Tire Pressure Gauges

[usaclark]

I recently purchased a tire pressure gauge that is incorporated into my air compressor fill handle. The first time I used it all my tires had lost 5 lbs. I was curious about this loss so I used my old pressure gauge (Accu-Gauge) to check the pressure on it and found all the tires were OK. I am a retired motorcycle rider and always checked my tire pressure faithfully before every ride with my Accu-Gauge. Is there someplace I can take both of my devices and have them checked for accuracy? To have a 5-6 lb variance is more than I can live with?

Thanks for your help. I have learned so much from all of your responses in the past.

[Jim W]

I have never relied on the gage mounted in the air inflation device. They get bounce around to much even in home use. I purchased an air gage that is separate from the inflation device and only use this to check my air pressure.

Now most gages that I have seen usually have a 1 to 2% gage error and this is instrument quality gage. I believe that a low cost store bought gage could be off by as much as 3 to 5% in gage error. So I would tend to use just one gage and stay with that gage for all measurements. Just my humble opinion.

Jim W.

[fred1609]

I bought a Milton Tire Inflator Gauge for my onboard portable air compressor. I bought it because it has the psi numbers magnified. Its been around for years and is dead accurate as far as I can tell. My dad and later my wife told me years ago"You get what you paid for". Don't buy a cheap gauge.

[CWtheMan]

If your air pressure gauge can be calibrated most any big box tool and equipment store can do it.

CW

[usaclark]

Thank you all for the help.

[audio1der]

Contrary to most of the above, I use a cheap 'pen style" gauge but I find it to be consistent which I think is most important. Comparing one gauge to another will almost always lead to variances. Even if one is off by a couple percent but you know what that it and it's consistent, your pressures will be consistent too.
Another route to go would be a expensive racing gauge such as a longacre.
My $.02

[Agent 405]

I work at a ISO certified auto dealership.We are required to have any tools that take measuerments certified yearly. One of the tools that is tested are our tire pressure gauges. Our auditor has found that pen type gauges are so inaccurate that we are not allowed to use them in our shop. He said that the most accurate gauges are the digital readout type.

[gearhead]

I've got a couple of cheap gauges that I don't trust and should trash. When I want accuracy I use one that I bought here:
http://www.joesracing.com/index.php?dispatch=categories.view&category_id=463&UID=35

[BeerCan]

I have good luck with the accutire. It has good enough accuracy and it is cheap. I compared it to the gauge we used to use for the race car and it was dead on. Tire gauges for the race car need to be accurate because 1lb difference in a tire is significant.

http://www.amazon.com/Accutire-MS-4021B-Digital-Pressure-Gauge/dp/B00080QHMM/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1381764005&sr=1-1&keywords=air+gauge

[Greysquirrel]

I have three gauges not cheap ones either, but they all read different so I took them to my local tire dealer and he checked them against theirs and found that only one was correct with his.
But then again I don't know if his were correct but I would like to think so.

[Agent 405]

I have good luck with the accutire. It has good enough accuracy and it is cheap. I compared it to the gauge we used to use for the race car and it was dead on. Tire gauges for the race car need to be accurate because 1lb difference in a tire is significant.

http://www.amazon.com/Accutire-MS-4021B-Digital-Pressure-Gauge/dp/B00080QHMM/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1381764005&sr=1-1&keywords=air+gauge

All of the Accutire gauges we have tested with our ISO certified gauge have been dead on.

[MISailor]

All of the Accutire gauges we have tested with our ISO certified gauge have been dead on.

This is good to know but I just found my Accutire gauge is reading 2 psi lower than the TPMS on both my Silverado and G8 at levels ranging from 35-39 psi (~5-6% error). Does anyone know what the accuracy/error of onboard TPMS systems is?

[Agent 405]

This is good to know but I just found my Accutire gauge is reading 2 psi lower than the TPMS on both my Silverado and G8 at levels ranging from 35-39 psi (~5-6% error). Does anyone know what the accuracy/error of onboard TPMS systems is?

The TPMS on your vehicle may not read the same as your gauge. I have run into this problem at our shop. The short answer to this is that the TPMS sensors do not continuiosly send a signal to the monitor. It can take up to 10 minutes for the sensors to send a signal and if the vehicle is not moving it may not send a signal at all. If the pressure drops drastically it will send a signal quickly but if it only changes a few PSI it will wait to send one. The reason for this is to get the maximum life out of the battery in the sensor. FYI the battery in your TPMS sensor has an average life of 6 to 8 years and the only way to get a new battery is to replace the sensor.

Since there is a delay from the sensor to the moitor in your vehicle it may read a few psi different from your gauge. I would suggest that you test your pressure gauge. If it's accurate go with the reading on your gauge.

[Cutworm]

I picked up an Accu Gauge at sears sometime back and finally to it to work to check it. I work in a calibration lab for an automotive manufacturer. It was dead on the money. More accurate than most I check at work. And it was $5.00. Not bad. There is a lot of variance in gages and you typically get what you pay for. Guess I got lucky. My experience is that Blue Point makes a pretty good gauge. I prefer the zero to 60 psi gauges.

[kellydog98]

A digital is the way to go go go!"bouncey: