Author Topic: Thank You Vehicle Technology  (Read 828 times)

Ben

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Thank You Vehicle Technology
« on: December 13, 2017, 02:07:11 PM »
I was just driving my truck to pick up a load of gravel this morning, and on the way checked my tire pressure from the dash readout to make sure I was inflated up for the load. Sure enough, one of the tires that was supposed to be at 40psi was at 27psi. Not enough air down to really stand out (not that I did a walkaround or anything) but way too low to take 1/2 yard of crushed granite.

I would have never caught that without the onboard sensor. It probably happened over the last couple of days. I'm drilling a new ag water well and have been driving up to that parcel a lot over the last couple of days. I share one farm road with my cousin, whose two workers have a habit of thinking they're in Tijuana, where the "garbage can" is wherever you're standing at the time. Big old screw in the tire.

Same technology saved me earlier this year when I got a catastrophic puncture in the desert on my 4Runner. I was on a 4x4 trail, and from the roughness of the trail, would never have noticed if the warning light hadn't come on. That one was bad enough (I could hear the air leaking out and I was in a really bad spot), that if I hadn't had the warning, I wouldn't have had the couple of minutes to get off the steep rock slope I was on and to a relatively safe area for a tire change. Would have likely ruined the rim as well.

Anyway, as much as I sometimes grumble about "new fangled complicated stuff" on new vehicles, I sure am glad for it other times.  :laugh:
"I'm a foolish old man that has been drawn into a wild goose chase by a harpy in trousers and a nincompoop."

TommyGunn

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Re: Thank You Vehicle Technology
« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2017, 02:19:34 PM »
I have that same tire pressure tech in my 2017 Camry.   I'm waiting a tech that will not only sense the pressure,  but detect leaks,  fix them,  and pump up the tire pressure again automatically. :angel:

I think I might be waiting for some time. ;/
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Brad Johnson

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Re: Thank You Vehicle Technology
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2017, 03:19:41 PM »
I'm waiting a tech that will not only sense the pressure,  but detect leaks,  fix them,  and pump up the tire pressure again automatically.



All my parent's vehicles had that technology when I was a kid. They called it "Brad".

Brad
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T.O.M.

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Re: Thank You Vehicle Technology
« Reply #3 on: December 13, 2017, 04:03:38 PM »
I'll complain about the sensor.  Wife's Ford Flex was making a very weird sound at low speed, kind of like a pebble rattling in an aluminum can.  Then we had a sensor fault on one of the air pressure sensors, and I noticed a slow leak.  Yeah, Ford has the sensors on a steel belt strapped around the hub of the rim.  Strap broke.  The sound was the sensor banging inside the tire and against the wheel.  Sensor was broken, and the broken belt pretty much shredded. The slow leak was a puncture in the tire from the inside.  And, being out of warranty meant we got to pay for the new sensor and a pair of new tires.
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Kingcreek

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Re: Thank You Vehicle Technology
« Reply #4 on: December 13, 2017, 05:20:16 PM »
the TPMs (tire pressure monitors) are nice but there is a lot of other technology in the newer vehicles that I appreciate even more.
The proximity sensors keep my wife from taking off the outside mirrors and banging up the bumpers and fenders. and backup cams keep getting better.
What we have here is failure to communicate.