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Toyota Camry Hybrid Tire/Wheel Questions
Discuss TCH tire and wheel issues here.
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You accept the risk that your insurance carrier will most likelt deny coverage in the event of an accident :confuse:
Keep in mind 32 is recommended by the manufacturer, but the max inflation pressure on the tire is probably 45 or 50 psi. (It's printed on the sidewall.)
A few extra psi, as long as under the max inflation pressure, is nothing.
Over-inflated tires, where they suspect the increased pressure, along with the load inside the car, coupled with driving conditions, is used every day, and in hundreds of lawsuits, to deny coverage. And they are quite successful in doing so.
No matter what it says on the tire, for they are indeed used for many different vehicles, owners are always instructed to use the inflation posted on the plate located inside the drivers door frame.
I know you will never be convinced, and if you believe it is better suited for you to increase the pressure, go for it. If you don't believe me, ask Toyota, Ford, GM. All will tell you the proper inflation is what THEY say, not the side of the tire.
Absolutely! The tire is designed for many applications for cars of various weights. The maximum pressure on the tire is just that, a limit before the tire will fail. It has nothing to do with the safe design pressure for the specific vehicle.
I have read over the years many a horror story of mayhem resulting from tire failure, side wall failure more specifically, resulting from owners changing the inflation pressure by as little as 5 pounds cold. On a hot day, at even moderate speed, rounding a corner can have terrible consequences. :sick:
I will quickly believe your assertion when you provide some documentation.
No doubt, significant tire over inflation is potentially dangerous. Still, the burden of proof would be on any insurer seeking to deny a claim based on over inflation.
The recommended inflation pressure is a compromise, depending on vehicle load, average speed, and road conditions. My '92 Camry, for instance, recommended 26 lbs for normal urban driving and 32 lbs for primarily freeway driving, or when the car was carrying more weight.
And in the most famous cases of tire failure--Ford Explorers--while tire under inflation was a significant cause of the failure, the tire maker and manufacturer received most of the blame, and liability.
I doubt tire over inflation of 2-3 lbs changes a car's handling characteristics enough to matter much, but I will be persuaded by any facts to the contrary.
Granted the TCH will not get twichy at 40 psig like an SUV. But the contact patch of the tire to road will be diminished and if you live in an area with hills and rain I would think twice before going to extreems on high tire pressure.
After 13,700 miles the difference in 39.5 mpg (what I get) and possibly 41 mpg (might get with overinflation_debatable) I would have saved less than $35. Not worth it.
Btw, I have emphasized to follow the correct tire pressure under "Toyota Camry Hybrid Driving Tips & Tricks" discussion title in post# 67.
Also, after lowering the tire pressure I felt better handling of my 2007 TCH on the road and especially in the rain.... what a truly awesome vehicle the 2007 TCH is...
-- happy HYBRID TCH driving --
I'll give you a hint - it's above 90 psi.
That has absolutely NOTHING to do with normal operation of a car, by a consumer, on roadways.
Period.
I'll give you a hint - it's above 90 psi."
Would you care to guess how fast and how far the cars are diven at that PSI?
Hint - it's less than 5 MPH, for about 100 yards.
90 PSI isn't my number. I think it is 45 PSI. I was responding to a post...
What actually happens if you run without the sensors.
I want to runs winter wheel / tire setup but I don't want to switch the TPMS's from wheel to wheel each season.
I will probably look into doing the same thing next year.
On Pg 172 of the manual
"The system will be disabled in the following conditions"...
*If the tires not equipped with tire pressure warning valves and transmitters are used.
It appears that "When the condition becomes normal, the system will work properly.
For more info... contact the people at an online store, such as tirerack.com, and they should have an answer for you.
Gampa
Thoughts?
That fix-a-flat and the AAA card would work fine if it's no problem for you to wait a couple of hours to get towed and then worry about finding a tire store open at zero dark thirty in the middle of Timbukthree in the event you have a blowout or a ruined tire for whatever reason.
Personally, I'd rather pack less crapola and keep my spare tire.....
1) My tires have always been rotated at 5000 miles.
2) My tires were beginning to cup due to misalignment but the "idiots" that rotated my tires did not mention this
3) When I noticed it I was still under 10,000 miles and brought it to the dealers attention. By showing him the cupping on the rear tires (occurred when they were on the front with less than 5000 miles) I was able to demonstrate that it was misaligned from the factory and realignment was then performend under the warranty.
4) By doing it early I was able to live with the mild cupping for the life of the tires.
5) Without rotation, cupping will only get worse and possibly unbearable. However your rear tires may last through another set of front tires. (I prefer even tread on all 4 and replace them as a set)
6) Cupping, when extreem (like my Z Car) can cause very loud noises and eventually is quiet noticable even in the feel.
7)The Bridgestones suck. With one alignment and rotation at 5000 miles mine were absolutely worn (evenly) at 23,000 miles. However I was in a tires for life program (that's why I did the rotations and annual alignement)and the dealer put the same tires back on. I can't complain since they are free, but it would save them money to have put something else on as I'll be back next year wanting another set.
All of you with a TCH, at least the ones from Japan need to inspect your tires early and frequently for misaignment problems. It's easily fixed and you don't want to have to live with noisy tires until they wear out. Actually that's my advise for any of you with any car. Don't count on the mechanic to tell you these things. Running your hand lightly over the tread can easily detect any feathering or cupping that is starting. Catch it early and it's not a problem.
