So I'm sitting in FastLube waiting for my car to be booked in for it's hour-long 10-mnute oil change... The girl in front of me (cuter than hell) was getting her $70 bill for her $25 oil change... She's trying to talk the bill down, but she doesn't know anything about car maintenance. She asks the guy if the air filter for a Rav4 really costs $20. "Yup" (*****!) and then asks if she really needs to change it. It's on the counter and I look at it. There's some light dirt, but the filter is FINE! The guy says; "I can't promise your engine won't be damaged by leaving it in." Se takes a moment to think, and the dude steps away from the counter. I whisper to her; (Hey, it's an easy chat-up-line )"That one will last you another 3k miles easily. Even then, if you go to Napa you'll get the air filter for $5. Ask for John and say I sent you and he'll install it for free."

So she drives away $20 happier. Now my turn for the ***-reaming. I'm a regular there, so they know my car. "Everything the same as last time, Sir?" I said; "Yes". Then they proceed to inflate my tires to 44psi. I always ask for 32. The manager came back and said; "Tires at 44" and I said; "I asked for everything like last time - I always have my tires at 32" then guy who took my order said; "No, I asked if you wanted the pressure as rated on the side of the tire and you said yes." When I finished laughing and commenting about how easily lies roll off his forked tongue, they said they'd adjust the pressures down to 32 still arguing; "It's too low - Nissan didn't make the tires."

"And Firestone didn't make the car! Put it at 32!"

Anyways - so I don't get this thread locked for being OT - What is the correct tire pressure range. I've never see a road car recommend over 35psi. I always use 32. If I say; "put it at the car's recommended pressure" they feed me the "Nissan-didnt-make-the-tires" line. I refuse to believe that I should use the MAX PSI rating on the tire as my nromal pressure...

 

The correct pressures are listed on one of the front doors of your car.

the max pressure on the tire IS NOT THE RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURE for the car. It's the max air pressure. Nothing else.

I wouldn't even let Jiffy Lube touch my car, must less lecture me on what's recommendeed for it.

 

I did work at a Jiffy Lube for over a year (few years back) and half the workers are morons.

There should be a sticker by the door (when opened) or under the arm rest on the Maximas.

If you have the 16" SE rims, they are suppose to be 32psi up front & 29 psi in the rear.

The 15" steel rims should be 29psi all around. Im not sure about the 15" GLE/SE rims but i would think they are 29psi around too.

 

Hehe NOTHING Jiffy Lube recommends is really ever needed in most cases. Even their 3000 mile change intervals. It is just RETARDED to inflate the tires up to max inflation for any reason.

Jeff is right...stick to the manufacturer's recommended tire pressures listed on the drivers door jam or inside the lid of the center armrest console.

 

You're right. The 15" GLE/SE rims are 29 psi all around.

 

The GLE rims are 29 psi all around.

 

Beat you to it. I also went to Jiffy Lube once and they said my air filter had to be replaced also. Told them not to and I'm never going back again now that I change my own oil. I question now if they over/underinflated my tires right before I got into an accident as a result of a skid but thats probably not the reason

 

Don't ever go to Jiffy Lube....they broke my friend's antenna completely off of her truck once while they were CLEANING THE WINDSHIELD . What a joke...

 

I have 16" rims and Continental tires with a max PSI of 44. My front end will feel loose at around 70 mph at anything lower than 37 PSI. The more below 37 PSI that I inflate them to, the worse the steering gets.
So I've learned to inflate them to at least 39 PSI (still experimenting). I guess I should keep the rears about 4 lbs lower.

 

The complete opposite of what your explaining should be happening. The higher pressure should produce a more loose feel. The lower pressure should produce a lazy squirmy heavy feel to your car. You should only inflate up to what the vehicle calls for COLD first thing in the morning before you drive on them. Too much pressure reduces the contact patch of the tire to the road. Too little and you generate to much heat, reduce handling and risk possible tire failure.

 

when the dealer PDI's new cars, they deflate tires to 30-35psi

 

you are a member of this forum and you are paying for oil changes?

 

ok - enuff talk about the filters and stuff.......did u get that cuty's number?!!!!

 

njmaxseltd: I understand what your saying and believe it in theory. But this problem drove me out of my mind for a while. Mainly because I just bought the car and didn't understand what was going on. But all I know is that too little pressure and my steering is loose.
Thanks for the input. BTW your SE looks great.

 

Ouch, dude...

Well, in my defense, I have a fully-equipped 1000 sqft 3-bay auto workshop that I currently have full of disassembled Ford Bronco. The chassis takes up one bay and the body has been taking up the other bay for the last 18 months while I was doing some bodywork, new fenders etc before I resprayed it and remounted it to the frame.

I've been so long without a spare bay that I just got used to leaving my car at FastLube for the oil changes - they're right next to where I work, so the convenience compared to changing my own oil with a floor jack in my gravel driveway has made me lazy. Plus, I've been so busy working recently that I haven't been able to spend any quality time in the workshop - I've been rebuilding the front differential after blowing the side seals, and that's normally a 12-14 hour job from rolling in to rolling out - the front axle has been off for about 3 weeks now! I just don't have time!

I have to rebuild the transfer case and tranny before I can finally roll Project Frankie out of the workshop. I finished the engine rebuild last year.

After today's experience, though, I think I'm gonna make time to do my own oil changes from now on...

 

Considering my wife uses this computer as well as me, and she might read this... No. I was a perfect gentleman, and after offering her assistance I tipped my hat to the young lady before spending the next 20 minutes thinking about how lovely my wife is.

She was really cute...
But not as cute as m'darlin'...

 

Suck ***!

 

she got a sister?

 

Air expands when heated. If you inflate your tires to the max rating on the tire then once you start any driving (you will be creating heat) your tire pressure increases. This will make your tire succeptable to poping and catching a flat easier. It's your life do want you want

 

I think you and njmax are both right. I also inflate my front tires hard for high speed driving. With hard, highpressure tires, the loose feeling is at low speeds, because the hard tires react too much to the irregularties, like bumps un-even road surfaces etc, instead of deforming around them like a low pressure tire would. At high speeds, where you tend not to be riding over bumpy roads, the hard tires give a very solid, re-assuring feeling. I put 36 psi in my fronts. I feel totally solid cruising at 100 mph+

Remember to make your measurements when cold. 36 psi cold goes to like 41 psi hot, and the MAX pressure of the tire is usually 44 psi.

DW

 

Very nice. Kind of look like Rene Russo.