Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator

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og77
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Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator

Post by og77 »

When I picked up my 2014 6C just over a week ago, the VW dealer spent a little while pointing out the tyre pressure loss indicator system, and also mentioned it sometimes lit up when it didn't need to.

Mine has now lit up. I'm a nervous car owner. The tyres look perfectly inflated, but now it's back in my garage and won't be used again until next weekend.

Couple of questions:

1. Have other people had erroneous indications of loss of tyre pressure? Was the dealer correct saying it sometimes lights up when it detects a teeny change due to (for example) temperature, or was he aware it is faulty and was covering his backside?

2. What's your favourite tyre pressure gauge/compressor? If it does light up for no reason occasionally, I need a reliable way of checking it without finding the nearest garage!

Thanks for your help :)
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EDI GTI
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Re: Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator

Post by EDI GTI »

I've never had an issue with my indicator, my car is a 2016 model so I don't see how a car that is only two years older should have this fault as 'standard?'? My indicator has lit up twice, once when I hit a pothole and got an instant puncture, and another time when I was on the motorway and a screw got lodged in the main tread - both times worked as expected, even though the screw would have only caused a tiny change it still did its job - I've never experienced it going off because of weather etc.

To my untrained eye this sounds more like a fault the garage is aware of and they have just told you that its a 'normal thing' instead of replacing it! I would recommend going back in when you can and getting them to replace the sensor as it sounds like its most likely on the fritz - it should be cheap but also on their dime.

For No.2 not sure how many local supermarkets there are for you, but I always use Sainsburys as it is free to use their Air & Water! :D

I check once a month and always reset my tyre pressure using the infotainment after they are all at the correct level.
SRGTD
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Re: Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator

Post by SRGTD »

I’ve had one false alarm in cold winter weather. Checked the pressure of all tyres and they were OK. Reset the TPMS and no further false alarms. I’ve read on other VW forums of owners getting occasional false alarms - usually when there’s a sharp drop in temperature during the winter.

I have a Ring air compressor that plugs into the 12v socket to inflate my tyres if they need any air adding when I check them monthly;

https://www.screwfix.com/p/ring-analogu ... -12v/96859

It has an analogue gauge built in, but it isn’t 100% accurate, so I use my old faithful tyre pressure gauge that I’ve had for many years. It’s similar to this one;

https://www.drapertools.com/product/515 ... sure-Gauge
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Re: Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator

Post by RUM4MO »

It kinds of sounds like your car, being used, might have a slow puncture, that is something that you can prove/disprove after you buy a pressure gauge.

My wife has had her Polo since new in August 2015 and in that time the TPMS has only warned once, and I don't think that it was justified with handing out that warning, as you might expect as someone who had never had a car with TPMS before, I headed off the motorway at the next junction and eventually managed to fidn somewhere to stop to check the tyres, they all looked okay and passed the "kick" test, so I reset the TPMS and continued on that journey - but did not feel very comfortable! After getting home I checked all the pressures and they were okay, so I put it down to a system error! I eventually enabled that function on my 2011 S4 and it has also handed out a single warning - again for no obvious reason.

I'm happy to have both cars with that system but it is annoying when it fails and gets you alarmed, but maybe that is a price to pay for a potential life saver!

I tend to find all the valves currently fitted to both my cars are not very compatible with any of the pressure gauges I have bought over the years, which might be a current trend as some tyre pumps now come with a screw on connector instead of the usual one. My pressure gauge of choice is a Draper one which is digital - I bought it as it was reduced in price due to it displaying PSI which is fine by me! Don't get me wrong I can eventually connect to the valves but often leading to a pressure loss, which means pumping back up a tyre that was okay prior to using a gauge on it!

My current tyre compressor is a GoodYear one maybe a bit over the top capacity wise but what Costco were selling when my old Halfords one gave up. This newer GoodYear one is heavy enough to look after itself without dancing around and trying to escape!

