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[grc]

Went to the dealership and Using a tire gague the tech said my front tires were at 36 psi...and it read 45 on the digital screen. He said the valve stems constantly malfunction causing it to read wrong.

There were reports of that problem some time back, but many others since then have had no problem.  The dealership needs to replace the defective wheel sensors. 

Btw, I still haven't seen any official information about using tire balancing fluids or beads, but I'd caution anyone planning to use such products in tires equipped with TPMS sensors to rethink their plans.

Jerry

[FLSTFI Dave]

Stock, I've seen it read upwards to 45 psi on a hot day.

If its ambient temp of 70 when I air my tires cold at the correct pressures after riding the interstate or the curves hard mine will show 43~45.  Not a surprise as the air in the tire heats up, the pressure increases.  This is why everything says to check and set tire pressure cold.

[Trigger-Man]

A good rule of thumb is a one psi increase or decrease for every ten degree Fahrenheit change in temperature.  This is why it's very important to check and adjust cold inflation pressures whenever the ambient conditions change significantly.  If you inflate your tires to the recommended cold pressure when it's 80°F outside, then have a severe cold front come roaring through, you will find your tires severely underinflated.  On the flip side, if you start out at 30°F and a big heat wave comes through, your tires will be overinflated.  Either under or over can create safety issues.

It is perfectly normal for those TPMS readings to increase as the tires heat up during operation.  Once again, verify with a known accurate gauge if you believe your system is giving you bogus readings.  Having TPMS doesn't mean you can throw away your gauges, you still need to do old fashioned inflation checks and tire inspections.

Jerry

Excellent advice Jerry. Curious to know if there's a similar rule of thumb for altitude? If I have 40 psi at sea level, wouldn't the tire pressure read higher at 4700' elevation where the air in the tire expands ?

[grc]

Approximately 0.3 psi for every 500 foot change in altitude.

Jerry

[Trigger-Man]

Approximately 0.3 psi for every 500 foot change in altitude.

Jerry

Thanks Jerry