I'm suffering from TCH early-tire-baldness syndrome too. Followed tire-rotation at 5K advice....although I missed the alignment "warranty" limit (at under 10K) and had to pay for it at ~20K miles....it was OFF...Toyota mechanic said not by a whole lot but I'm not sure...these were the readings on the report:
================
Front Left
-0.13 degrees
Front Right
-0.15 degrees
Total Toe: 0.03 degrees
Rear Left
0.30 degrees
Rear Right
0.28 degrees
Total Toe: 0.58 degrees
========================
Anyway....what tires should I use for this car? .... I was thinking Dunlop or Michelin although on my little Acura I have used Yokohama with no complaints for the last two tire changes (~5 years)...I think that is a good tire for around a $100.00.
Thanks for any recommendations.
My UPS guy said that he even delivers tires from them to auto stores. Beware, if you do order from them expect the tires within 48 hours... their service will blow your mind. Good luck.
I thought that these Camrys only came with these Bridgestones. I'll check out tirerack.com.
I don't understand why Toyota decided to put a V rated tire on an economy car. I don't know a lot about low rolling resistance tires, and I can see where a hard rubber tire like a V rated tire can help, but surely they make one with a 400+ treadwear rating? I have heard of no one complaining about the Michellin's.
The other problem I have is with the size of the tires and calibration of the speedo. Earlier posts last year covered this but it is impossible to change tire size to correct the speedometer error. This should have been designed and then calibrated with a taller sidewall for comfort, OR give me the SE suspension! I don't want rough riding tires with soft springs. I want a ride like a (Big) Cadillac or like a Vette.
I doubt that had anything to do with the computer, more than likely to do with the tires rolling resistance; a wider tire or different tread design causing more friction
Question- does anyone know if the computer and speedo can be recalibrated ? I think it's showing me with lesser mileage and that I'm going slower than speed shown on speedometer .
I have a 2009 TCH that I bought in July. It now has about 6500 miles and just today has seen its first snow. I don't like how it handles in the snow, thus I'm considering 4 snow tires.
I did the same thing to my Volvo and it was great. Without snow, it was scary to drive. With 4 snows its a pleasure.
My questions are:
What snow tires to most people put on the 2009 TCH?
What considerations or concerns do I need to be aware of concerning the tire pressure sensors? Do I need to get them on the snows as well or can they be disabled when I have snow tires? How do people handle this?
Thanks,
Steve
If you buy snow tires only, and have them swapped onto your OEM wheels each spring and fall, then your existing TPMS stay in the wheels and continue to function. you'll have to reset them each sway, though, but it's an easy process. doing this means you have to pay for rebalancing 2x year; not worth it, to me.
You can get tpms sensors if you buy dedicated wheels, but they are pricey. I didn't bother. The light flashes at first, but then stays on solid all the time. easy to ignore.
Where exactly is the tire pressure monitoring system? Is it in the valve stem on each tire?
I'd like to continue to use it when I get snow tires.
Thanks,
Steve
I got some Yokohama YK520 from Discount Tire and they have been great. Quieter, and the mileage had not been affected.
I am sure this is a common issue with these tires any suggestions as what to replace with and do I need to continue with the "V" rating
I'd say pick a couple based on some initial research, then compare them more thoroughly (based on user feedback) and roll with one.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Pilot+Exalto- +A/S&partnum=16HR6EXAS
These Michelin Exaltos have been quite good ... I have ~33K on them now and they seem to be wearing quite miserly ... next time I go back to discount tire for a rotation/balancing, I'll ask for an "official" check but I think they have AT LEAST 30K more in them. The ride has been smooth and the gas mileage..well, I believe it has improved ... last summer I hit 42 MPG a few times while I was struggling to hit 38/39 earlier. You could argue, that probably I've gotten better at driving it but I don't think so. As for the noise, I could comment better if the interior of my car would stop rattling for a second ... I hate it from the beginning.. taken it many times to the dealer but they never gave a crap..always thought it was in my head. My ancient Acura is ton more shock absorbant and smoother than my TCH... if Acura started making Hybrids (and in the neighborhood of Camry pricing ~5K) ... I'd switch in a heartbeat. Just my opinion!
Have only sporadically rotated tires. Currently have best tread on front. Rear is pretty bare & will replace all 4. Had a recall on a steering rack so got car realigned at about 40 K. Prior to that did notice some pulling to left. Important to keep tires properly balanced -- had to rebalance a few times (threw some weights I guess.)
Have followed tire pressure thread. Tend to run 33-35 psig in summer, and 32 psig in winter. Manual says 35 Psi to be used if running at > 100 mpg. I drive fast on trips and so use the higher pressure in summer, but reduce in winter for better traction.
Traction in Snow -- Also have a 98 Infinity I-30 with 150 K miles and it is definitely much better in the snow. Live in Boston area and go to ski country. I-30 definitely better in snow. Seems like front end is "lighter" on TCH, with traction not quite as good as I-30 (a great car but only 22-24 mpg). Could be that I-30 with Dunlop Sport All Season Radials have better traction, but it feels like it is much more then just the tire. I-30 much heavier in front it seems.
Any others with experience using tires in snowy region?
Have been getting about 35 Mpg overall in summer, and 30-32 MPG in winter (due to car running longer to heat up and not shutting down at stop lights in winter). Have hit tanks of up to 40 MPG on trips -- especially in the mtns.
Extremely pleased with Michelins and will go with same -- especially after reading other tire horror stories.
This is an excellent site for info -- just found it and appreciate all of your input.