FusionNewbie Posted April 28, 2013 Share Posted April 28, 2013 Hey all, Is it normal for the low tire pressure warning alert to pop up when my vehicle is only at 1990 miles. I've never owned a car before so I'm not exactly sure what that protocol is from here. Do I go buy a pressure gauge and measure each tire? What PSI should they be filled up to? Thanks for the help for the newbie question! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RRF985 Posted April 28, 2013 Share Posted April 28, 2013 (edited) The correct pressures should be on a sticker probably behind the drivers door. Usually is in that spot on other Ford vehicles. If you find a tire has low pressure, refill it obviously. However this will not cause the light to go out immediately. It will take some driving for it to register the correct pressure. If you all the tires are inflated to the proper psi, take the car to the dealer. Probably a problem with the TPMS system. It will be covered under warranty. Or if you don't want to deal with it at all take it in now. Edited April 28, 2013 by RRF985 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryG Posted April 28, 2013 Share Posted April 28, 2013 You may have a nail or something in the tire causing a slow leak. If you want to have the tires wear out fast, put the recommended psi on the door sticker in the tires. If you want the tires to last longer, and improve handling, put at least the max sidewall psi stamped on the tire itself. I go as much as 10psi higher than max sidewall in my tires to improve MPG, handling, and tire wear. The low tire pressure light should go out when your tire pressure reaches 25psi, so at least one of your tires is below 25psi. The reason your vehicle has this warning system is, it's required by law. You have a dangerous driving condition with your tire pressure that low. Get a tire pressure gauge and check the psi or go to a tire store and have them check the pressure and look for tire damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 28, 2013 Share Posted April 28, 2013 FusionNewbie - please ignore GaryG. Use the exact pressure recommended on the door jamb sticker (measured when the tires are cold) or a few lbs more. Do not use the max pressure as listed on the tire - it's not safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryG Posted April 28, 2013 Share Posted April 28, 2013 FusionNewbie - please ignore GaryG. Use the exact pressure recommended on the door jamb sticker (measured when the tires are cold) or a few lbs more. Do not use the max pressure as listed on the tire - it's not safe. Why is it not safe? You can't tell us can you? The San Jose PD runs max sidewall in their police cars for better handling and 6psi above max sidewall in their training vehicles for handling and wear. Their top training officer wrote an article explaining how they teach their police drivers by going through their driving course with the recommended door labels psi and show them how vehicle control improves with the higher tire pressure. But what do they know that you do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FusionNewbie Posted April 28, 2013 Author Share Posted April 28, 2013 Thanks for the input guys - I took the PSI of all 4 tires and yup, one of them was hovering around 25psi. Since the rest were ~42, I just used that as a baseline. I did see some small pieces of glass scattered throughout the tire so I obviously think it's slowly bleeding air unfortunately...I filled it up to 42 so I can get it to the shop tomorrow. Speaking of shops, is this something that I should go to the Ford service department for? Is this something that can be patched up or do I need an entire new tire? Sorry for the stupid questions...first time in my life navigating these things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryG Posted April 28, 2013 Share Posted April 28, 2013 No need to take your car to Ford, but everyone will try and rip you off these days. If the shop can show you the damage is on the sidewall, the tire must be replaced. In most cases the damage is through the tread and the tire can be removed and patched when the hole only causes a slow leak. The factory has air gauges that are correct, so chances are your cheap tire gauge is not. More than likely you have 35psi in three of your tires now, and your gauge reads 7psi high. The tire shops generally put the psi on the door label in the tires they install, so compare the pressure after the tire is repaired with your gauge. If the tire reads 42 psi, your gauge reads high. Unless you instruct the tire shop to put in 42psi, they will only fill to 35psi on the door label. Make sure the tire shop can replace the same tire size and brand as the other tires on the vehicle. Do not let them sell you a different tire if the tire needs to be replaced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FusionNewbie Posted April 28, 2013 Author Share Posted April 28, 2013 Yeah, that's why I think I may going straight to Ford for this one. I'd rather pay a premium and make sure I have the same tires. I will ask them to tell me the actual psi of each of the tires just for reference purposes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryG Posted April 29, 2013 Share Posted April 29, 2013 Yeah, that's why I think I may going straight to Ford for this one. I'd rather pay a premium and make sure I have the same tires. I will ask them to tell me the actual psi of each of the tires just for reference purposes. Good choice! Good tires can be expensive, but worth every penny if they last and ride great. Nothing better than a fun car to drive with the right tires. You can add or decrease the performance of tires with the tire pressure, so I use this tire gauge to know exactly what works: http://www.amazon.com/Longacre-Economy-Digital-Pressure-Gauge/dp/B000VB43L0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1367192902&sr=8-4&keywords=tire+pressure+gauge+longacre I found all three of my analog tire gauges were about 5 psi high, so I bought this racing tire pressure gauge that is within .2 psi correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 29, 2013 Share Posted April 29, 2013 Why is it not safe? You can't tell us can you? The San Jose PD runs max sidewall in their police cars for better handling and 6psi above max sidewall in their training vehicles for handling and wear. Their top training officer wrote an article explaining how they teach their police drivers by going through their driving course with the recommended door labels psi and show them how vehicle control improves with the higher tire pressure. But what do they know that you do? Why do you think the tire mfr bothers to put a max pressure value on each tire? Why do you assume you know more than they do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jared6788 Posted April 29, 2013 Share Posted April 29, 2013 Why do you think the tire mfr bothers to put a max pressure value on each