Car serviced, tire pressures set wrong
- Thread starter LVSteve
- Start date
Have worked in auto parts since 1973. Always check my own fluids. Took my car to the dealership a half block from our store. We sell them hundreds of dollars in parts in a year. Had a oil change scheduled for 1:30. While home for noon lunch topped off all my fluids, antifreeze, brake and windshield washer. Picked up the car at 3:30, looked at the bill and was charged for fluid service that it did not need as I had just done it. Had a polite but firm talk with the service manager who redid the bill, but wonder how many people they were charging for items that were not being done. Not the first time I have had this happen to me from people who we sell parts to all the time. While making a parts delivery to our local chain tire dealer, I heard the manager laying the biggest BS story about tires on a little old lady. Nothing but out right scare tactics. Have learned over the years which shops I do business with and which I do not.
I had ordered some car parts and had to go to pick them up at the dealership. He invited me behind the counter while I waited. When he was getting them, I noticed a item listed on the screen of his computer. It had headings over the prices listed. The manufacturer's cost was $9, the Wholesaler's cost was $18, the Distributors cost was $36 and the Retail price wa $72! No wonder service departments keep the dealership afloat.
What other pressure is to be found on the sidewall? Max is all there is.
What is on the side of the tire is the maximum it will take, not the optimum for your car. As you can fit the same tire to many different cars the proper pressure will vary.
Believe the factory, at least for a starting point.
Strawman.
No one said there are multiple pressures stated on sidewall.
No one said "run it at the max pressure stated on sidewall",
which was the contention.
It be what it be.
it works, but stiffness of belting on higher performance tires
can render it a relatively coarse measure. There'll be a large
pressure zone that gives even wear, before tread starts bending
in response to "too much" or "too little".
Chalking the tread is a good way to make fast changes/evals
of the pressure.
54 years as a new car dealer parts + service director and you still don't know anything about tires on cars.
Here's a hint, if you check with the tire makers they tell you to go by the vehicle's sticker.
Most of the time they don't know what vehicle the tire will end up on, they get together with the auto manufacture and decide what tire works best for each vehicle which may only be one or may be many. Only the auto company knows what tire they put on what vehicle and what the best pressure for that tire on that vehicle is.
Going by the tire's max pressure is a **** shoot at best and a deadly accident at worst.
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