High tyre pressures from dealer - check your pressures!

[Manaz]

It is common practice for cars to be shipped around the world with very high tyre pressures - up to 55psi. The correct operating pressures for your Stinger are much lower - in the region of 36-40psi measured cold, depending on wheel and tyre size, loads, conditions, etc. Check your tyre placard and/or owners manual for details.

Unfortunately, it seems that some dealerships are not adjusting tyre pressures as part of their delivery service, and there have been *many* instances of owners driving around for days/weeks/months on tyres inflated to over 50psi. Not only is this potentially unsafe (over-inflated tyres can fail to achieve full grip levels) but it can also cost you money (as tyres wear inappropriately and too quickly), and can also cause a very uncomfortable ("jarring") ride which can have onward impacts such as causing a lot of rattling in the car.

If you have the factory TPMS system, you can check your tyre pressures via your dash (again, if you don't know how, you should read the owner's manual). If you don't have TPMS, at worst check the pressures at the local garage/workshop/gas station/service station/etc, and ideally, get yourself a good quality tyre pressure gauge (should cost < $100, and provides much more accurate readings than the ones normally found on forecourts.

 

[Rynil2000]

Mine were also way over pressure when I picked up the car, ~50 PSI. Once I set them to the correct pressure the ride was much better.

 

[Buzzrush]

Yup took the Stinger in today for some creaking in the sunroof and a rattle coming from the rear tires when I went over bumps. Turns out my tires were still inflated to 55psi after 2 months of ownership. Dealer dropped them down to 38 and all noises are gone! Smoother ride as well which isn't all that surprising. Sweeeeet!

 

[MrSmoofy]

Yup took the Stinger in today for some creaking in the sunroof and a rattle coming from the rear tires when I went over bumps. Turns out my tires were still inflated to 55psi after 2 months of ownership. Dealer dropped them down to 38 and all noises are gone! Smoother ride as well which isn't all that surprising. Sweeeeet!

Yea I didn't think to check mine either when I purchased in March. 5000 miles later and after the first oil change I see everyone saying to check so I did mine was at 48 so they missed it twice, at delivery and at oil change. I had to lower them myself.

 

[RLittle]

Shows you how much "dealer prep" car dealers do.....none other than to rinse it off with a dirty wash mitt that cleaned 20 cars already that day.

When they ship these care from Korea they over inflate the tires to prevent flat spots and deflation as the car sits in inventory for maybe 6 months.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Not only is this potentially unsafe (over-inflated tyres can fail to achieve full grip levels) but it can also cost you money (as tyres wear inappropriately and too quickly), and can also cause a very uncomfortable ("jarring") ride which can have onward impacts such as causing a lot of rattling in the car.

The first point is only true after the center tread wears down to almost nothing. In fact, as the tires wear the grip on over inflated tires would improve (as tread contact patch widens); until that point of wear that there is virtually no center tread left.

Uncomfortable ride is only noticed by many/most when they reduce the psi for the first time and go, "Man! This is a lot better!"

The rattles complained of have, as recently noticed on a discussion a couple of weeks ago, diminished or gone away entirely when psi is set properly. Amazing, simple fix: psi should be the first thing someone checks when they start to notice "rattles".

 

[Konstantin]

I had the same situation. Did check pressure as soon as I get home. because I bought cars from same dealer before and I know them
Just in addition it is always a good idea to check pressure when you buy new car. Never trust dealer. Do not forget they are only human

 

[Manaz]

The first point is only true after the center tread wears down to almost nothing. In fact, as the tires wear the grip on over inflated tires would improve (as tread contact patch widens); until that point of wear that there is virtually no center tread left.

Over-inflated tyres have a smaller effective contact patch with the road (the tread surface bulges in the centre, meaning the edges of the tyre tread aren't firmly pressed against the road). When you realise that your entire ~1700kg car presents only ~4 handprints worth of tread on the road at any given time, even a small reduction in effective contact is significant.

The contact patch doesn't widen as the tyre wears - the tyre pressure determines the size of the contact patch, tread wear does not. What does happen though is that you lose the tyre's ability to remove water from underneath it, drastically reducing grip in the wet.

 

[scottiep]

It is common practice for cars to be shipped around the world with very high tyre pressures - up to 55psi. The correct operating pressures for your Stinger are much lower - in the region of 36-40psi measured cold, depending on wheel and tyre size, loads, conditions, etc. Check your tyre placard and/or owners manual for details.

