According to the EPA, you can improve your car's gas mileage by more than 3 percent simply by keeping its tires inflated to the proper pressure. These pressure gauge valve caps constantly monitor your car's tire pressure. Available in 2 psi ratings: 32 ps
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Absolute Junk Comment: These caps break very easily and once they're broken they will completely drain your tire(s) because they need to hold the valve open to read the pressure. Totally self-defeating product. Customer Rating: Summary: Same leakage problem Comment: I had the same leakage problem as Micah on two different sets. In both situations only one of the four caps had significant leakage, but in both cases it was bad enough to drop 10 psi in a week. Customer Rating: Summary: Handy Product Comment: These caps are used as replacements for your vehicle's valve caps, and act as individual tire gauges. Simply remove the old caps, inflate your tires to the recommended psi, install the Tire Pressure Valve Caps and you're ready to go.
Of course, you should continue to regularly inspect your tires, but when you don't have the time, it's nice to be able to just glance at the caps and know the status of the pressure in each tire.
When the caps are green, the pressure is ok. When the color is changing from green to red, you know that the tire(s) require your attention. When the color is red, the tire is under-inflated. It's as simple as that.
I believe that the caps come in both 32 and 36 psi, so be aware of this if/when you order. If you normally inflate your tires to 32, it wouldn't be prudent to get the 36 psi caps because the valve would always stay in the red region -- even though the tire is properly inflated. With that in mind, if the recommended pressure for your tires is below 32 psi -- 28, for example -- neither of these products would do you much good.
I think the valves are handy and have been using them for 4-5 months without problem. I did notice that, after inflating the tire and then reinstalling the cap, I did hear the sound of air escaping. However, if you use one hand to hold the tire's stem while tightening the cap with the other, the airflow stops. I tried tightening the cap with one hand, but felt that this method put unnecessary strain on the stem. Customer Rating: Summary: Not the best design Comment: I tried these on two different cars and several tires leaked down over a couple of weeks. My first suspicion was these valve caps which turned out to be correct after I sprayed a mixture of soap and water on the caps. There was a very slow leak around the cap seals.
Sorry, but this product is a terrible idea because it permanently opens your valves. That's just asking for a leak to occur due to leaking seals, sun-cracked valve housing, etc.
The in-tire pressure system may be expensive but at least it doesn't cause a leak in your tires. Customer Rating: Summary: Very useful little gadgets! Comment: We bought tire pressure caps for the whole family. My teenage daughter can now keep an eye on her tires easily without us worrying about her. Love them!
