Took my brand-X 2007 car in for service last week, minor ten thousand mile thing, rotate tires, brake check. No big deal. Next morning I get in the car, start it, and lo and behold the "low tire" pressure icon lights up on the display. I promtly stop the vehicle to get a visual, hmmm, does look like the driver front tire is a little low, however, not low enough to stop from driving a few blocks for a cup of java and a morning over-the-top calorie delight (read that ECLAIR). Drive back home. Sometime later, fire up compresor and fill the offending tire. Turn on ignition, no change, display still prompts a tire warning. Okay, so I call the dealer. He instructs me to have an accurate tire gauge and check tire(s), drive the car around the block and provided I filled the tire(s) correctly the display will not re-appear. Did that. Yeah the nasty omen, low tire demon display went away. Later that day it re-appears. And so it goes, sometimes there sometimes not. I call the dealer he says to bring the car back if need be. I wrongly prejudged the dealer of having a coincidental involvment with my problem, especially since they had the car last and this was the area of which the work was performed. Okay, so I cheated a bit. Now I checked ALL the tires and found the other 3 (tires) to each be about ten pounds low on air. I was astounded. This time the dash nasty icon disappeared for good! Which brings me to the crux of my story. I decided to look at all the tires in my stable of cars. EVERY tire was low on another three cars by at least 10-12 pounds, even though some had been properly filled what seeems like only a few months ago! My point here is that as smart as we car dudes are, sometimes forgetting just the primitive basics can lead to drastic results. That line- we all have a story for- be it, forgetfulness, laziness, or just plain stupidity! I could plainly see that some of those tires were not properly aired, the cars I really don't drive. Others, cars I do drive, I really could not tell were low. Gives new meaning to the air apparent subject. Don't just take for granted what we all learned to do when we were young and riding bicycles-check the basics. Can make a difference between, at the minimum, a good or bad day! Oh, and was I surprised when the dealer said my tire icon on the dash was accurate within 3 pounds of pressure. Anyway, all is well. Please take the time before you head out on the road with your classic ride or even your not-so-classic daily drivers to not assume your air is apparent. Other stories of this nature are encouraged for to make benefit to us all. Thank You!
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I'll add this one: Learn to keep a constant watch on your oil and temperature gauges! If you don't have gauges, take on the hassle of adding them!
This is even more critical on newer cars; they cannot take overheating! My techs just replaced another late-model engine (01 Blazer) for a customer that had been cooked. Once anti-freeze makes the oil white or yellow, it's too late; not only do you have the head and gasket problems, your bearings are destroyed
So this car needed a new engine; the cause? Heater hose clamp loosened, slowly dripped out coolant over time, wife was going to work and never noticed the temp. gauge was pegged...
What a waste...[B)]
Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131
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I'll add this one: Learn to keep a constant watch on your oil and temperature gauges! If you don't have gauges, take on the hassle of adding them!
This is even more critical on newer cars; they cannot take overheating! My techs just replaced another late-model engine (01 Blazer) for a customer that had been cooked. Once anti-freeze makes the oil white or yellow, it's too late; not only do you have the head and gasket problems, your bearings are destroyed
So this car needed a new engine; the cause? Heater hose clamp loosened, slowly dripped out coolant over time, wife was going to work and never noticed the temp. gauge was pegged...
What a waste...[B)]
Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131
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The change in ambient temperatures this time of year should re-double the effort to maintain correct tire pressures. Here are a few links to other interesting "air apparent" related articles:quote:Originally posted by sirbum
<snip> Other stories of this nature are encouraged for to make benefit to us all. Thank You!
<h4>Last Man Standing in Studebaker Indiana</h4>Comment
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The change in ambient temperatures this time of year should re-double the effort to maintain correct tire pressures. Here are a few links to other interesting "air apparent" related articles:quote:Originally posted by sirbum
<snip> Other stories of this nature are encouraged for to make benefit to us all. Thank You!
<h4>Last Man Standing in Studebaker Indiana</h4>Comment
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Along with the gauges, take the time to check fluid level and condition when you stop for gas. This was stuff that was done by full service gas stations up until the late '70's or so. Taking a simple look at the fluids can go along way towards keeping the car healthy.quote:Originally posted by bams50
I'll add this one: Learn to keep a constant watch on your oil and temperature gauges! If you don't have gauges, take on the hassle of adding them!
This is even more critical on newer cars; they cannot take overheating! My techs just replaced another late-model engine (01 Blazer) for a customer that had been cooked. Once anti-freeze makes the oil white or yellow, it's too late; not only do you have the head and gasket problems, your bearings are destroyed
So this car needed a new engine; the cause? Heater hose clamp loosened, slowly dripped out coolant over time, wife was going to work and never noticed the temp. gauge was pegged...
