A Sign of the Times?

[SirJosephPorter]

Are there even full serve stations around anymore? I can't recall seeing one in years.

There are many stations which have full service and self service isles. Some of the smaller stations are all full service. We have one near us, it is a small hardware store (but they do have the Home Hardware logo). He also operates gas station, and it is all full service.

 

[JLM]

I will take your word for it. But I never fill air in my tires (and I suspect many people are like me). I bought the present car three years ago; I never filled air in the tires.

Just last week I had my routine maintenance, I was told that all the tires are in great shape. No uneven wear, etc. plenty of tread still left (I assume they rotate the tires during regular maintenance). In old days, when inner tube was not very efficient and air used to leak out, it was important to top up. I don’t think that has been necessary for years now. I would fill up air only for extraordinary circumstances, such as getting a puncture (or I replaced the tire with the mini and mini does not have enough air pressure).

These days inner liners are very good, have very low permeability, and usually it is not important to top up the air. I am not even sure what is the status where I live, whether they charge for air or not. To me, this is a non issue.

Regardless S.J. it's just good practice to check your tire pressure once a month, tires do occasionally lose pressure for some reason we can't always determine. And unless you instruct them to do so DO NOT assume your tires have been rotated during a routine service- they don't do it for free, and if a charge isn't shown it hasn't been done. Actually about every third service is plenty for tire rotation, otherwise you spend more on rotations than the cost of the tires.

 

[darkbeaver]

I will take your word for it. But I never fill air in my tires (and I suspect many people are like me). I bought the present car three years ago; I never filled air in the tires.

Just last week I had my routine maintenance, I was told that all the tires are in great shape. No uneven wear, etc. plenty of tread still left (I assume they rotate the tires during regular maintenance). In old days, when inner tube was not very efficient and air used to leak out, it was important to top up. I don’t think that has been necessary for years now. I would fill up air only for extraordinary circumstances, such as getting a puncture (or I replaced the tire with the mini and mini does not have enough air pressure).

These days inner liners are very good, have very low permeability, and usually it is not important to top up the air. I am not even sure what is the status where I live, whether they charge for air or not. To me, this is a non issue.

So you are one of those people who sencelessly neglect routine vehicle inspections as per the handbook. How many highway fatalities will it take to get you to live up to your safe driving responsibilities, the department of transportation will decide what's an issue with respect to vehicular safety and not some Joe Who socially retarded driving rebel. I'v heard some pretty rediculous stories from safety shirkers before but you Sir are positively antisocial.:lol:

 

[L Gilbert]

Is the air that bad in cities that you have stops along the way to breathe?

 

[SirJosephPorter]

So you are one of those people who sencelessly neglect routine vehicle inspections as per the handbook.

Now where did you get that, darkbeaver? I always carry out the routine inspections and maintenance as recommended. And the dealership makes it easy for me. When my car is due for inspection, they give me a call and I book an appointment (and I assume they do what needs to be done). Regular, required inspection and maintenance is a prerequisite for the warrantee to remain valid. If you don’t do the maintenance they recommend and something goes wrong with the car, the dealership can refuse to honour the warrantee.

I am not talking of routine inspection and maintenance; I am talking of topping up the air from time to time. I don’t see any need for it. If I see the tire running low (with just the naked eye), I will top up, but that has never happened. These days they have excellent, efficient inner liners and topping up is usually not necessary.

 

[lone wolf]

You're unsafe....

With radial tires, you can't tell by looking. At 10 psi, the tire looks just as round as at 34 psi. Please hang a bright yellow warning sign on your vehicle so we can be a lane away when the blow-out happens.

 

[gerryh]

Ron, many stations are either going this way or not having air available period. I suspect it has more to do with the cost of running a compressor to supply the air. Electrical cost, maintenance on the compressor, maintenance and replacement of the hoses and air chuck.

 

[L Gilbert]

Inner liners? Um, Joey, we haven't used tubes/liners for decades. Even semis aren't using them. Tractors, backhoes, etc. still use them, but not highway vehicles.

 

[gerryh]

I am not talking of routine inspection and maintenance; I am talking of topping up the air from time to time. I don’t see any need for it. If I see the tire running low (with just the naked eye), I will top up, but that has never happened. These days they have excellent, efficient inner liners and topping up is usually not necessary.

Oh this is rich...rofl..... ol sjp can tell if a radial tire is 5 pounds low just by looking at it.

 

[darkbeaver]

So you are one of those people who sencelessly neglect routine vehicle inspections as per the handbook.

Now where did you get that, darkbeaver? I always carry out the routine inspections and maintenance as recommended. And the dealership makes it easy for me. When my car is due for inspection, they give me a call and I book an appointment (and I assume they do what needs to be done). Regular, required inspection and maintenance is a prerequisite for the warrantee to remain valid. If you don’t do the maintenance they recommend and something goes wrong with the car, the dealership can refuse to honour the warrantee.

