Electronic Stability Control and the Role of Tires
Electronic stability control – ESC – introduced in 1995 and touted as the second most important advancement in auto safety after seat belts, will finally be standard equipment on all passenger vehicles sold in the U.S. starting in 2012. ESC is supposed to help drivers maintain safe control of their vehicles and prevent accidents. But
The Past, Present and Future of TPMS
Ebenezer Scrooge would probably fear the Ghost of Christmas Past and welcome the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, if the Scrooge and Marley firm of Dickens’ "A Christmas Carol" was a player in the tire pressure monitoring system industry instead of London’s financial lending community. In the revised account of the holiday classic, the
Always Install Two New Tires on the Rear Axle
When it’s time to replace only two tires on passenger vehicles, logic should take a back seat to physics – or in this case, a rear axle. Typically, vehicles are shod with four similarly designed and constructed tires of the same size on the front and back. The tread depth of each starts out equal,
10 Years in, TPMS Confusion Still Exists Among Consumers
Ever throw a party that took almost eight years to organize, but one-third of the invited guests never bothered to show up? Maybe it was the wording of the invitation. The cumbersome title “U.S. Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation Act” probably didn’t help to capture the imagination of the general public when passed in
TPMS: Popular Questions for an Unpopular Topic
Let’s face reality. A paradox exists within tire pressure monitoring system discussions. On one hand, it’s not a popular topic of conversation in a social setting. In fact, TPMS usually is a conversation stopper. A recent 19th hole opinion exchange among friends included Gulf of Mexico oil drilling, Tea Party rallies and LeBron. Chatter
From Plant to Store, Today’s Tires Must be in Balance
Round and black was once the acceptable way to describe a tire. Today, most are still black, but car owners demand that they must be a lot rounder. What the consumer really wants is a tire that not only is round or concentric, but also perfectly balanced with uniform distribution of mass. The evolving need
Maintain TPMS Components For Customer Safety and Profit
When it comes to TPMS, pieces and parts add up to safety and profit. “Safety is the primary motivation for tire dealers to keep their customers’ TPMS in original operating condition,” said Brian Rigney, general manager for Dill Air Controls. “But, handled correctly, it can lead to bigger business profits.” Rigney’s rule of thumb is
Class Act Helps Lead Dealers to TPMS Success
ntributed to the trade organization’s information base. “They’ve been big supporters of ours,” he says. “In addition, all of the major TPMS tool manufacturers provide information to our organization about new product introductions, which keeps our training current.” He says that TIA’s ultimate goal is for tire technicians to know how to service all TPMS
Diverse Vehicle Makes and Models Create TPMS Challenges
Not all tire pressure monitoring systems are created equal. In fact, each new vehicle model year brings with it a variety of updated TPMS replacement, reset, activation and decoding procedures. Some measures necessitate using the latest tools; all require a thorough understanding of step-by-step maintenance and service procedures. Learning about a specific TPMS while the