Invest in a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), if your car does not already have one. Can avoid nasty surprises.
BHPian sushanthys recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
Hi guys.
This is a post about my first time use of a tyre inflator. My wife owns a BYD Atto 3. Now, Atto 3 is part of an increasingly new brigade of cars which do not come with a spare tyre. The merits & demerits of not having a spare tyre is open to debate. I am simply describing an interesting experience which happened today.
So, I had got into the car today morning to drop my daughter to school, which is 10 km away. On starting the car, the TPMS alarm came on. The rear left tyre was showing a pressure of 17 psi. Got down & checked and sure enough, the tyre was showing signs of deflation. Didn’t want to take a risk, so we travelled to the school in my MG ZS EV.
On returning home, I checked the Atto 3 again. It was a sure-shot puncture. I could even see the culprit – a large nail embedded between the treads.
It was 7.30 in the morning. The puncture repair shops will not open before 9 AM. Since my wife had alternate means of transport for the day, decided to tackle the problem later. I came back from work around 3.30 PM. I checked the Atto 3’s tyre again. The wheel was totally deflated now. The nearest puncture repair shop was around 1.5 km away. There was no away I could drive it there in the present condition without damaging the alloy wheel. Calling a mobile puncture repair guy was an option.
The Atto 3 comes with a puncture repair kit. Since I was at home and I only needed to inflate the tyre to an acceptable level, I thought I would give it a try. Also, was curious as to whether it would work. I would also gain some valuable experience for any usage in future.
Opened the boot and took the tyre inflator out. There was also a sealer compound available but that was not needed in the present scenario. The tyre inflator has a connector (orange coloured) which plugs into the 12V socket. It is powered by the car. The connecting wire is long enough to access the rear wheels.
The steps involved were as follows.
- Start the car (Make sure to leave the car key inside)
- Connect the tyre inflator to the 12 V socket
- Switch on the tyre inflator (The switch is on the side)
- Connect the inflator to the tyre valve (The inflator should be screwed on to the valve tightly)
- Wait for the tyre to inflate (Watch the pressure gauge; the initial pressure should be zero)
It was the final step which gave me trouble. Since the tyre was completely deflated, it takes time to start showing signs of air entry (around 1-2 mins). Remember that the air compressor is not that strong. Initially, I thought I was doing it wrong. Kept fiddling with controls and the tyre valve. Checked that there was adequate air flow. When I realized that the compressor was working, the air flow was OK and there was no leak, just waited. After 2 minutes, the tyre started filling up. It took almost 7-8 minutes for the tyre to reach a pressure of 30 Psi. The compressor became very hot by then. The sound was also not very pleasant. Hence, disconnected the inflator.
Drove to the puncture repair shop immediately and they fixed the tyre. They charged Rs.200.
Fun fact – The Atto 3 wheel bolts are protected by plastic lug nut covers. You need a special instrument to remove them. It is provided in the car’s tyre repair kit. The shop also had it.
Things which I learned today
- A tyre inflator is a nifty thing to have in your car. Good quality ones are available in Amazon for around Rs.2000. I think I will get one for my MG ZS EV as well, although it comes with a spare tyre.
- Even if you have a spare tyre in your car, how many of us are skilled enough to change the tyres in a big SUV? It is not easy and can be down right dangerous if not done correctly. Changing tyres in a Maruti 800 is not a problem. Not so for the bigger cars. Plus it is not easy on your back. For urban usage, a spare tyre is not a necessity. There is easy access to tyre repair shops. A tyre inflator will help you get to one in case of an emergency.
- However, for long trips, a spare tyre is a must. No tyre inflator or sealing compound can help you in case of a side wall tear.
- Invest in a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), if your car does not already have one. Can avoid nasty surprises.
Hope this post is useful.
Cheers!
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