tire? Why do you assume you know more than they do? It's obviously a scam by the car and tire manufacturers to make you buy more tires Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryG Posted April 29, 2013 Share Posted April 29, 2013 Why do you think the tire mfr bothers to put a max pressure value on each tire? Why do you assume you know more than they do? I tell the truth tried and tested by the me and the record hypermilers in the World. You don't have any records but BS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boogs Posted April 29, 2013 Share Posted April 29, 2013 I tell the truth tried and tested by the me and the record hypermilers in the World. You don't have any records but BS. BS and research by multi-million dollar tire companies. But i guess that's how they got their millions. By underfilling tires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lolder Posted April 29, 2013 Share Posted April 29, 2013 Inflating to maximum sidewall pressure will do do harm other than make the ride harsher. Everything else improves; wear, handling, hydroplaning resistance and mileage. The tires are tested to a much higher pressure. I've found 40 psi is a good compromise in a FFH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neod192 Posted April 29, 2013 Share Posted April 29, 2013 Yeah, that's why I think I may going straight to Ford for this one. I'd rather pay a premium and make sure I have the same tires. I will ask them to tell me the actual psi of each of the tires just for reference purposes. If you end up needing a new tire, look it up on tirerack.com. It'll be a whole lot cheaper that at the dealer - maybe the dealer will even price match? I'm not sure which wheels/tires you have, but here's the link to the 18" Eagle LS-2 that come with the Hybrid Titanium. It's on sale for $102. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Eagle+LS-2&partnum=345VR8ELS2&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearcats98 Posted April 29, 2013 Share Posted April 29, 2013 Back on track with usable information to the OP. As Neod responded if you need tires you can get the OEM versions from some other place and the helpful people here will assist you if you have questions. I don't think 1900 is enough mileage to require it, but usually you will replace tires as a "pair" (left/right) so that the OD isn't off. You will want to ask a tire guy who isn't trying to push something for a better answer. And if it was glass, most likely its in the tread portion and most likely can easily be repaired by a reputable place. The only issues start showing up when you get close to the edge of the tire or in the sidewall. And you should be around the tire pressure marked on the door frame by the drivers door latch. Ignore the conspiracy theorist and put safety above the supposed MPG gains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FusionNewbie Posted April 29, 2013 Author Share Posted April 29, 2013 If you end up needing a new tire, look it up on tirerack.com. It'll be a whole lot cheaper that at the dealer - maybe the dealer will even price match? I'm not sure which wheels/tires you have, but here's the link to the 18" Eagle LS-2 that come with the Hybrid Titanium. It's on sale for $102. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Eagle+LS-2&partnum=345VR8ELS2&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes Perfect, just what I was looking for. I'm pretty sure I have the same tires - I have the 18" painted luxury wheels that come with the 2.0 EB SE. I have the appointment set for tomorrow...I'm interested to see what they say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryG Posted April 29, 2013 Share Posted April 29, 2013 It's obviously a scam by the car and tire manufacturers to make you buy more tires When I seen the improvements with higher tire pressure, I thought I had been scammed all these years also by the car and tire manufactures. Not anymore, I'm not paying and wasting my money on gas, new expensive tires, mounting and balancing or risking an accident with handling with what the manufactures recommend and put on the door. So there is more to it than making you buy more tires, it's a safety issue. How stupid can we be to be scammed that way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryG Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 Inflating to maximum sidewall pressure will do do harm other than make the ride harsher. Everything else improves; wear, handling, hydroplaning resistance and mileage. The tires are tested to a much higher pressure. I've found 40 psi is a good compromise in a FFH. You are right to some degree, but 40psi is chicken shit if you want to improve everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lolder Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 You are right to some degree, but 40psi is chicken shit if you want to improve everything. I don't want the ride harsher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FusionNewbie Posted April 30, 2013 Author Share Posted April 30, 2013 Just to close out this thread - I brought it to my dealer today...they took it in and found a nail in the tread. They sealed it up, sent me on my way, and let me go free of charge. Thank you all for the help. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearcats98 Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 Just to close out this thread - I brought it to my dealer today...they took it in and found a nail in the tread. They sealed it up, sent me on my way, and let me go free of charge. Thank you all for the help. Sweet! Glad to hear it was a painless process for ya! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Just to close out this thread - I brought it to my dealer today...they took it in and found a nail in the tread. They sealed it up, sent me on my way, and let me go free of charge. Thank you all for the help. Hopefully they took the tire off the wheel and patched it from the inside as opposed to doing a plug from the outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike JL Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Sorry to be late to the party - there are some interesting points about tire pressure in this thread. Food for thought, at the very least - perhaps there is some corroborating info on the web related to the benefits of higher pressures. FusionNewbie - very important - tires heat up when you are driving and the tire pressure necessarily rises. That may be why you measured 42 psi when you checked them. Always check pressure when the tire is 'cold' - at ambient temperature. You may have to wait four hours or more after driving for the tires to reach this state. I try to check mine in the morning, before driving anywhere. The car manufacturer lists the recommended pressures on a sticker somewhere in the driver door opening. That's always a good starting point on any vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.