tire sealant that can repair THAT problem!

Also, want to get it for my motorcycle. Blowouts that take out a tire and leave you with ONE tire, sucks!

livvie · #5 (**permalink**) 10-24-2005, 09:39 AM

A side note on TPMS, on my Mini S, the TPMS is built into the car by monitoring the rotation of each tire, when the system detects a wheel rotating at a slower rate than the other, it signals the system that there is a flat. Pretty neat. This setup allows me to mount any tire on the car without an embedded piece of hardware in the rim.

HiHy Tom · #6 (**permalink**) 11-01-2005, 10:30 AM

I just took my '06 HiHy in for its first oil change & tire rotation. I asked about increasing pressure to the upper end of the recommended range. They said that the TPMS has a range of +/- 2 psi of the recommended pressure (so, 30 - 34 psi in my car's case). If it exceeds that range, the light comes on.

Hacking it a bit, or maybe considering low-resistance tires for the replacements when the time comes might help address this.

fernando_g · #7 (**permalink**) 11-01-2005, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HiHy Tom

II asked about increasing pressure to the upper end of the recommended range. They said that the TPMS has a range of +/- 2 psi of the recommended pressure (so, 30 - 34 psi in my car's case). If it exceeds that range, the light comes on.

Hmmm.......... could they may be concerned that users overinflate the tires and have blowups, perhaps?

AZCivic · #8 (**permalink**) 11-01-2005, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by livvie

A side note on TPMS, on my Mini S, the TPMS is built into the car by monitoring the rotation of each tire, when the system detects a wheel rotating at a slower rate than the other, it signals the system that there is a flat. Pretty neat. This setup allows me to mount any tire on the car without an embedded piece of hardware in the rim.

That system is great for people who want to be able to swap aftermarket wheels, like you said. However, if you have a full set of good quality wheels and tires and they all leak down at the same rate, you could still end up with someone driving around with all 4 tires around 20psi because they'd be turning at the same speed.

bar10dah · #9 (**permalink**) 11-11-2005, 03:53 PM

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/vrtc/ca/tpms.htm

http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/.../smartire2.jsp
$229. Just need to find an installer.

UPDATE (more links):

http://www.vulcantire.com/smartire_pass_sys.htm
$199. Same one as above, but $30 cheaper!

And, their full function displays are $45. They show you exact pressure and temp of each tire. And for you hypermilers, they sense pressures up to 78 psi! Anybody interested in a group buy? UPDATE: I talked to someone at Vulcantire. We'd need at least 5 units in order to get a 10% discount.

http://www.mypatienteducation.com/wirtirmonsys.html
$284.95

https://www.shop.pressureproca.com/d...1&categoryId=2
$375