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Tom - Valrico, FL
1964 Studebaker Daytona - 289 4V, 4-Speed (Cost To Date: $1755.45)
Tom - Bradenton, FL
1964 Studebaker Daytona - 289 4V, 4-Speed (Cost To Date: $2514.10)
1964 Studebaker Commander - 170 1V, 3-Speed w/ODComment
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Along with the gauges, take the time to check fluid level and condition when you stop for gas. This was stuff that was done by full service gas stations up until the late '70's or so. Taking a simple look at the fluids can go along way towards keeping the car healthy.quote:Originally posted by bams50
I'll add this one: Learn to keep a constant watch on your oil and temperature gauges! If you don't have gauges, take on the hassle of adding them!
This is even more critical on newer cars; they cannot take overheating! My techs just replaced another late-model engine (01 Blazer) for a customer that had been cooked. Once anti-freeze makes the oil white or yellow, it's too late; not only do you have the head and gasket problems, your bearings are destroyed
So this car needed a new engine; the cause? Heater hose clamp loosened, slowly dripped out coolant over time, wife was going to work and never noticed the temp. gauge was pegged...
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Tom - Valrico, FL
1964 Studebaker Daytona - 289 4V, 4-Speed (Cost To Date: $1755.45)
Tom - Bradenton, FL
1964 Studebaker Daytona - 289 4V, 4-Speed (Cost To Date: $2514.10)
1964 Studebaker Commander - 170 1V, 3-Speed w/ODComment
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Good point on tire pressure. Several issues that are related to the better materials & design used today: Today's tires don't "look" as low when they are 5 - 10 lbs low, compared to the tires we grew up with. Same thing with belts. You used to be able to see wear/cracks, etc. and know you had to replace them. Now they "look" fine until they catastrophically fail (however they last much longer before they fail, so they really are much better materials).
On newer cars, a bad battery won't give you that slow crank warning that we know and love... there is a voltage switch (bistable) that once the voltage is below, prevents any start. Consequently, the car starts fine until that point is reached, then no start.
Las Vegas, NV
'51 Champion Business Coupe G899965 10G-Q4-1434
Comment
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Good point on tire pressure. Several issues that are related to the better materials & design used today: Today's tires don't "look" as low when they are 5 - 10 lbs low, compared to the tires we grew up with. Same thing with belts. You used to be able to see wear/cracks, etc. and know you had to replace them. Now they "look" fine until they catastrophically fail (however they last much longer before they fail, so they really are much better materials).
On newer cars, a bad battery won't give you that slow crank warning that we know and love... there is a voltage switch (bistable) that once the voltage is below, prevents any start. Consequently, the car starts fine until that point is reached, then no start.
Las Vegas, NV
'51 Champion Business Coupe G899965 10G-Q4-1434
Comment
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Yeah, and some late brand-x cars don't show temperature too well, either. I know of one cooked engine, where the temp gauge didn't show anything amiss until the bloke stopped in his drive-way. While on the move, no water in the thermostate housing + cool wind across the alloy, kept the gauge reading at normal. The engine was almost completely without coolant. The smell was a dead give-away, when he got out.
End result = one very soft alloy head, shot gasket and crank bearings. A sack of money later, and a new engine and a car for sale.
/HComment
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Yeah, and some late brand-x cars don't show temperature too well, either. I know of one cooked engine, where the temp gauge didn't show anything amiss until the bloke stopped in his drive-way. While on the move, no water in the thermostate housing + cool wind across the alloy, kept the gauge reading at normal. The engine was almost completely without coolant. The smell was a dead give-away, when he got out.
End result = one very soft alloy head, shot gasket and crank bearings. A sack of money later, and a new engine and a car for sale.
/HComment
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I've personally had a situation where the coolant in a Stude V8 got so low that it didn't immerse the sender at the back of the head! I knew the engine was hot - there were other signs to tell me that. But when I glanced at the heat gage I was surprized to see that it was showing a LOWER than normal temperature![xx(] No immersion of the sender - no honest indication of an overheat condition.
Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle
1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
No deceptive flags to prove I'm patriotic - no biblical BS to impress - just ME and Studebakers - as it should be.Comment
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I've personally had a situation where the coolant in a Stude V8 got so low that it didn't immerse the sender at the back of the head! I knew the engine was hot - there were other signs to tell me that. But when I glanced at the heat gage I was surprized to see that it was showing a LOWER than normal temperature![xx(] No immersion of the sender - no honest indication of an overheat condition.
Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle
1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
No deceptive flags to prove I'm patriotic - no biblical BS to impress - just ME and Studebakers - as it should be.Comment
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first comment - I check all the cars on the 1st saturday of every month and add air to most of the tires. They all seep air through the rubber.
second comment. I have 4 tire gauges and they all read different pressures on the same tire. If you have only one, do you believe what it says. How do you check the claibration?Comment
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first comment - I check all the cars on the 1st saturday of every month and add air to most of the tires. They all seep air through the rubber.
second comment. I have 4 tire gauges and they all read different pressures on the same tire. If you have only one, do you believe what it says. How do you check the claibration?Comment
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