# checking tire pressure...a cautionary tale



## car_for_mom (Jul 15, 2002)

Thanks to the Lord and Bimmerfest, I've gotten in the habit of checking Karl Bimmer's (2003 325i) tire pressure every two weeks.

I did so this AM (12/27/03), and I noticed a significant bulge in the wall of the right rear tire - I was immediately suspicious, and decided not to waste any time and get the tire looked at right away. 

I went to the local Big O (I'd stopped in some months ago, inquiring about some rims, which meant larger tires). Mike patiently explained all about tires, rims and RWD - and I was impressed. Also, the store is very clean (important to women  ) and efficient. 

The other Mike came right out and looked at my tire, and told me it was a good thing that I'd brought the car in, because the inner wall was actually broken (probably hitting a curb, but I don't recall doing so), and the tire could easily blowout. I do a lot of highway driving - the last thing I need is a blowout at 70-80 miles on the 60/71/91/101/210/605/710/55/2/5/110/etc/etc/etc!

He showed me various 205 55 R16 tires, and explained about the Z, H and other ratings. Mike suggested a Fulda tire; a German-engineered, very good tire, Z rated (I'd never heard of Fulda - perhaps some of you have? :dunno: ). It was in the middle of the price range (he didn't have any Continentals in stock, and I'm not that enthusiastic about Conti's, anyway. 

Check your tire pressure regularly - it could save your life! :angel:


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## The Other Tom (Sep 28, 2002)

Same thing happened to my daughter. Good thing she checked her pressure !! I took the car back to the tire dealer to get my money back on the "defective" tire. He explained to me about hitting a curb, etc and my daughter remembered she had hit a really bad pot hole, so bad she stopped the car and got out because she thought she had broken something. Bottom line, she wound up buying a new tire.

Re: Fulda tires. I don't know if it's a good idea to mix and match tires ?
:dunno: Maybe you should check with someone from Tirerack ?


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

car_for_mom said:


> Check your tire pressure regularly - it could save your life! :angel:


ABSOLUTELY. A modern low profile tire can be under 20 psi before it "looks" low.

And low tire pressure is the main cause of blow outs.

Next thing is, do you know what the FIRST thing you do when you have a blow out? Most people don't.


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## Rich_Jenkins (Jul 12, 2003)

Pinecone said:


> ABSOLUTELY. A modern low profile tire can be under 20 psi before it "looks" low.
> 
> And low tire pressure is the main cause of blow outs.
> 
> Next thing is, do you know what the FIRST thing you do when you have a blow out? Most people don't.


Well, what? What? WHAT?

(ms. Mom - I promise to check the air pressure in all the cars tomorrow morning, thanks for the reminder :thumbup: )


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## WILLIA///M (Apr 15, 2002)

Pinecone said:


> ABSOLUTELY. A modern low profile tire can be under 20 psi before it "looks" low.


That's very true. Even with 17's you don't get a visual clue of low pressure until it's very low. I check every weekend.


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## car_for_mom (Jul 15, 2002)

I took the advice of several of you (I had been wondering, myself), and went and got a left rear Fulda tire - so both rear tires are the same. Mike at Big O did say that on a RWD car, the best tires should be on the back; I have about 8,000 miles left on the front ones, but I may replace them soon... :angel:


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

I am not a big fan of mixing different brand/model of tires on a car. Even front and rear. You have just put yourself into the role of tire test driver.

It may be fine, it may not. It may SEEM fine, until you have to make an emergency manuever. Just too many variables.

Consider this, on an airplane this last summer I met a Michelin tire engineer. This guy has a PhD and he works on ONLY slip angles of tires.


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## fkafka (Mar 12, 2002)

Pinecone said:


> Next thing is, do you know what the FIRST thing you do when you have a blow out?


Put down the latte and newspaper?


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## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

Pinecone said:


> ABSOLUTELY. A modern low profile tire can be under 20 psi before it "looks" low.
> 
> And low tire pressure is the main cause of blow outs.
> 
> Next thing is, do you know what the FIRST thing you do when you have a blow out? Most people don't.


Especially with the new run-flats.

Initially, the Z4's run-flats were WAY under-inflated from the factory. They were at 20-23 psi all around, but visually they look the same at 20 psi as they do at 36 psi.

