It's very easy to dismiss this gadget as something totally unnecessary and certainly not worth spending money on. However, although it's not an essential it offers more than what at first meets the eye.
WHAT IS IT?A wirelessly operated Tyre Pressure Monitoring System - Also known as a TPMS - With digital display. It constantly displays either tyre pressure and temperature in either bar/psi and degrees Celsius/Fahrenheit and you easily toggle switch between them. After setting your own thresholds an audible alert and red light warning for the individual wheel is automatically activated.
WHY BUY ONE?No matter how powerful or extensively modified your car is, the only point of contact it has with the road are four individual patches of tyre, each no bigger than a CD disc. Not so much a problem among the performance car drivers, but it's very scary indeed the large number of drivers who neither check their tyres' condition nor their tyre pressures. They are an accident waiting to happen. Being aware of the pressure and temperature of your tyres can only be welcome and a good assistant.
If you regularly do trackdays I'd go as far as saying that this a must-have gadget. I recently did my first trackday at Spa Francorchamps and was lucky enough to have instruction. The first question the instructor asked me was how were my tyres. But, apart from trackdays it feels very reassuring to be able to see how your tyres are by just a quick glance at the display. It's also quite fascinating to see how tyre temperatures change as the system automatically updates itself every few seconds, but I expect that novelty will wear off.
Next time a wheel nut comes adrift as it did with friend Hurdy at the Nordschleife, if the wheel goes off in leaps and bounds over the nearest hedge or armco, at least you'll know which wheel you've lost!
An additional safety alert would result from tyres becoming too hot due to a problem such as worn bearings. I assume that if you were unfortunate enough to have a problem on more than one wheel, the system would alert you accordingly.
ALTERNATIVES:TPM systems are being increasingly adopted by car manufacturers but they merely inform you of a problem existing and not which tyre and not the extent of the problem. It's far cheaper to use a good quality hand monitor to check pressures but you need to do so very regularly come rain or shine. You can say that the TyreSure kit is a luxury and indeed it is, but it's a very welcome luxury and more importantly helps keep you safe.
SOURCING:Web:
Revolution247Phone: 0845 002 3000 - Keith Tyler (General Manager)
Email: keith@revolution247.com
Price: £179 inc vat but exc shipping (check with supplier).
Longstanding forum member 'The wheel man' (Ben) is the main UK importer and is more than happy to answer any queries.
INSTALLATION:A wireless transmitter sensor is installed in each tyre. The sensor valves need replacing when the tyres are replaced but they cost less than £4 each. The display unit can either be powered via the onboard 12v socket or hardwired. I chose to hardwire mine so it automatically fires up with the ignition. The installation instructions are all there but their print is tiny and the whole booklet seems more complicated than it needs to be.
When you rotate or change tyres, the system allows the sensors to be re-synchronised appropriately. Again, not that simple to work out first time but at least it's a useful capability.
You set your own high/low thresholds for warnings - red light and audible - to be activated. For now I'm inclined just to regularly monitor the display visually but will program my high/low settings later.
^ No holes drilled - The wiring is tucked in the flexible plastic sides of the console ^
Mine is hardwired to be automatically active on ignition - Yet another startup beep!
Please note that if you hardwire by keeping the supplied 12v male insert and not cutting it off (sensible to keep for the future), then make sure it's deeply set into the female socket and also taped up well. If not, power can get cut off to the TyreSure display, as happened to me.
Note that the display looks very bright while driving at night and so this may limit where you locate the unit. Mine is hidden from view by my forearm while driving (always both hands on the wheel at 'quarter-to-three' position but I just lift my elbow and can then see the displayed values very easily.
PLUS POINTS:- Constantly displays useful information to increase awareness, and therefore improve safety.
- Constantly displays tyre pressure and temperature in either bar/psi and degrees Celsius/Fahrenheit.
- Can automatically display pressures and temperatures in turn about every 5 seconds.
- Audio alerts according to your presets.
- Compact unit with high visibility colour screen.
MINUS POINTS: - Relatively expensive.
- Tedious printed manual and installation instruction booklet.
- No cradle attachment supplied and so limited display positions in the car.
- A brightly lit display means that display positions may be limited.
SUMMARY:A very stylish and functional product which improves safety significantly and, very importantly, makes you feel safer. Once you are used to it you may wonder how you managed without it.
