Tire pressure

[Powers303]

Anyone take their truck to the dealer for scheduled maintenance, then get your truck back with 40 psi in the tires again? Kind of annoying to say the least.

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[Azriq]

Anyone take their truck to the dealer for scheduled maintenance, then get your truck back with 40 psi in the tires again? Kind of annoying to say the least.

Can't say that has happened to me, but then again I've only changed oil once so far. The dealer is the ONLY one allowed to touch my cars for just those type reasons. I want it done right and will only use factory parts. That being said, when I took delivery of my truck the tire pressure was still way high from when they ship em. Never got dropped during the PDI.

 

[Sandman Ranger]

Complain to dealer.
Person who checked added air but did not check pressure.
Even if it was high when you came in they should still adjust.
Remind Service Manager that correct air pressure is a safety item to check. If set high the tires contact patch is less and can affect stopping distance in an emergency stop. If they are a good shop, they will improve. If you do not give feedback, then they do not know to improve. Coaching moment.

 

[HenryMac]

Can't say that has happened to me, but then again I've only changed oil once so far. The dealer is the ONLY one allowed to touch my cars for just those type reasons. I want it done right and will only use factory parts. That being said, when I took delivery of my truck the tire pressure was still way high from when they ship em. Never got dropped during the PDI.

If you think the dealer will "do it right and only use factory parts"... think again.

If you only want OEM Ford Factory Parts, you need to specify that up front and make sure it's on the service contract.

Some of the biggest nightmare stories you will ever hear are dealership maintenance related.

 

[Sandman Ranger]

If you think the dealer will "do it right and only use factory parts"... think again.


If you only want OEM Ford Factory Parts, you need to specify that up front and make sure it's on the service contract.

Some of the biggest nightmare stories you will ever hear are dealership maintenance related.

Agree.
Had the blower in my 97' F150 go out and had local Ford dealer replace. After work fan sounded like a hurricane but blew little air. They gave me BS, and reminded me it was not working when I came in. Somehow I guess I might have forgotten how it worked. So I asked if they had a same year truck on the lot. Lucky for me a Mechanic had one and drove it around. Told Service Agent to run it. I said "That is how it should work". After a second try, I asked if they are using a Ford blower and motor? No. From local parts store. Had meeting with owner and covered how we handled issues at work. How I wanted the Ford parts and wanted a second Mechanic to help the first to make sure it worked this time. I wanted the owner to test it prior to my pick up visit. I did not want to be the first one testing it this time. So after my dash was taken apart a 4th time it was fixed. This was at 200,000 or my trucks 280,000 life. A good truck.

Never went back. Lucky for me the dealer ship had a new owner when Ranger came out. Had meeting with new owner and told him my concerns. Might be new owner but if same service than I would drive 40 miles to bigger town. Owner said Service was all new. But did admit in our rural town finding good peoe was hard. I told him being now a Hennessey tuned dealer he now needed a performance based shop. People will expect that with him selling $130,000 Mustangs.

https://images.app.goo.gl/Pbv8kbrzVAbxTnNp8

 

[Azriq]

If you think the dealer will "do it right and only use factory parts"... think again.

If you only want OEM Ford Factory Parts, you need to specify that up front and make sure it's on the service contract.

Some of the biggest nightmare stories you will ever hear are dealership maintenance related.

I'm sure anything is possible and "stuff" happens but that is possible anywhere. Our family joke for years has been "the "J" in jiffy-lube is silent". Lol. Maybe I'm just lucky but I'll stick with the dealer.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Hi Folks,

We at Ford carried a tire pressure gauge around for much of our work on the prototypes when doing vehicle dynamics, NVH etc. These dial gauges had to be re certified periodically for accuracy. The pencil type gauge is woefully inaccurate and not allowed for any certified testing. So if your vehicle calls s for 36psi, not surprising 40 psi was set. Also, how about the gauge you are using??? Things get messy quickly here.... I believe there is a regulation on the typical "WalMart" gauge for accuracy when new but may deteriorate over time, living in the bottom of a tool box. Anyway...I carry pricey dial gauges in my vehicles. I check then against my Ford Cert gauge on occasion.

A bit of a back story. My NVH engineer, Tim H was at Edison Assembly doing validation work on an NVH improvement on the vehicles where we also made the Mazda version of the Ranger. Mazda had a quality team that would show up and drive vehicles and put together a hit list of problems and concern. Most of the list was chicken shit part quality or assembly related, but sometimes the team identified something that dropped into my lap. The complaint was that all the Mazda's were pulling to the left. My first question to the Mazda team...did you drive any Rangers to verify it is specific to Mazda....Well....no... Sheesh. Why don't you drive a couple Rangers...Not my job! Sheesh, so called poor Tim who had no skill set in vehicle dynamics. Drive the complaint Mazdas and then some Rangers. Tim reluctantly agreed and verified that the Rangers pulled to the left too. So I asked Tim to check tire pressures on the suspect Rangers and Mazdas. He had to go buy a tire pressure gauge at an auto parts store...I told him to get an expensive dial type. Then check and record tire pressures on each vehicle...adjust as necessary and reevaluate. Tire pressures were way off and with reevaluation, the vehicles now tracked straight. I highly suggested to the Mazda Team leader that he use our standard protocol and set tire pressures before they drive the Mazdas and stop wasting my or my engineer's time. We sent a formal letter to Mazda detailing proper protocol. The team leader who the plant had complaints on as well....was removed from the position....Sheesh!

