Tire pressure changed by dealer

[Bossman]

Hi all,

I took my Prius in for the first oil change on Friday. When I got the car back the service manager told me they adjusted my tire pressure. I told him I wanted it that high (44 front 42 back). He told me that they have been instructed by Toyota to adjust the pressure during the 27 point check list.
They took it down to 35 front and 33 rear.
I am headed to the gas station to put it back where I had it.

I also asked if they could adjust the amount of dimming in the rear view mirror. They said no so I put a piece of black felt over the sensor. Works just great (Thanks John )

Alan

[efusco]

Yea, it's a PITA. You'd think a service dept. would be dedicated to 'serving', but they have they're protocols and don't seem adaptable for the most part. I made a big scene last time that happened and one of the service techs took pity on me and did the pressure the way I wanted against the 'team leader's' protestations.

[jamarimutt]

I suspect that such high tire pressures will translate into a bumpy ride and rattles appearing everywhere in the car.

It's interesting how everyone seems to trust Toyota engineers in everything except tire pressure.

[hdrygas]

I have mine up a bit 38/36 and I do get better milage, as witness by a period when the air pressure dropped off by cold weather, as did my millage. I plan on checking the air pressure after the 5K check.

[john1701a]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jamarimutt\";p=\"45697)</div>

It's interesting how everyone seems to trust Toyota engineers in everything except tire pressure.[/b]

The engineers have nothing to do with it.

It's a liability issue, plain & simple. Sticking to the norm is a common practice.

And some dealers will allow you to override a standard by making them document your reqest on the work order. That officially relieves them of responsibility, then you can get what you want.

[DaveinOlyWA]

i had my oil change at 5,000 miles and i told them to leave the tire pressure alone and the tech told me that he wasnt allowed to knowingly let a car go when out of spec.

i didnt push the issue because the guy is doing what he was told and afterall he didnt overfill the oil like i asked him, so i just took the car across the street to the gas station and refilled the tires.

[efusco]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jamarimutt\";p=\"45697)</div>

I suspect that such high tire pressures will translate into a bumpy ride and rattles appearing everywhere in the car.

It's interesting how everyone seems to trust Toyota engineers in everything except tire pressure.
[/b]

The ride is slightly bumpier...I've had no complaints from passengers nor have I felt the ride to be at all uncomfortable.

I guess I don't trust the "engineers" in the oil choice either as I choose to use synthetic over mineral oil.

I also don't trust them as I choose to use Nu-Finish instead of trusting their engineered clear coat.

I also won't trust them when I decide to change tire brands/style.

This isn't about trusting them or not. It's about the individual making minor adjustments to the established 'mean' to best suit their needs/desires/etc. Some things are not easily changed. If I had the know how I might choose to use a wider range of the SOC. I might choose to use a larger..or smaller, capacity battery that's better suited to the driving conditions I have.

The manufacturer's recommendations are based on an average, that doesn't make them ideal for everyone, everywhere under every concievable set of conditions. There are certainly people that should/will keep at the manufacturer's rec. tire pressures, and others that shouldn't and won't.

Once you get to the service dept. level they're in a CYA mode. They'll only do what the manufacturer recommends b/c if someone has a problem and they did something outside of those and blames them they'll have to deal with that liability issue themselves.

If you're happy being a lamb and following the status quo then, by all means, do so. If you don't care to investigate further, learn the facts about tire pressures, or oil types, or paint protection and just trust fully what you're told then that is your choice. Mine is to do the opposite and adjust my environment to best suit my needs and desires.

[john1701a]

It is interesting how some expect Prius to be perfectly equipped. That's actually a very rare trait in most vehicles. Tires, tire pressure, oil, oil filter, and air filters are all prime examples. Many people think nothing of changing them afterward. Heck, some ever swap factory sparkplugs for a premium grade without any hesitation. And have you ever given brakes pads a second thought? Service personnel will usually suggest a better type and many consumers will simply agree to the change. Why should Prius be any different?

What I find fascinating is who's making the comments now. It is people who wouldn't normally care. Prius raises awareness, making some question how things were done in that past. Prius even goes as far as giving a sense of empowerment to those that had not taken any initiative in the past. That's pretty cool.

[jamarimutt]

Why does Toyota recommend 35/33 and does not allow their technicians to deliver a car with a different tire pressure? If it's a liabilty issue, evidently someone has determined that driving with the tires inflated above those pressures will somehow negativelly affect the car's handling or the comfort of the ride. Otherwise, they might as well not mention tire pressure at all or provide a wide range, such as front: 32-42, rear, 30-40. Overly inflated tires may give you one or two extra mpgs but you're in for a bumpy and noisy ride. Following advice from the gurus in this forum I started inflating my tires 40/38 and, sure enough, over uneven pavement the car shakes and rattles like a much older car.

I don't use synthetic oil for the same reason as I don't use premium gasoline... because both are a waste of money for the Prius engine; no self-proclaimed Prius in this site has shown otherwise. Here again Toyota seems to be right. Do you gurus fill your tires with pure nitrogen?

[jamarimutt]

self-proclaimed Prius guru, that is. Are moderators gurus too?