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Tire Pressure Dropping Quickly

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Hytec, Nov 27, 2004.

  1. Hytec

    Hytec New Member

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    Has anyone noticed the pressures in their OEM tires (Goodyear Integrity) dropping more quickly than expected?

    I set the pressures to spec (F-35/R-33) the day I took delivery. The other day, just 4 weeks later, I had to add what I felt was an abnormal amount of air to each tire. The pressures were approximately:
    Left front - 23psi
    Right front - 25psi
    Left rear - 28psi
    Right rear - 28psi

    I see no evidence of tread or sidewall damage on any tire, and there doesn't appear to any deformation to the wheels.

    I have run Michelins almost exclusively for the past 40 years and have never experienced pressure drops like this. The Michelins normally lost about 10% over 10-12 months, never as much as 30% in one month.

    Any information would be appreciated. Thanks, Hank
     
  2. IsrAmeriPrius

    IsrAmeriPrius Progressive Member

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    What was the ambient temperature on the day that you took delivery and on the day that you checked the tire pressure most recently?

    In addition, did you use the same pressure gauge?

    I just bought an Accutire MS-4000 at Amazon (marked down to $15.99 from $40). It is a great gadget.
     
  3. Hytec

    Hytec New Member

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    Thanks for the reply....
    The air temp was about the same each time, low 70's with humidity in the mid 60%s. The same gauges were used, an analog gauge on the electric pump and a handheld digital gauge, both of which are within a half pound of each other.
     
  4. jamarimutt

    jamarimutt New Member

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    Something's wrong. My four tires lose pressure uniformly at a very predictable rate.
     
  5. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    yes i have noticed it... mostly because i have sprung a leak in one tire.

    went out the other day and it was at 22 lbs. only looked at it because it was noticably flater.

    well put air in it at the gas station up to 38 psi and two days later it was back down to 29 psi. soooo will take it in to get it fixed somewhere...as i believe tires are not covered by warantee.

    i went out and bought a 12 v air compressor which works very well. takes about 3 min to go from 29 lbs to 45 lbs. (yep i always go a bit extra on leakers...)
     
  6. SyZyGy

    SyZyGy New Member

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    The hotter the temp, the psi in your tires increase, the colder, the psi decreases. Don't put the psi to the normal rating if you are in winter weather, beacuse when it gets hot the tires will expand and blow up! :p
     
  7. Hytec

    Hytec New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jamarimutt\";p=\"53097)</div>
    I think you're right. If the same pressure drop occurs in the next four weeks, it's back to the dealership for warranty work. I assume the rim/bead seal is covered if there has been no damage to the rim or tire. Also, if I understand the tire road hazard warranty correctly, it covers punctures, cuts, and other damage to the tire.

    I was just curious if anyone else had had bad experiences with Goodyear Integrity tires, since they seem to be one of the poorer grade of tires.

    Thanks for all your input, Hank
     
  8. SyZyGy

    SyZyGy New Member

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    Oh im sorry, I wasnt paying attention that it was rappidly dropping. But if it is low and staying there keep it that way, or else friction will make the tires heat up and then POP. :cry:
    The pressure should be like 5 to 9 psi lower in the winter.
     
  9. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    i would go higher in the winter
     
  10. SyZyGy

    SyZyGy New Member

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    go either higher or low. Just be careful to take air out (if you put more in your tires in winter) of you tires when it gets warm. Or else you will get a ballooning effect on your tires .
     
  11. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    I often wondered about the temperature affect on the tires and thought about posting a thread about it.

    Let me get this straight: If my tires measure accurate on a warm day, they will measure lower on a cold day. But if I add air to them and then the temperature increases, they will be over-inflated? Does driving the car heat the tires and the air inside?

    I too noticed a huge drop in tire pressure and mileage with my last tank.
     
  12. Hytec

    Hytec New Member

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    Tony, to answer your questions....I hope.

    1 - The difference in tire pressures between hot and cold days depends on how much the temp has swung. 10-20 degrees really won't affect the pressure that much, maybe 1 or 2 psi. But if the temp went from +80 to -20 in 12 hours, then you would see a significant change in pressure, maybe 10 or more psi. Since air temp rarely swings that wildly in a short time, if you check your pressures weekly, you will be compensating for the minor daily changes and the big seasonal changes will be taken care of during the weekly checks.

