Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Free Air pressure check - line around the block

- yet. But SHHHHHHH! Don't be reminding Newsom that something's FREE in CA., because he'll then figger out a nice, hefty TAX to put on it....

Seafire - good call out on parents. Did exact same thing years back- Volvo for wife when she drove kids. Interesting cars with some neat features like super easy to change light bulbs....that were unfortunately always needing to be changed. Superb seats.

I learned a lot of construction from Dad but he knew nothing about cars. When my first car stalled his laborer looked at it and pulled the most fouled plug you ever saw. I learned that day what a plug did and how to change it. Then I changed them all the time - like it was needed. Few years later made friends with a guy who had an Austin Mini and a book called "How to Modify You Mini" and can't tell you how many times we pulled that sewing machine engine and rebuilt it. Taught a few others how easy brakes pads were to swap out. A good friend now even manufacturers his own parts. I have no such skill level but he can talk to me in depth and is glad for the audience who understands him.

Fun mom story. When my car wouldn't start Mom told me I needed a new battery. Marlin showed me the fouled plug and I changed them out and the car ran great. About a year later I needed a new battery and Mom was adamant I should have changed it out when she told me to - but I just don't listen.

I was in a Les Schwab store in Fallon NV last year getting a tire replaced..."free tire pressure checks"...single lady pulls up in a motor home, requests tire pressure check...in 15 min time that motor home was on the jacks and six new tires sitting by the tire machine. I imagine her free tire pressure check ran around 1,500 bucks. I looked at her takeoff tires, I'd estimate she had another 10,000 mi left in legal tread.

I tend to abide by

Don’t buy or involve yourself with anything youre too stupid to work on yourself.

Schmucks buying 80,000 pickup truck and then getting ass raped at the dealership paying $1300 for replace a power window motor. “

“Waaahhhh, I’m old and fat and didn’t know I could fix it myself for $90 part from Ebay and a 30 minute youtube tutorial….that’s because waaahhhh I’m too scare to take my AdBlocker off to open Youtube”
“Waahhhh, I don’t know how Ebay works and something something George Soros, about Paypal, waahhhh”
JFC

Which is the reason they have ‘free’ air checks, brake checks, etc.

Who pays for air?

Get yourself to a Kwik Trip and bum their air, grab yourself a roller bite and a 40 after. Wins all around.

If you dont know how to check the air pressure on your tires, you probably shouldnt be driving. Really. Doesnt take a mechanically inclined person to do that.
Air is free at every gas station ive been to. But unfortunately around here, almost every one has had the end of their air hoses cut off from tweekers, repeatedly, and some have stopped replacing them. Twice now ive needed air and had to stop at 4 or 5 gas stations to find one functional. So i said screw it and just keep a small air compressor under my back seat now, hooks up to the battery. Havent had occasion to use it yet.

You're paying for it. Look at that little price sign out by the road. Even if they are .01 higher on petro that's covering the compressor, hose and maintenance on that system.

I stopped at Discount Tire twice recently for their free air check as I had a slow leak, mine was DIY and I was in and out in about a minute, pump preset to 35 psi. Had the tire patched for free Monday and the tires came with the truck, didn't buy them there but I have been DT customer for about 20 years, including my three sons vehicles. I did have to drag out the compressor Monday morning as the tire was at 16 and wouldn't drive on it that way. I went hunting Sunday morning and about halfway to my destination, I got a notice that my tire was under inflated, couldn't find air to save my life at 5 AM!

Pard of mine owns a car wash. Had free air for about the first 3 or 4 years. Nobody would roll the hose up, leave it wherever on the ground, run over it and anything else you could think of.

Now he charges either .25 or .50 and has a lot less issues.

https://www.amazon.com/Ryobi-18-Vol...;hvtargid=pla-4584482468345017&psc=1

They work. Other brands as well.

For the unknowing (read ignorant) there is summer air and winter air. It was mentioned that in the cooler months the pressure goes down because of the cold pavement and colder outside air temperatures. It just doesn't require the complete draining and refilling. But, hey, if we can get some suckers in the door and get a good laugh out of it all, why not ??

kwg

That looks interesting. I have a couple that work off the car’s electrical system but this might be better for the atv.

Same same - and looks like a good Christmas gift idea for some I know.

I have seen them before but this was a perfect reminder - thanks.

I use DT all of the time to check/fill my tires. Never had to wait in a line though.

Rooster I don't have a solid answer for you because my Dad bought the truck used about a year ago and hardly drove it over the next 6 months. He gifted it to me just before passing away in Spring. Wife thinks he bought 4wd with me in mind - Bless him.

I have about 40k miles on it. Fronts look new so I don't know if prior owner bought two new and rotated these or whatever but it kind of looks that way.

Bought 4 new and even road hazard so plan to rotate- which is something I was not previously good about.

Now....for all those who desperately want to know but don't want to be THAT guy and ask.....

TIRE TALK ---

Originals were Hankook Dynapro AT2. I sold the two good ones to DT for $50each to help pay for road hazard on the new ones- Yokohama Geolander G015. These have the bit higher load factor I wanted without having to go to an LT- and weighed about the same as originals so they check all boxes for me. Nothin wrong with the Dynapros other than wear. Silly part of me wishes the Yoko's looked more macho but glad to have confidence after hair raising experience in high rains last time out.

Automotive technology has dumbed "drivers" down to a dangerously low level. I'm not surprised that some of them would expect others to perform this simple check for them.

Oh, drivers are paying for it one way or another.

This is one of the reasons manufacturers are eliminating transmission and engine dipsticks.

-Ken

My $.02; if you're going to get a portable compressor, might as well marry it with a portable jump starter. Not a lot more coin to have a combo that serves dual duty.