I am not talking of routine inspection and maintenance; I am talking of topping up the air from time to time. I don’t see any need for it. If I see the tire running low (with just the naked eye), I will top up, but that has never happened. These days they have excellent, efficient inner liners and topping up is usually not necessary.

So you're admitting in a public forum that you do not inspect your vehicle as per the department of transportations vehicle guidelines. What you're saying is that you have no idea weather your lights are indeed working before you enter school and hospital zones and we only suppose that your wipers are functional. This routine is not some communist whim Sir Joe , it is painstakingly assembled regulation gleaned from countless motor vehicle misadventures many resulting in fatalities. Take a few seconds to establish your responsibility credentials before you use a public motor course please, do it for the blind kids who may not see your improperly illuminated Hyundie.:lol:

 

[L Gilbert]

$30 at Canucktire will get you a compressor you can plug into the dashboard. I bought one 10 years or so ago. It still runs.

 

[L Gilbert]

Oh this is rich...rofl..... ol sjp can tell if a radial tire is 5 pounds low just by looking at it.

hehehehe Must have an awfully good eye. Even most tire people can't tell by 5 pounds. Of course, not many people are as expert in air; especially the hot kind.

 

[Ron in Regina]

Ron, many stations are either going this way or not having air available period. I suspect it has more to do with the cost of running a compressor to supply the air. Electrical cost, maintenance on the compressor, maintenance and replacement of the hoses and air chuck.

Good points Gerryh. I'm assuming you're the first person to notice the Guy
in the first picture wearing the orange vest & hard hat. He said something
along the same lines, and that a portion of the fee would be given to charity.
He didn't say what portion, or what charity....but it was a good sell from a
repairman.

Me, I'd not only never seen this until yesterday, but it hadn't even dawned
on me that someone would charge you for air, and then expect you to buy
something else (gasoline, food, etc...) from them on top of it. The times are
changing though.

 

[jjaycee98]

Sign of the times! Service stations used to require a compressor for all sorts of mechanical tools, lifts and tire swaps and repairs. Now that they do none of these at the local Gas Bar, they have no way of offering "Air" unless they buy a compressor. They have to recoup their cost in order to supply the service.

 

[JLM]

You're unsafe....

With radial tires, you can't tell by looking. At 10 psi, the tire looks just as round as at 34 psi. Please hang a bright yellow warning sign on your vehicle so we can be a lane away when the blow-out happens.

I'm of two minds about that, there's a lot of little old 90 year old grannies out there driving, who I don't suppose would even know how the check the tire pressure and I'm sure there are lots of service stations (who for two arms and a leg) will take the entire responsibility including phoning you to look after all maintenance. But if you go that route you sure want to check the invoices very carefully and maybe even get an indepedent spot check once in awhile.

 

[JLM]

So you are one of those people who sencelessly neglect routine vehicle inspections as per the handbook.

Now where did you get that, darkbeaver? I always carry out the routine inspections and maintenance as recommended. And the dealership makes it easy for me. When my car is due for inspection, they give me a call and I book an appointment (and I assume they do what needs to be done). Regular, required inspection and maintenance is a prerequisite for the warrantee to remain valid. If you don’t do the maintenance they recommend and something goes wrong with the car, the dealership can refuse to honour the warrantee.

I am not talking of routine inspection and maintenance; I am talking of topping up the air from time to time. I don’t see any need for it. If I see the tire running low (with just the naked eye), I will top up, but that has never happened. These days they have excellent, efficient inner liners and topping up is usually not necessary.

A while back I noticed a tire looked "a little low"- when I checked the pressure it was at 10 lbs, so looking and kicking don't always tell the whole story.

 

[kiwi_NZ]

I wouldn't pay for sex, why would I pay for air. I really hope this doesn't catch on.

LOL! Paying for air or paying for sex? Either way there is a lot of air involved!

 

[kiwi_NZ]

Really, who puts air in their tires these days? In all these years, I remember putting air in my tires maybe once or twice (once when I had a small puncture but was too lazy to change the tire until I got home).

These days the inner liner in the tires is so good that you don’t need to put air in them. I think this move will be a wash. I don’t see them taking in anything substantial. They will be lucky if they recover the expense of installing the coin machine.

Tubeless tryes don't require air. Often seen on tractors!

 

[lone wolf]

I was elected to re-activate my eighty-something year-old grandmother's driving skills shortly after Grand dad passed on. First off, she was a bit miffed when I took the right-hand seat - but that passed quickly when she realized she couldn't drive from there anyhow. For the next moment, I was somewhat mystified when she fiddled with the turn signals and the wiper switch. Finally, curiosity got the best of me and I asked her what she was doing.


"...Setting the spark...."

Those 90 year old grannies know more than we give credit for

 

[L Gilbert]

Right. In colder climates, tractor tires are often filled with a CaCl solution