Tire pressure monitoring law

GM-Tech · April 18, 2005

Thought I'd post this so I don't have to listen to the usual whining about how GM is forcing something on the motoring public once again.

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NHTSA Releases Final Tire Pressure Monitoring Rule

All passenger cars will have tire pressure monitoring systems beginning with the 2006 model year according to a new motor vehicle safety standard by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA.)

The regulation will require that manufacturers install a system that can detect when one or more of the vehicle’s tires are 25 percent or more below the recommended inflation pressure.

Phase-in of the new regulation will begin Sept. 1, 2005. All new 4-wheeled vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or less must be equipped with the monitoring system by the 2008 model year.

According to NHTSA, under-inflated tires can adversely affect fuel economy, lead to skidding and loss of control and hydroplaning on wet surfaces. It can also increase stopping distance and the likelihood of tire failures.

NHTSA estimates that about 120 lives a year will be saved when all new vehicles are equipped with the tire pressure monitoring systems. In addition, consumers should see improved fuel economy and increased tire life. The manufacturers’ average cost per vehicle is estimated to be between $48.44 and $69.89, depending on the technology used.

The tire pressure monitoring system was required by Congress when it enacted the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation (TREAD) Act in 2000. The new regulation can be found at:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/ruling...inalrule.6.html.

jhm · April 19, 2005

I read that news story last week also and they mentioned the Firestone ATX tire fiasco as being the catalyst for this. I ran Firestone ATX for years, multiple sets and never had a problem , no tread seperation, nothing. So one batch of bad tires by one mfr and we are stuck with this BS? Some govt agency with too much time on thier hands.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That was a fiasco because the real problem was Ford for under inflating the tires for ride control in door label cause tire failure and for making a SUV so unstable that the loss of a tire (especailly in rear) at speed is almost a sure ticket to a roll over. They went after the wrong company there because tire issue or not, no SUV rolled as regularly after tire failure as a Explorer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Right, Ford was responsible for lowering the inflation spec to try to reduce roll overs, but Firestone did produce bad tires in the Decatur Ill plant. There big mistake was sticking with Ford as a supplier on the Explorer. If they had simply recalled all ATX tires made in Decatur and not supplied anymore to Ford, we would still have the ATX tire today which in my opinion was the best light truck tire made.

mmmikkke · April 20, 2005

...I had a guy last summer pass me (ya, I'm a cop, another profession that deals with idiots ) on a double solid center line and going 20+ over the speed limit...
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Now I hate to quibble but I'm pretty sure that one of the solid center lines is for the northbound traffic, and the other one is for the southbound traffic. So technically, only one of the two lines ever matter. The guy passed in a no passing zone. True enough.

But it's not as if the road engineers were saying "don't pass" with one yellow line, and "really, really, don't pass, we're not kiddiing!" with 2 yellow lines.

Please tell me you don't enforce the law that way.

snoman · April 19, 2005

I read that news story last week also and they mentioned the Firestone ATX tire fiasco as being the catalyst for this. I ran Firestone ATX for years, multiple sets and never had a problem , no tread seperation, nothing. So one batch of bad tires by one mfr and we are stuck with this BS? Some govt agency with too much time on thier hands.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That was a fiasco because the real problem was Ford for under inflating the tires for ride control in door label cause tire failure and for making a SUV so unstable that the loss of a tire (especailly in rear) at speed is almost a sure ticket to a roll over. They went after the wrong company there because tire issue or not, no SUV rolled as regularly after tire failure as a Explorer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Right, Ford was responsible for lowering the inflation spec to try to reduce roll overs, but Firestone did produce bad tires in the Decatur Ill plant. There big mistake was sticking with Ford as a supplier on the Explorer. If they had simply recalled all ATX tires made in Decatur and not supplied anymore to Ford, we would still have the ATX tire today which in my opinion was the best light truck tire made.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have seen more than one of them sitting on a dealer lot than had been rolled and still with a blown tire on rear on them too. And the sad part is that is that some rolled without Firestone tires on them to but Ford kinda skipped that part of it.

rascal · April 20, 2005

...I had a guy last summer pass me (ya, I'm a cop, another profession that deals with idiots ) on a double solid center line and going 20+ over the speed limit...
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Now I hate to quibble but I'm pretty sure that one of the solid center lines is for the northbound traffic, and the other one is for the southbound traffic. So technically, only one of the two lines ever matter. The guy passed in a no passing zone. True enough.