Unfortunately, it seems that some dealerships are not adjusting tyre pressures as part of their delivery service, and there have been *many* instances of owners driving around for days/weeks/months on tyres inflated to over 50psi. Not only is this potentially unsafe (over-inflated tyres can fail to achieve full grip levels) but it can also cost you money (as tyres wear inappropriately and too quickly), and can also cause a very uncomfortable ("jarring") ride which can have onward impacts such as causing a lot of rattling in the car.

If you have the factory TPMS system, you can check your tyre pressures via your dash (again, if you don't know how, you should read the owner's manual). If you don't have TPMS, at worst check the pressures at the local garage/workshop/gas station/service station/etc, and ideally, get yourself a good quality tyre pressure gauge (should cost < $100, and provides much more accurate readings than the ones normally found on forecourts.

Thanks for sharing this.

I’ve had my GT for a week and noticed when scrolling through the info on the gauge cluster that the PSI was 52/53 and I thought to myself that was high—but I’ve never had a high performance tire with such a low profile/sidewall, so I didn’t really think to investigate it at that time.

I’m checking the plate on the door frame as soon as I’m back to my car.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I had something odd occur a couple of days ago. When setting forth, the psi was precisely 38 front 36 rear cold; perfect door card spec, which I thought was pretty cool:

By the time I was coming home, I had a 44 psi RR and the RF was 39. When I took the pic a couple of minutes later (at a stop light) it showed this:

I haven't had the rears overtake the fronts in hot psi before and wonder what's up with that? Is it a factor that the rears are almost worn out?

 

[Stinger GT SS]

I had something odd occur a couple of days ago. When setting forth, the psi was precisely 38 front 36 rear cold; perfect door card spec, which I thought was pretty cool:
View attachment 28916
By the time I was coming home, I had a 44 psi RR and the RF was 39. When I took the pic a couple of minutes later (at a stop light) it showed this:
View attachment 28917
I haven't had the rears overtake the fronts in hot psi before and wonder what's up with that? Is it a factor that the rears are almost worn out?

Doing burnouts on a hot day....

 

[Bigbikes]

Hi everyone just wondering as to how accurate the TPMS is on your cars, and can you really use as gospel for correct pressures...Cheers

 

[Stinger GT SS]

Hi everyone just wondering as to how accurate the TPMS is on your cars, and can you really use as gospel for correct pressures...Cheers

Well they are pretty close, I know from using my local Shell Air Station that if I set their read out to 36psi the TPMS will read 37psi.

 

[OliverNuther]

Agreed. Whenever I’ve checked the TPMS against other tyre gauges it’s always been within 1 PSI difference.

 

[Bigbikes]

Well they are pretty close, I know from using my local Shell Air Station that if I set their read out to 36psi the TPMS will read 37psi.

I have my own gauge at home proper servo one, and its diff to on screen car readout...l just purchased a digital race one as i'm ultra fussy with pressures, see what that say..!!

 

[Stinger GT SS]

I have my own gauge at home proper servo one, and its diff to on screen car readout...l just purchased a digital race one as i'm ultra fussy with pressures, see what that say..!!

I’m pretty fussy too, now that I have new tyres which are wider than OE the tyre place recommends 40psi all round & the car rides nice on this pressure.

 

[Dodger Blue]

Just checking in to say my tires were at 52psi when I bought mine. I noticed the day after I drove it off the lot when I started messing around with the gauge cluster menus. This was from Car Pros Kia in Glendale, CA; I called my salesman and told him to talk to the service department after I fixed the issue myself. If anyone reading this happens to be buying a Kia from them, definitely check your pressures!

 

[MerlintheMad]

Just checking in to say my tires were at 52psi when I bought mine. I noticed the day after I drove it off the lot when I started messing around with the gauge cluster menus. This was from Car Pros Kia in Glendale, CA; I called my salesman and told him to talk to the service department after I fixed the issue myself. If anyone reading this happens to be buying a Kia from them, definitely check your pressures!

C. two weeks into driving mine (last year), I checked the pressure with a hand held gauge (hadn't gotten to the LCD screens yet ). Looked at the door plate and manual to confirm, and then reduced the psi to listed recommended. Called and talked to "my" sales guy and explained that the tires were way over inflated. He put me on hold and talked to someone for a minute or two and then explained that the high pressures are as-delivered, because that's how they come mounted from the factory; and that this was news to him (that's above my pay grade, he joked). So, yeah, check your psi upon delivery, no matter who you buy from.

 

[BlaydeX15]

Mine were at 50 when I got the car, drove ~4k miles before I noticed (dumb me). Probably why my rear tires were so uneven when I replaced them. Lol.

 

[Silverfox]

After seeing this I made a point of checking when I picked mine up and they were spot on.