    2 - Tire pressures should be checked only when the tires are cold, i.e. after sitting idle for 8-12 hours. This way the tires will have returned to the same temp as the ambient air. Tires will heat up significantly even after only 3-5 miles of driving, and the pressures will have increased as much as 10 psi just in that short of distance. If the nearest tire gauge is in a service station or quick-stop, then try to drive less than a mile to the nearest one, and drive slowly so as not to heat up the tires too much. Better to buy an inexpensive tire gauge at an auto parts store or Wally-World. Try to get a gauge that measures more than 60 psi, that way you can check the spare also...it takes 60 psi. One more thing...if you measure at home, but the nearest air supply is somewhere else, remember how much each tire was low and add only that amount of air. Ignore what the pressure gauge indicates when you are filling each tire because the tires will have heated up and the pressures increased. When you add only the difference in pressure, than the pressures should measure correctly later when the tires have cooled down.

    3 - Lastly, if you are on a trip and check the pressures somewhere on the highway, expect to see pressures at least 10 psi above normal. Do not, repeat DO NOT bleed off any air. The pressures will be back to normal the next morning after cooling overnight at a motel, or (shudder) your In-Laws.

    Hope this helps, Hank
     
  13. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    Thanks, Hank.
    That's retty much what I expected to hear.

    Here's one interesting tidbit. At least, when I first heard it I thought it was interesting. When you are driving your car, the air in the tires starts rotating around and when you come to a stop, the air in the tires are still rotating. I thought that was neat anyway.
     
  14. Hytec

    Hytec New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TonyPSchaefer\";p=\"54113)</div>
    Well I'll be darned. Makes sense, since air has mass. Kind of amusing to visualize air molecules as very small marbles inside of a large ring. Wasn't there a kid's game like that years ago? 8)
     
  15. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    actually LRR tires like the one stock on the Prius will not heat up like normal tires and driving a few miles will most likely have a neglible effect on the tire pressures.

    get a good digital tire pressure gauge to measure the tires. i have one that is accurate to within ½ pound and it cost me all of $7.
     
  16. Hytec

    Hytec New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveinOlyWA\";p=\"54292)</div>
    Thanks Dave, I didn't know that. Where do you find information like this? The tire websites I've found list only driving performance data, i.e. tread wear prediction, speed range, wet/dry performance, etc. They don't list heat coefficient, rolling resistance, and similar technical or specification data.

    What I said earlier was based on 40 years experience with radial general purpose road tires, predominately Michelin. I've had no experience with low rolling resistance and low heat coefficient tires.
     
  17. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    LRR (low rolling resistance) tires get better mileage because they generate less friction with the road with regards to side to side resistance.

    other tires have a more flexible sidewall which softens the bumps but the additional flexing the tire creates is what causes some of the forward momentum of the car to be transferred into side to side motion thus reducing performance. the additional flexibility requires a thicker sidewall thus heavier and frequently more expensive tire.

    any and all sideways motion will reduce mpg's in your car. some of that energy is transformed into heat (the rest is in side to side motion) now all tires will generate heat as they deform while spinning so all tires will heat up. its just that LRR tires minimize this type of wear with stiffer sidewalls. but the knock against them is that many dont consider them to be as durable... there is no evidence that they wear quicker although most dont have the tread depth of more expensive higher mileage tires.

    how do i know this?? my brother was the manager for Les Schwab tires in Bremerton, WA for several years. tire technology is much more complicated than i could ever have imagined.

    that is also how i know that max tire pressure is not max tire pressure. ALL tires can easily go 20-30 psi over their rating in normal driving. now just because you can do it doesnt mean you should.

    the Prius can do 100 mph, but there are other considerations to factor in when do it. like traffic, weather, road conditions, etc. so unless you are on a closed track that you are familiar with, you are most likely taking foolish risks by driving 100 mph.

    the same goes with tires. 60 psi is not dangerous... if you know that you will not have to make any emergency manuvers or hit any potholes, etc...

    but the 44 psi that many use in their Prius is not any where near the concern for danger.
     
  18. onerpm

    onerpm New Member

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    you might try tightening your valve stems.

    rob
     
  19. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    actually, removing the nail from my tire did the trick