Chipster Posted February 27, 2020 Report Share Posted February 27, 2020 Consider this thread as a “Heads Up”! As a rule I am pretty good at keeping up with the changing seasons and their effects on tire pressures. Well I thought so until I finally got around to checking my (out of sight and out of mind) spare tire. I am embarrassed to confess that I found only 20 PSI in it when I checked it. It should be no more than 60 PSI so I guess I could say that it was that. In any case if you have one, you might want to see how much air is in it and is it serviceable. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1004ron Posted February 28, 2020 Report Share Posted February 28, 2020 (edited) If you've had tires replaced or wheels rotated at a dealership or tire centre, make sure that the emergency lug wrench still fits the lug nuts - most places use impact wrenches and it distorts the two-piece lug nuts such that the 21mm wrench no longer fits. Edited February 28, 2020 by 1004ron 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1004ron Posted February 28, 2020 Report Share Posted February 28, 2020 Checked for the first time in 3 years and found at 21 psi. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chipster Posted February 29, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 29, 2020 On 2/27/2020 at 7:31 PM, 1004ron said: If you've had tires replaced or wheels rotated at a dealership or tire centre, make sure that the emergency lug wrench still fits the lug nuts - most places use impact wrenches and it distorts the two-piece lug nuts such that the 21mm wrench no longer fits. Good tip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
normkol Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 One reason to keep an inexpensive 12VDC compressor in your trunk. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Young Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 (edited) Thank you for this Thread. Nice warm day with nothing to do, I checked our 2014 Edge spare tire. The pressure was 29 psi . I put 55 psi in it, 60 sounds like so much . While with the little compressor out I checked my Mustangs spare. Its been in there for 9 1/2 years and never checked . It was 21 psi, it's filled to 55 psi now Edited March 1, 2020 by David Young Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted March 2, 2020 Report Share Posted March 2, 2020 14 hours ago, David Young said: Thank you for this Thread. Nice warm day with nothing to do, I checked our 2014 Edge spare tire. The pressure was 29 psi . I put 55 psi in it, 60 sounds like so much . While with the little compressor out I checked my Mustangs spare. Its been in there for 9 1/2 years and never checked . It was 21 psi, it's filled to 55 psi now It needs to be 60. I usually go 65 to have more of a buffer in case I forget to check it for awhile. Remember that narrow tire has to support the same weight and load as the full sized tire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulSchott Posted March 5, 2020 Report Share Posted March 5, 2020 A couple of years ago I went unintentionally off roading in a snow storm and blew a tire on a rock. The spare was half flat but got me to work where there was an air compressor. I don't think I have checked it since then. Looks like something to add to my to do list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enigma-2 Posted September 17, 2022 Report Share Posted September 17, 2022 When did you last check the tire pressure on your spare? (Admit it, you forgotten a about it, right)? (btw, my T165/80d17 requires 60 psi). 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLTEdge Posted September 17, 2022 Report Share Posted September 17, 2022 Thanks for the reminder. I carry a DC portable pump for just such an emergency. Keep it next to the spare tire. Got in the habit since I use to carry one on my motorcycle. That pocket on the left over the wheel well, with the accessory plug under it holds my lithium battery backup/car jumper too, always plugged in for a full charge. Really love all the pockets and accessory plugs on this SUV. Oh, I also carry a rubber mallet for flat tire changing. Sometimes those lug nuts are on really tight. Interestingly I've used all these more to help stranded drivers. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enigma-2 Posted September 18, 2022 Report Share Posted September 18, 2022 I also carry a portable pump (Dewalt 20 volt cordless inflator). While back, I checked all my tires, been awhile, topped them off. When I checked my spare it was zero psi. Pumped it up and it wouldn't take more than 15 psi or something close. Discovered the valve stem had dry rotted and split. Never hurts to check once or twice a year. Also carry a GooLoo DC1800 jumper battery. Only needed it once for my car when the battety went bad at the grocery store, but have stopped and jumped several others when they were dead. