Tyre Inflation

[Monday]

I posted recently about the new 'paid' tyre pump at my local Sainsbury's. It's a new machine but they seem to have fitted the old inflation line, together with the bit that fits on the tyre valve (connector?). I have no problem with this on all 4 tyres on one car and 3 out of 4 on the other. But on one rear tyre, the connector won't seal onto the valve sufficiently to create a pressure in the system that enables the pump to work. I just let more air out of the tyre.
I went round to my local tyre place to get a new valve fitted but their portable inflator fitted fine and re-inflated the tyre. It seems to be just that one valve and this one connector. Most people recognise that forecourt tyre inflators are badly maintained and generally rubbish but it's puzzling why 7 out of 8 tyres are fine and one is not.
Anybody else had this problem?

 

[DREAMER NO2]

Monday Bit late for this ,,but i have had the old type 12 volt tyre pumps for years , that type you have to push the lever down on the connector to hold it on to tyre valve .. My tyre pump packed up on me one day . And a good friend so kindly lent me his 12 volt tyre pump . The fitting was far better than mine. The old lever type connector had been replaced with a screw connector,, that screws on to the tyre valve. Soon went out and bought the same type pump with a screw on connector .Much better to use, and less chance of damaging the tyre valve .

 

[Monday]

Ha, I have exactly the same type of flip lever electric pump and yes, it is difficult to seal onto the valve stem. I wonder whether that has actually damaged that one particular valve stem? The screw on fitting sounds much better (after all, even bicycle pumps screw on!). I’ll have a look but I need one with a pressure gauge so it’s not so hit and miss having to check with a stick gauge.
Even then, I think I will still get the valve changed as I don’t carry the pump round with me and it concerns me that if I needed to use a forecourt pump on that tyre, I couldn’t
Many thanks.

 

[DREAMER NO2]

Monday The pumps are good with screw connection .But as for the gauge,,, they tell you not to rely on them because they are not accurate .

 

[T5R+]

........... So i purchased a tyre gauge inflator thats made to fit the line of an air compressor....................,with it you can deflate the tyre .I blow the tyre up a little more than what it should have ,Then let out the excessive air with a button on the side .of the gauge .

Would you happen to have details/link of this gauge PLUS if the 12V pump/inflator is highly recommended.... please share.
( Have always bought the screw on rather than lever valve fitting- as find them a much better fit).

 

[DREAMER NO2]

The pumps mostly are all the same , you just pick up the one that you like, as long as its got the screw connector to fit the valve . The extra gauge i purchased is made for garage compressors . By the way this wont fit on the air pump . So once you have inflated the tyre you screw off your 12volt air pump . Screw on the extra compressor inflator .Read off the scale forn your cars tyre pressure ,and if its to high just press the trigger to deflate the tyre .When you have the gauge on the valve the air wont escape until you press the trigger on the gun .Air cant get in because its not connected to a compressor se air escapes as long as trigger is pressed. pump number on ebay - 184480569555. or this hand held 154781872581 .

 

[Bay Leaf]

I have one made by Michelin (or under there name) which I've had for a long time. Not cheap but good quality. As the old saying goes, You get what you pay for.

 

[Monday]

Monday The pumps are good with screw connection .But as for the gauge,,, they tell you not to rely on them because they are not accurate .

Dreamer, thanks, appreciated. I was only looking for a pressure gauge as a check that tyre pressure was in the right ball park. When I started looking, I realised that the World had moved on and digital gauges with auto preset and shut off were now available - although whether they are anymore accurate is up for debate.
Strangely the form of the connector (flip lever, screw) is never mentioned in specifications, so minute study of the illustrations is necessary. It seems the pumps most likely to have screw connectors are at the cheaper end of the range but with analogue (dial) pressure gauges - with some exceptions, a Michelin one st £95 being one!

 

[LostKiwi]

My T-Max 160 lpm pump has a screw on fitting and is an awesome bit of kit.

T-Max Compressor 160LPM (T Max)) BA2663 * Island 4x4 - Specialists in Land Rover and Range Rover Parts and accessories for all models. UK and worldwide mail order.

T-Max Compressor 160LPM (T Max)) BA2663 * Land Rover parts, Land Rover spares, Range Rover parts and accessories for Freelander, Discovery, Defender and Series models. UK and worldwide mail order. Competitive prices.

www.island-4x4.co.uk

It is however pretty basic with no digital clearness.

 

[Tony Dyson]

There's always something wrong with filling station air systems whether free or paid for, they leak, they're filthy, they time out, they're not calibrated and they're usually waiting to be fixed because some moron broke it before you got there! So I went down the DIY route a long time ago and a small compressor with a separate pressure gauge has been part of my car toolkit for some time. I've bought expensive ones that lasted a year and a day and I've bought cheap ones that lasted a lot longer and concluded they're disposable, coincidentally I've recently binned an old Halfords one I must have had in different cars for the last 15/16 Years or so!

 

[DREAMER NO2]

Or go for the battery tyre pump that us pre charged batteries .