And since ALL the tires were under-inflated, it never triggered the tire pressure monitor.


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

Awesome. That is a way to get another B/F tire fiasco.

Did you know that the RECOMMENDED pressure for the Ford Explorer was around 26 psi? Not very far to WAY to low for highway driving.

And for the wag, this is done BEFORE you even put down the latte and paper.


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## fkafka (Mar 12, 2002)

Pinecone said:


> And for the wag, this is done BEFORE you even put down the latte and paper.




I don't know the right answer, but I'll guess 1) make sure you have a death grip on the wheel with both hands, 2) take your foot off the gas, 3) put on the e-blinker (without using your hands?), 4) bleed off speed without braking.

What's the right answer?


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

BLEEP, wrong. 

A couple more guesses and I will let you in on the answer.


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## Rich_Jenkins (Jul 12, 2003)

Pinecone said:


> BLEEP, wrong.
> 
> A couple more guesses and I will let you in on the answer.


For front blow out:
1) maintain speed and determine if you can steer safely

For rear blow out:
1) Slow down and pull over normally 'cause you can't bloody tell you had a blow out until the steel cord in the tire starts whacking the body work (this actually happened to me in an Accord, I mean, it was a mile before I know the tire was gone :eeps:

That's two guesses, ok so what's the answer? :dunno:


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## fkafka (Mar 12, 2002)

Pinecone said:


> BLEEP, wrong.
> 
> A couple more guesses and I will let you in on the answer.


Guesses:

A) Say "#@~!"

B) Wet your pants

C) Scream like a little girl

Any of these even close?


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## wrwicky (Jan 17, 2003)

Pinecone said:


> Awesome. That is a way to get another B/F tire fiasco.
> 
> Did you know that the RECOMMENDED pressure for the Ford Explorer was around 26 psi? Not very far to WAY to low for highway driving.
> 
> And for the wag, this is done BEFORE you even put down the latte and paper.


I've heard some rumors that B/F recommended 42 psi which rode too firm, so Ford asked them to go as low as they could B/F came back with 36 psi, this was determined to ride too much like a crudely suspended heavily laden truck still and Ford went with 26 which B/F objected to.

Also, I think over 50% of cars are cruising around under inflated. 20 psi+over 4000 lbs+interstate speed= NOT GOOD


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

Answer:

http://www.bimmerfest.org/forums/showthread.php?p=621428#post621428


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## car_for_mom (Jul 15, 2002)

*I listened to the "butt dyno"...*

After I replaced the rear Continentals with the Fuldas - I had to admit that something just didn't feel quite right - the "butt dyno" (must be like Spidey's "Spider Sense"  ) was tingling.

Now - I may be totally off my rocker, but when I would take a sharp turn, I'd hear a kind of 'clunk', and the DSC would be disengaged (light on).

This AM (1/5/2004) - I just decided to replace the front tires with the Fuldas - and I noticed a big difference (pauses for the "I told you so's!"  ). I deliberately went through some curves in Carbon Canyon (checks to see if any Chino Hills/Brea Police or California Highway Patrolpersons are reading this :eeps: ) at, let us say, a higher rate of acceleration than I normally do - and I didn't experience the DSC being disengaged.

You guys were right - Bimmerfest rocks, again! :thumbup:


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## The Roadstergal (Sep 7, 2002)

When the DSC light flashes, it means it's kicking in - if the light is on steadily, it's off.


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## wrwicky (Jan 17, 2003)

The Roadstergal said:


> When the DSC light flashes, it means it's kicking in - if the light is on steadily, it's off.


I refer to it as the "Fun" light


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## LmtdSlip (May 28, 2003)

car_for_mom said:


> After I replaced the rear Continentals with the Fuldas - I had to admit that something just didn't feel quite right - the "butt dyno" (must be like Spidey's "Spider Sense"  ) was tingling.
> 
> Now - I may be totally off my rocker, but when I would take a sharp turn, I'd hear a kind of 'clunk', and the DSC would be disengaged (light on).
> 
> ...


Probably due to different overall diameters from front to rear fooling the computer into thinking there was wheel slip when if fact there was none.

Glad everything worked out OK for you :thumbup:


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