tire pressure and temp monitor...

[manorlife]

I have been reading some threads on here about the TST Tire Pressure System... I would like to get some reviews on the newer 507 model... does anyone own this model? if so any and all reviews is welcome. would you reccomend this system??? thanks

[ShrimpBurrito]

I have the 507 system -- works great. I don't have anything to compare it to, but I have had nothing but great experiences with it after about 5,000 miles of using it over ~1.5 years. The only criticism I have is that if you use the dash mount, the display unit does not fit snugly into it, so it moves back and forth ever so slightly while traveling. It's not that annoying, but I'm trying to figure out a way to stop it but haven't been motivated enough yet to do it.

Dave

I have one as well and love it. Provides nice peace of mind on the road. I had the earlier model it was great as well except the sensors did not have replacable batteries.

[manorlife]

I appologize if this is a stupid question but when do you know hot is too hot and high PSI is too high and its time to pull off and let the tire cool down? does the unit have alarms that you can set? if so can you set each tire individually ie: TV vs TM? and where do you get the specs to know the alarm parameters?

I only used mine on the way from OH to FL and had issues. One of the senders came off on the road ($50) and the two on the front tires never registered with the receiver but the rear tires and on the trailer worked. I had alarms for over pressure as I entered Florida as there was about a 35 degree difference. Dumped some air and it returned to safe.

The units come preset to alarm at a temp and pressure range that is supposed to be well below tire failure range. 150 degrees and about a +/- pressure range of about 15 lbs if my memory serves me right. You can change these ranges in the setup. My biggest complaint is that the setup was not well explained in the literature (I am a retired techy and I got lost) but a call to the company got me all the help I could use. I had sent an email earlier (they were closed) and they actually followed up with an email and phone call!!

I am hoping for better luck on the way back with easier set-up instructions in my head (actually they told me to call and they would walk me through it--again.

Originally Posted by manorlife

I appologize if this is a stupid question but when do you know hot is too hot and high PSI is too high and its time to pull off and let the tire cool down? does the unit have alarms that you can set? if so can you set each tire individually ie: TV vs TM? and where do you get the specs to know the alarm parameters?

The alarms are settable by tire sets ( ie trailer L&R or TV rear L&R) not individual tires. You can call the manufacturer for more exact temps and pressures, but I use 15 - 20 PSI above cold as a start. If you are traveling in very hot region you can always adjust the alarm setting. I use the monitor more as an early warning ( action required) device rather than an exact tire going to blow now device. The biggest concern for me is the slow or fast leak that you don't know about until it heats up from under pressure and blows. This is where the monitor comes in handy. The temp is kind of black magic as for exact temps. Again it is a drivers eye view of what is going on. If one tire temp goes up 25 degrees while the other has gone up 60 degrees, it might be time to stop and check stuck brakes or tire damage. Like I said earlier it is more peace of mind that while traveling, I can look down and see roughly what is going on with my tires and also know if I hit a nail or have a leak I will not be driving along on a soft tire about to blow.

[Bill]

Just as a quick note, the tire manufactuers tell you NOT to dump air pressure. Their instructions say to inflate the tire to the recommended pressure when it is cold, and then LEAVE IT ALONE.

In this context, the word "cold" does not mean "refrigerated" or "on a cold day". It simply means that you haven't driven the vehicle for several hours, so the tire temperature has come to ambient. The variation in air pressure as you drive it, and as the outside temperature goes up, has already been accounted for. Check, for example, the FAQ from Tire Rack.com at http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...jsp?techid=147. With respect to pressure change due to air temperature change and heat due to driving, their conclusion is
"Check and Adjust First Thing In The Morning....Do Not Release Hot Tire Pressure if any of these variables could be the cause of measured tire pressure exceeding the maximum psi branded on the tire's sidewall by the 2, 4 or 6 psi indicated above for the various conditions. This temporary pressure increase is expected and designed into the tire's capabilities."

As Rumbleweed pointed out, it is underpressure caused by a leak that is the tire killer. That should be what you are watching for.

Bill

[Barb&Tim]

I agree with Bill, set the pressure cold and never dump pressure.

I have the TST system and the only alarm that i care about is the under-pressure alarm. I left the temp set at the factory setting which i think was 157 degrees, high enough that it will not trigger an alarm. I set the high pressure at 20 above my cold pressure and that has been high enough that it will not trigger an alarm.

I've had the TST for a year and I have had one low pressure alarm while on the road. I had enough time to pull over safely in a good spot to change the front tire on my TV as it was losing air. The alarm went off before I noticed a change in the way the tire handled so i considered that as a good test of the system to keep us a bit safer.

As for the Temperature function, I consider the alarm itself as useless but the visual information I get on the screen, noting changes in temperature to be useful. Once accustomed to normal changes in temperature such as the sunny side being higher than the shady side then any out of normal temperature will give a heads up to any potential problem.

[Lesherp]

After reading about all the blowout problems people have had I got the TST Tire Pressure System. I have had it for a year and it has worked as advertised.

It has eliminated my concern of having a slow leak that turns into a blowout before I know anything is wrong. In addition an alarm is supposed to sound if there is a rapid deflation. It is possible this could save the tire but would surely save the rim from being destroyed from driving on it. It sounds like often people don’t know they have a flat until someone flags them down. I also think that if a bearing was overheating enough heat could be transferred to the tire so that you would see something unusual was going on.

I have had no issue that would test if my confidence is justified but it has been worth the price for me just to eliminate concern over tire pressure problems.

It amazes me that between the temperature difference from 6AM until noon, plus driving 10 miles to work results in an increase of tire pressure in my truck of 10 degrees.

Going from 60 to 70 in my truck is not significant.

If the same thing happens to the TM, then it would increase fro 55 to 65 before I even got on a freeway.

It still puzzles me that I should ignore the 65 psi for the TM.

Temperature change was from 28F to 58F. I have experienced temperature changes as high as 18F to 62F in less than 6 hours.

So I close my eyes, verify the pressure is 55 psi first thing in the morning and then ignore it the rest of the day, checking only to verify that it does not appear to decrease.

My GMC displays the pressure of the four truck tires. Too bad GM does not sell sensors for trailers and then display them. Then it would not be necessary to purchase a tire pressure monitor, just the wheel transmitters.