 

[11 r150]

great point Phil. Pressure gauges can vary quite a bit. Although giving a rougher ride, a couple lbs overinflated is better than being underinflated. Too much sidewall flex can lead to a zipper rupture.

 

[Powers303]

Hi Folks,

We at Ford carried a tire pressure gauge around for much of our work on the prototypes when doing vehicle dynamics, NVH etc. These dial gauges had to be re certified periodically for accuracy. The pencil type gauge is woefully inaccurate and not allowed for any certified testing. So if your vehicle calls s for 36psi, not surprising 40 psi was set. Also, how about the gauge you are using??? Things get messy quickly here.... I believe there is a regulation on the typical "WalMart" gauge for accuracy when new but may deteriorate over time, living in the bottom of a tool box. Anyway...I carry pricey dial gauges in my vehicles. I check then against my Ford Cert gauge on occasion.

A bit of a back story. My NVH engineer, Tim H was at Edison Assembly doing validation work on an NVH improvement on the vehicles where we also made the Mazda version of the Ranger. Mazda had a quality team that would show up and drive vehicles and put together a hit list of problems and concern. Most of the list was chicken shit part quality or assembly related, but sometimes the team identified something that dropped into my lap. The complaint was that all the Mazda's were pulling to the left. My first question to the Mazda team...did you drive any Rangers to verify it is specific to Mazda....Well....no... Sheesh. Why don't you drive a couple Rangers...Not my job! Sheesh, so called poor Tim who had no skill set in vehicle dynamics. Drive the complaint Mazdas and then some Rangers. Tim reluctantly agreed and verified that the Rangers pulled to the left too. So I asked Tim to check tire pressures on the suspect Rangers and Mazdas. He had to go buy a tire pressure gauge at an auto parts store...I told him to get an expensive dial type. Then check and record tire pressures on each vehicle...adjust as necessary and reevaluate. Tire pressures were way off and with reevaluation, the vehicles now tracked straight. I highly suggested to the Mazda Team leader that he use our standard protocol and set tire pressures before they drive the Mazdas and stop wasting my or my engineer's time. We sent a formal letter to Mazda detailing proper protocol. The team leader who the plant had complaints j UK on as well....was removed from the position....Sheesh!

I think the one I have is a longacre, but I originally noticed on the display in the truck. I was just surprised to get it back that high when the sticker in the door calls for 30. But man those guys from Mazda seem Like they would have been a chore to deal with.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

I think the one I have is a longacre, but I originally noticed on the display in the truck. I was just surprised to get it back that high when the sticker in the door calls for 30. But man those guys from Mazda seem Like they would have been a chore to deal with.

Hi 303,

Yep. PITA to deal with them. Leather seat fiasco with Mazda was quite the mess. Lear was the seat supplier...Mazda wanted leather for an upgrade... Lear said the seat structure would have to change for leather. Mazda said...not affordable....just make leather. Lear brought in prototype. Mazda said good...go for it. Then production started about 6 weeks later. Seats looked like crap, wrinkled and creased. Then they tried to make me the bad guy. I fortunately had ducks in a row and dodged the harpoon. Japan Mazda was a pleasure which to work, but the stateside folks were royal PITA.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[HenryMac]

This literally just happened to me this morning. I took it in for its 10,000 mile service (only had 8200, but had 1 year on the clock), and when they gave me back the truck, I noticed that the tires looked taller. Sure enough, I checked the pressure and it was 40 lbs. This was in Pompano Beach FL. There must be something going on that we don't know about and are not being told. How could all these different dealerships, put in the same air pressure when servicing these trucks, regardless of what the door sticker recommendation says? I'm gonna try calling the dealership and ask this question. I'm also gonna leave it at 40 lbs for now. When I took delivery - from a different dealership, not the one that just did the service - the TP was set at 40 then too.

What tires are you running? If they put 40 psi in mine the'd only be off by 2 psi..

 

[slowmachine]

I pay close attention to tire pressure in all of my cars. I used to have a great book, written by a British racing car designer, with a section on tires. Track is different from street, of course, but most of the same principles apply. He said, and I agree, that most people driving a performance car can feel a 1/4 pound difference between the tires on the same axle. If this is true, then your tire gauge has to repeatably indicate pressure with a tolerance of less than 1/4 pound to be useful at all. I currently use a Longacre Racing digital gauge with 0.1 pound display increments. It’s not terribly important that the gauge is absolute correct, but it must provide repeatable results to get proper steering response from the car.

With regard to the “universal” 40 PSI setting, I actually ask for this when anyone is touching my tires. I always set pressure by deflating to the desired setting, and having the shop put in extra pressure allows me to do that, as well as compensate for ambient temperature.

 

[NVHoonigan]

This literally just happened to me this morning. I took it in for its 10,000 mile service (only had 8200, but had 1 year on the clock), and when they gave me back the truck, I noticed that the tires looked taller. Sure enough, I checked the pressure and it was 40 lbs. This was in Pompano Beach FL. There must be something going on that we don't know about and are not being told. How could all these different dealerships, put in the same air pressure when servicing these trucks, regardless of what the door sticker recommendation says? I'm gonna try calling the dealership and ask this question. I'm also gonna leave it at 40 lbs for now. When I took delivery - from a different dealership, not the one that just did the service - the TP was set at 40 then too.

Definitely let us know if you get an answer on this. I just had my oil changed this morning per the maintenance plan and got mine back at 38psi when the door tag is 30psi. Interesting thing for me is when I took delivery they actually had the tires at 30psi. My dad has a 2019 F150 and said they always air his tires at 38psi also so apparently 38 is the magic number at my dealership.

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