Edit:- one thing though, after the TPMS warns you of a potential problem, stop check tyres - press them kick them if they all look okay and still inflated, reset the TPMS and if you have a slow puncture it will warn you again if further pressure is lost. Just continuing to drive with the warning ON will not tell you anymore.
og77
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Re: Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator

Post by og77 »

Thanks for this. Got a compressor with gauge that plugs in to 12v socket. Pressures were fine even after a week sat in the garage, so I reset the indicator. Will wait and see if/when it happens again as I now suspect a faulty sensor.
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Re: Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator

Post by RUM4MO »

og77, remember that there are no TPMS sensors fitted to these cars, the TPMS uses the output from the ABS wheel sensors and if one of them was faulty, even intermittently, I'd expect you to have mentioned an ABS failure warning being given out as well. Hopefully it is just down to the usual "once in a blue moon" misread information by the TPMS and you are unfortunate to get your first false warning so early in your car ownership.
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Re: Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator

Post by Nirline6R »

What pressure do you guys inflate your tires to? It seems that most people do 30 psi in each tire and call it a day, disregarding the manufacturer's specs about weight and tire pressure.
og77
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Re: Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator

Post by og77 »

RUM4MO wrote: Sun Jun 24, 2018 8:45 am og77, remember that there are no TPMS sensors fitted to these cars, the TPMS uses the output from the ABS wheel sensors and if one of them was faulty, even intermittently, I'd expect you to have mentioned an ABS failure warning being given out as well. Hopefully it is just down to the usual "once in a blue moon" misread information by the TPMS and you are unfortunate to get your first false warning so early in your car ownership.
Thanks, I hope it is just that, and I'd be quite happy too because at least now I have some kit in my car that'll help when it goes off for real!
Nirline6R wrote: Sun Jun 24, 2018 11:27 am What pressure do you guys inflate your tires to? It seems that most people do 30 psi in each tire and call it a day, disregarding the manufacturer's specs about weight and tire pressure.
The garage set mine to the "comfort" pressure (30/33) when I bought it, presumably on the assumption it'd be mostly just me and my other half using it. I've not decided what to do for my upcoming 300 mile round trip with an extra passenger and luggage. Might adjust them to the default 33/36. I'd be interested to hear others opinions on this too!
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Re: Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator

Post by RUM4MO »

Hummmm, I've just checked my service/repair records that I keep for that car and I set the summer tyres (16") at 39/38 - that will be why the economy has improved, I really should drop them back down to possibly 36/38 keeping the rears at 38 just in case we are carrying a load of materials or people!
LawrenceDGraham
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Re: Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator

Post by LawrenceDGraham »

2011 6C??
Wouldn't that make it a 6R ?
og77
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Re: Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator

Post by og77 »

LawrenceDGraham wrote: Mon Jun 25, 2018 12:04 am 2011 6C??
Wouldn't that make it a 6R ?
Yes, if someone had written that, but I don't think anyone did!
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Re: Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator

Post by LawrenceDGraham »

og77 wrote: Mon Jun 25, 2018 6:13 am
LawrenceDGraham wrote: Mon Jun 25, 2018 12:04 am 2011 6C??
Wouldn't that make it a 6R ?
Yes, if someone had written that, but I don't think anyone did!
Pretty sure anything before 2016 is class as a 6R if I'm right ?
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Re: Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator

Post by SRGTD »

LawrenceDGraham wrote: Mon Jun 25, 2018 10:10 pm
og77 wrote: Mon Jun 25, 2018 6:13 am
LawrenceDGraham wrote: Mon Jun 25, 2018 12:04 am 2011 6C??
Wouldn't that make it a 6R ?
Yes, if someone had written that, but I don't think anyone did!
Pretty sure anything before 2016 is class as a 6R if I'm right ?
The facelift 6c version was launched in 2014. The 6r was built from 2009 up to the launch of the facelift model in 2014.
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Re: Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator

Post by RUM4MO »

LawrenceDGraham wrote: Mon Jun 25, 2018 12:04 am 2011 6C??
Wouldn't that make it a 6R ?
Why were you saying had written " 2011 6C" - I could not find the source of that!

It is quite accurate to say that any Polos build after the 9N3 phase, so from 2009 > 2017 are all 6R as that is what is written on the VIN plate, but most people including me and all aftermarket parts suppliers break these Polos down into two groups s they are completely different in many ways while looking very much the same car to normal people.
So, Polos from phase change at 2009>2014 prior to rehash are known as 6R, Polos from rehash 2014>2017 prior to model change are known as 6C.
Note, unless by way of replacement/upgrade due to evolution after leaving the factory, there will be no "6C" contained in any part numbers of bit that are part of a 6R Polo, there will be many "6R" parts in 6C Polos.
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