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will2U Posted September 18, 2022 Report Share Posted September 18, 2022 I have a DeWalt 20v inflator as well. So much better than those 12v things (I've had two). With the weather beginning to change, this is the time to keep an eye on the tire pressure. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim W. AZ Posted March 24 Report Share Posted March 24 (edited) Resurrecting an old thread. When I took possession of my recent 2020 purchase, on the first day home I checked the spare and it was at 16psi. I had to return to the dealership the next day and mentioned it to my salesman and he said oh, I guess it hasn't been used in a while. Well it's never been used. Filled it to 58 (to account for Phoenix summer heat) checked it today and it's holding firm. I also carry a portable inflator. Edited March 24 by Tim W. AZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1004ron Posted May 22 Report Share Posted May 22 (edited) I got lucky today - my negligence didn't get me stranded, but it was close. I haven't been checking my emergency wheel pressure and when I needed it today it was at 40 psi, and the second near miss was the fact that only a couple of weeks ago I installed the new lug nuts that the dealership gave me when they damaged the original ones back in 2017. If I still had the old damaged lug nuts on, the emergency wrench would have been useless. On the way home from work on the I71 about 10 miles from home the tire pressure warning came on. I got off at the next exit which wasn't too far and by the time I got to a safe place to fit the emergency spare the TPMS was indicating 5 psi. Got home, plugged the puncture and all is good again. Also, got to use the new great chuck that I installed on my tire inflator. Edited May 22 by 1004ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enigma-2 Posted May 23 Report Share Posted May 23 Daughter called me yesterday, needed help to put new wiper blades on her 13 Escape. Ol' dad ran over to show her how simple it is. Who in the hell designed the wiper blades on the Escorts...???? Evil bastard sitting at the back of the office, pissed off over being passed over and forced to design wiper blades, snickering quietly while he thought of all the helpess suckers who are trying to figure out the Escort's reversed informalflummox blade adapter. Blades came with five adapters and instructions written in Pig Latin. Oh sure, there were pictures, but nothing that matched the five adapters. Took 20 minutes..! OK, finally figured it out, simple when you get the right adapter, and connected to the arm properly (can connect in more than one way.) So next we check her tires. I drug out my 20 volt Dewalt air compressor that I carry on my aft storage compartment. Made the job easy. After she finished the four tires, I told her she still had one to go. She argued that she did all four, I smiled and kept saying one more. Then a small light bulb lit and she figured it out. We checked the spare and, .... 5 psi. Never been checked since it was put in the car at the factory. Even Ford dealer wasn't checking it. It pumped to 60 psi and held, so all good. Think everyone forgets the spare. Out of sight, out of mind. Every tire can lose 5 psi a year, even if it's not used. (Especially if it's pumped to 60 psi to begin with.) I checked mine last year, 5 psi. Used the Craftsman compressor and couldn't get it over 12 psi. Looked closer and discovered that the fill valve had dry rotted and cracked. Took it to Ford to get a new tire valve installed, and was told that no one ever brought in a spare to a new valve before. (At least they couldn't remember anyone asking for this.) "No one ever checks their spare". 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enigma-2 Posted May 23 Report Share Posted May 23 2 hours ago, 1004ron said: Also, got to use the new great chuck that I installed on my tire inflator. Looks like a good quality valve. Wonder why they state that it's not supposed to be connected to an air compressor..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dabangsta Posted Thursday at 12:24 PM Report Share Posted Thursday at 12:24 PM 11 hours ago, enigma-2 said: Looks like a good quality valve. Wonder why they state that it's not supposed to be connected to an air compressor..? Probably like the older style ones that lock on, so you don't accidentally overfill the tire by forgetting it is connected or can't get it disconnected in time. Probably not an issue with an inflator (no tank and generates air as used), my cheapo 12v inflator screws on, it can take a bit to get it off, but chugging at 1psi every 30 seconds or so not an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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