Inflating tires & tire gauge

Amazon.com: Accu-gage Tire Pressure Guage - 60 PSI Range Straight Angle: Automotive

Amazon.com: VIAIR 85P Portable Air Compressor: Automotive

 

Accu-gage pressure guage as indicated by Jimbo above. Small air compressor from Harbor Freight.

 

Typically I use a nearby Chevron station's free air. In a pinch I have a bicycle pump that can get the job done; I've even brought tires up to pressure after flat repair with this pump, a bit of a workout though.

My main pressure gauge is a simple stick type. I have an inexpensive digital guage, used it to verify the stick was fine..., but stick with the stick, lol.

 

I like dial-type gauges (blame my bubblehead roots!)
They don't need batteries and you can get a decent one at a big-box store for less than $10.
I dislike the blade (stick) type gauges, but they're a butt-ton better than waiting for the TPMS light to tell you that you're tires are under-inflated.

If you can spare the cargo-bay space a portable air compressor such as the one Jimbo has listed above is an excellent choice...especially if your Prius (or other car) lacks a proper spare tire. Don't cheap-out and get a $20 air-pump or it will go TANGO-UNIFORM when you really really need it.

If you get a DC (or dual) pump, pay particular attention to how much power it draws.
In addition to being switched which I despise, some cars have a painfully low current rating for their 12-V outlets.
Best practice is to regularly top off the tires with the same pump from the same power source that you plan to use in the field.I'd be lying to you if I said that I do this regularly, but I do test my emergency air pump quasi-regularly.

When you're (re)inflating a tire out in BFE it's best to use a proven pump.

 

Which is much more versatile as it has a small storage tank and on sale is cheaper too.
Much larger though so not good for "trunk" use.

 

+1 on bike pump. Check it often, and a free work out.

 

I'll do the same unless I decide to check all my vehicles at one time, then pull out the compressor hose from the garage.

 

I used to run up to the local station, but the nozzle was almost always broken. So, now I have an 8-gallon air compressor for home and a small portable 12v pump for the road. I need to replace the pump though because its nozzle really stinks and it's old. I use several blade-type gauges and I have a digital gauge that's hard to use. I really don't trust the blade ones, so I'm thinking of upgrading to the ones Jim posted from Amazon. I had a nozzle with gauge attached that I bought at Harbor Freight, but it didn't last long, so lesson learned there.

 

My problem, is I have 3 different tire gauges and none of them agree with each other. They are all off by 2-5 pounds from each other!

This one reads 2-3 pounds low, (I think).

This one always 3-4 pounds higher, I use it more for my truck tires when I pump them up to 60+ pounds for when towing our trailer. (Tires can go to 80 PSI):

Tire gauge S160XA

Then this talking one reads between the above two gauges:

So, I use the above gauge as it "is in the middle" and "speaks to me", but still wonder if I have a cold tire 42 psi front, and 40 back,,, or,,, maybe something else???? I sure miss some of the features we had on our 2013 Dodge Dart - where from the comfort of your drivers seat, right on the dash it had an info screen that showed all 4 tires, and exactly what PSI they had in them! (Hint - Hinting- HINT Toyota!!!) It is so silly the Toy has the tire PSI sensors, yet, they are useless as I have read they only alert you, when they are already dangerously way too low! Of coarse, the Dart NEVER got 50+ MPG either!!!

 

The stick gauge I've got is pretty bulletproof, agrees with another one I've got, and a digital. Funny thing though: I bought a new stick gauge maybe 2 years back: could NOT get it to seat squarely on the valve. It leaks like crazy every time I try it. Looks fine but...

 

As far as gauges, I have been very happy with and recommend Joe's Racing Gauge:

. It is very rugged, accurate and repeatable. I have had some digital gauges in the past and it was very hard to get repeatable results among other issues.

Here's my compressor. It's not very portable, but it get's the job done

 

Yeah well, here's mine!



Uh, never mind

 

Odd time I use the Chevron air station around here, I always press a key or something into the end of the chuck to release some air before I press it up to the car's tire valve.

Reason is I often see a lot of moisture laden mist that I prefer not to add to the tires.

This is why most of the time, I prefer the little air compressor that you plug into the 12 volt acc socket. No air tank full of condensation.

My gauge of choice is one that Toyota sent me in the mail years back when I signed up for ECP with my 4 runner. A dial gauge that is clear and easy to read, has a hold function so that it keeps the pressure on the dial until you press a little button to release. You can buy the same thing of course at any retailer with auto accessories for less than $10, but mines says Toyota so it is more cool.

The big thing is to check your pressure at least once a month. I added this to my vehicle maintenance schedule so that it displays on the nav screen at startup as I need to be reminded.

Roland

 

Like some of the others I use a stand alone compressor. Pancake model that has a regulator on it and will produce up to 120 PSI. I set the line pressure at 90 PSI. More than adequate to pump up any tires. Also runs my nail guns and my air impact with no problem. This type of compressor is not always practical for those who live in rental units such as trailers and or apartments. However if you have a home with a garage then it becomes fairly easy to store one in the garage. I use a pencil air gage, also known as a stick gage. I have compared it to a couple of different dial gages and found it to be accurate. Mine goes up to 50 but will push out a bit farther before it hits the stop. Measures in one pound increments.

I also agree don't cheap out on a portable air compressor. Some of them just don't hold up well and they also do pull quite a bit of juice when running them off of the 12 volt accessory port.

Last but not least it is a very good idea to check both the tires for wear, damage to treads and sidewalls along with inspecting for foreign objects. If you do find a nail, screw, etc. in your tire it really is not a good idea to remove it on your own. If you do and the tire begins to leak, you either have to put on the spare or hope you can make it to the nearest tire shop before it goes flat.

FWIW, I would suggest you consider purchasing a portable jump unit for your Prius. In the event of a dead battery, a lot of times you can get your Prius running again with a jump start. However you have to have another vehicle and a set of jumper cables. At times this can be inconvenient. With a portable jump start pack you can keep it charged up and ready to go. If you have a problem, you can use it out there on the road. They also come in handy when trying to be a good Samaritan. It is not a good idea to jump start another vehicle with a Prius. However you CAN jump start another Prius. That is the exception to the rule about jump starting. I don't recommend jump starting but sometimes it is necessary.

Best of luck to the OP. Enjoy your new Prius. You are making a wise decision buying one. It is the best car on the road today IMO.

Ron (dorunron)

 

I bought a dial-gauge (about $35) from Amazon mostly for my motorcycle. The "stick" gauge I used was accurate but the seal thing was failing. The new one I bought didn't quite fit in the wheel space to get to the valve. Since accuracy matters, I got one that was on a flex hose and had a "release" button. It holds the setting until you let the air out of the gauge part. You can also use the button to bleed off pressure to get to an exact PSI.

I still use an old Black & Decker electric air pump. Since I need my readings to be based on cold tire temperatures, getting air at the gas station doesn't work. The odd time I've done it, I deliberately over inflate and wait until the next morning to bleed off excess.

 

I use a portable inflator that I keep in my trunk all the time. I forgot the name of it but you can buy it online at Walmart for about $35.00 and have it shipped to the Walmart store of your choice and pick it up there. I use an Acccutire digital tire gauge. I usually buy mine at Sears. Both of these are good investments.

 

I use a tire inflator with a built in dial gage that connects to a small portable compressor. Fast and ez.