But it's not as if the road engineers were saying "don't pass" with one yellow line, and "really, really, don't pass, we're not kiddiing!" with 2 yellow lines.

Please tell me you don't enforce the law that way.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

that just gave me a head ache?

snoman · April 18, 2005

Thought I'd post this so I don't have to listen to the usual whining about how GM is forcing something on the motoring public once again.

------------------------------------------------------------------

NHTSA Releases Final Tire Pressure Monitoring Rule

All passenger cars will have tire pressure monitoring systems beginning with the 2006 model year according to a new motor vehicle safety standard by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA.)

The regulation will require that manufacturers install a system that can detect when one or more of the vehicle’s tires are 25 percent or more below the recommended inflation pressure.

Phase-in of the new regulation will begin Sept. 1, 2005. All new 4-wheeled vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or less must be equipped with the monitoring system by the 2008 model year.

According to NHTSA, under-inflated tires can adversely affect fuel economy, lead to skidding and loss of control and hydroplaning on wet surfaces. It can also increase stopping distance and the likelihood of tire failures.

NHTSA estimates that about 120 lives a year will be saved when all new vehicles are equipped with the tire pressure monitoring systems. In addition, consumers should see improved fuel economy and increased tire life. The manufacturers’ average cost per vehicle is estimated to be between $48.44 and $69.89, depending on the technology used.

The tire pressure monitoring system was required by Congress when it enacted the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation (TREAD) Act in 2000. The new regulation can be found at:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/ruling...inalrule.6.html.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is kinda crazy as I read about this last week in the news. Why do not they just mandate that you know how to check your tire pressure yourself. (part of drivers license test maybe) I always check mine before the start of a long trip and from time to time otherwise. If checking tire pressure it too tuff for some to do maybe they should not be operating a car is too. Because most of the time you can even tell by looking at them if there is a problem.

Trouttrooper · April 19, 2005

Of course they won't. The idiots actually bring them into our service department for warranty repalrs because the "low tire pressure" light is on. Well duh, did you check the tire pressure? No, of course not.

I'm sorry, there are just a lot of really stupid people out there.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No need to be sorry, the truth hurts sometimes

I had a guy last summer pass me (ya, I'm a cop, another profession that deals with idiots ) on a double solid center line and going 20+ over the speed limit. When I was giving him his ticket he asked me where I had been hiding with my radar gun because he didn't see me until I was "right on top of him". I thought he was joking, but he was dead serious. He couldn't believe he had passed me. He admitted passing vehicles, but swore that none of them were cops.

One thing I found out about the inflation monitoring systems is you can't use the fix-a -flat cans. Apparently it messes with the sensors or something. I read that in the owners manual of a Tahoe last year. Other than that it's not a bad idea. It's amazing how many people never check tires and are driving on almost flat tires.

GM-Tech · April 20, 2005

Now I hate to quibble but I'm pretty sure that one of the solid center lines is for the northbound traffic, and the other one is for the southbound traffic.

What if the road goes east and west?

snoman · April 19, 2005

Of course they won't. The idiots actually bring them into our service department for warranty repalrs because the "low tire pressure" light is on. Well duh, did you check the tire pressure? No, of course not.

I'm sorry, there are just a lot of really stupid people out there.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No need to be sorry, the truth hurts sometimes

I had a guy last summer pass me (ya, I'm a cop, another profession that deals with idiots ) on a double solid center line and going 20+ over the speed limit. When I was giving him his ticket he asked me where I had been hiding with my radar gun because he didn't see me until I was "right on top of him". I thought he was joking, but he was dead serious. He couldn't believe he had passed me. He admitted passing vehicles, but swore that none of them were cops.

One thing I found out about the inflation monitoring systems is you can't use the fix-a -flat cans. Apparently it messes with the sensors or something. I read that in the owners manual of a Tahoe last year. Other than that it's not a bad idea. It's amazing how many people never check tires and are driving on almost flat tires.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How many even scan through the owners manual too?

snoman · April 21, 2005

And the sad part is that is that some rolled without Firestone tires on them to but Ford kinda skipped that part of it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Including my wife's 1994 which had the OEM General's on it and less than 5k on the odometer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Did you get anything out of that?

mmmikkke · April 20, 2005

Now I hate to quibble but I'm pretty sure that one of the solid center lines is for the northbound traffic, and the other one is for the southbound traffic.

What if the road goes east and west?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Then the lines would be purple and it'd be under Canadian jurisdiction, so it wouldn't apply.