Stealing air

Uriel said:
Ergo I don't see why anyone would bother going to a garage forecourt for routine tyre pressure top ups. Surely a foot pump or electric pump are just as conveneint, if not more so?
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It's not like petrol stations are somewhere normally frequented by cars......
 
Uriel said:
I'm being a bit OC about this, but it's recommended to check tyre pressures cold. If you drive to a petrol station they usually won't be cold anymore.
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I have a petrol station the other side of the road from where I work, so the tyres are still pretty cold in the 100yards or so I have to travel :)
 
I always clean my hands before I get into the car, so I don't cover my steering wheel & gear lever with brake dust. So, any time that's left over will just run out whilst I'm doing this anyway!
 
Clarkey said:
Ok for an emergency but they are pathetically slow, and after 5 minutes or so of running the air coming out becomes stupidly hot. Much the same deal with a foot pump except after 5 minutes you figure you would have gone to the gym if you wanted a workout.

You just can't beat the speed and convenience of the forecourt compressor.
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Dunno what kind of cheap nasty inflators you've used but I have a Ring one and it's not slow and nor does the air become 'stupidly hot'.

Being able to do it in your own time on your own driveway is much more convenient than having to **** about trying to drag a knackered filthy rubber hose over your car at a petrol station.
 
Armageus said:
I have a petrol station the other side of the road from where I work, so the tyres are still pretty cold in the 100yards or so I have to travel :)
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That's all right then.

For most people it should be a lot more inconvenient to visit a garage to add pressure.

Just came across the following advice from Toyo and it reminded me why I like to check and top up pressures at home:

When To Check Tire Pressure



Check inflation pressure (including the spare) at least once a month and before every long trip. Tires must be checked when they are cold (before they have run a mile). If you must drive over a mile for air, measure and record the underinflation amount of each tire. Upon arriving at the service station, measure each tire's inflation again and if the pressure has increased, adjust the amount of additional air pressure needed. For example, if cold pressure should be 35PSI, cold pressure was 28PSI, and current pressure is 33PSI, you should inflate the warm tires to 40PSI and recheck them again when cold.
http://toyotire.eu/page/index/sef/proxes-cf1/identifier/proper-inflation
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Uriel said:
That's all right then.

For most people it should be a lot more inconvenient to visit a garage to add pressure.

Just came across the following advice from Toyo and it reminded me why I like to check and top up pressures at home:
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I'm not sure it's ever really a problem, unless you drift your way around every corner on the way to the garage. I've pumped my tyres one evening after driving to a garage and checked them the next morning with a pressure gauge I keep in boot and never noticed any discrepancy.

I know it's only their example, but I'd suggest there's far more to worry about if your tyres are heating up enough to warrant a 5PSI increase in pressure just driving to a local garage :p
 
Surely it only makes sense to go to Sainsbury's to use their air machine if you fill up there, or if they are your closest garage.

Just driving the extra distance to Sainsbury's would cost me more than 50p in fuel, so effectively the nearest Esso, BP or Shell would still prove cheaper.
 
Sindri said:
Surely it only makes sense to go to Sainsbury's to use their air machine if you fill up there, or if they are your closest garage.

Just driving the extra distance to Sainsbury's would cost me more than 50p in fuel, so effectively the nearest Esso, BP or Shell would still prove cheaper.
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Or if you shop there.......
 
Why would you shop at Sainsbury's instead of Waitrose?

Bloody peasants! :D



P.s. I shop at Waitrose because I get staff discount. :)
 
Those people who go around taking all the caps off before pumping the air and then take an extra 30 seconds to put them all back on again..
 
Howard said:
Dunno what kind of cheap nasty inflators you've used but I have a Ring one and it's not slow and nor does the air become 'stupidly hot'.

Being able to do it in your own time on your own driveway is much more convenient than having to **** about trying to drag a knackered filthy rubber hose over your car at a petrol station.
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This.
It's not like you are filling your tyres up from completely empty anyway. The compressor getting a bit hot doesn't matter at all.
 
The filling station near my office is a motorway service station so if I have to use the air machine it costs a pound!

To make it worthwhile I go over to the pumps and help myself to what I consider to be 90 pence worth of disposable gloves.
 
I avoid garage forecourt air machines where practical, they generally are very inaccurate.

Found a 9psi (!) variation between my rear tyres after increasing the pressures prior to caravan towing when I checked with my own gauge.

Thankfully, I have access to tyre fitters with their own compressors. :)
 
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