My objection is more that they apparently didn’t tell OP what they did. Regardless of whether it’s for the better or not, tire pressure affects performance, handling and safety, and I think the shop has an obligation to let the customer know that his car will corner, brake, haul, etc. differently from how it did when it came in.
I think that’s the point of taking your car in for maintenance. By adjusting tire pressure properly, by checking and topping off fluids, by inspecting/replacing wiper blades and lights as needed, the shop is ensuring that your car is operating as designed and performing just as it did the day you drove it off the lot.
This is what we do for a basic oil change:“Change engine oil and filter, lube chassis as needed, check and top-off all fluids, check and adjust tire pressure to spec., test battery, inspect wipers and exterior lamps, and perform basic maintenance inspection.” We may forget to verbally tell you that we adjusted your tired but it’s on the repair order.
But just like any good restaurant will cook your eggs the way you like, if you want 38psi in your tires we’ll be happy to do that.
Q: At times some of the trucks I work on need tire pressures above the
recommended manufacturer’s pressure due to heavy full-time loading. Will I still
be compliant if it is over the recommended pressure?
A: Yes.
I TOLD you that manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure was just that: a recommendation, NOT a limitation, that the owner may safely choose to deviate from, allowing for (among other things) vehicle loading.
It appears that the State of California, believe it or not, agrees with me!
“We may forget to verbally tell you that we adjusted your tired but it’s on the repair order.”
Yup!
In addition to the dealership’s service “menu” undoubtedly mentioning tire pressure checking, when I take my car in for an oil change, attached to the invoice is an inspection report which lists–among other things:
Open recalls/service campaigns (yes, no)
Battery condition (good, fair, poor)
Condition of air filter (good, fair. poor)
Condition of axle boots (good, fair, poor)
Condition of drive belts (good, fair, poor)
Amount of tread remaining on each tire, in 32nds of an inch Tire pressure set to XX psi
Amount of brake pad material left, in mms
Beginning September 1, 2010, all Automotive Service Providers are required to check and inflate each vehicle’s tires to the recommended tire pressure rating at the time of performing any automotive maintenance or repair service.
^And did you, perchance, notice that I quoted from that EXACT website when I said that it was perfectly OK by California to inflate above MFR “recommended” PSI in vehicles hauling especially heavy???
Thanks for trying, anyways!
Only an overly-anal state would care in the first place, and even a state like CA acknowledges the need to alter inflation according to intended use, as do I.
My link is related to the actual question that was proposed and the reason this thread was started. If he were asking about tire pressure recommendations for trucks hauling heavy loads, you (meanjoe) might have a relevant point.
^ Well (talking about “relevant”) has it been established that OP had service in CA? I know asemaster stated, in this thread, that CA law (among other reasons) is why HE would change the pressures…but to the best of my understanding, OP has not clarified where this happened. If you were responding to OP, then do you have knowledge that this likely happened in CA?
This reminds me when I was growing up and lived at home. My parents had the fuenace serviced once a year. The furnace was a gas conversion burned in an original coal furnace that had a,blower. The,furnace company always would set the blower switch so, it came on too soon and the air at the registers would be too cool. After the service eman would leave, I would reset the blower control so that the blower came on at a,higher bonnet tempeeature. If took me,less than a,minute to readjust the control. For no more time that it takes, just reinflate the tires after you get back from the dealer.
Meanjoe, I don’t know whether or not melott is in California (I am), but the law is obviously for safety reasons. I would hope that auto shops in any state would do a bit more than what the law forces them to do.
Regardless, your link was to Q & A’s regarding California tire inflation regulations that wouldn’t be relevant to this discussion even if it were the law in every state. My link was (at the very least) relevant to your post because it clarified a law that you didn’t actually address. At most, my link supports a level of responsibility that auto shop owners might take on as a standard even if it is not regulated by law.
The point I’m making is that a shop that checks and adjusts your car’s tire pressure would not be doing anything wrong unless it was done after the mechanic was told not to do it - and further - In California if a mechanic did not properly adjust tire pressure he would be violating a regulation.
^ Well (talking about “relevant”) has it been established that OP had service in CA? I know asemaster stated, in this thread, that CA law (among other reasons) is why HE would change the pressures…
I’m not in CA though, I’m in Washington. But nonetheless when a car is in for an oil change service–or many other services for that matter–the tire pressure gets adjusted to the mfr specs plus 2-3 lbs depending on temp. We do that because it is the correct, proper, professional way to conduct business and maintain your car. I don’t care if the car comes in 10lbs under, 10lbs over, or any combination thereof.
But as I have stated, if you wish to have your tires inflated to a certain pressure or any other request, simply say so and we will do so, given that it’s not something that we or industry standards deem unsafe. I don’t see what the problem is and why this is such a big source of discussion here.
Meanjoe, I don't know whether or not melott is in California (I am), but the law is obviously for safety reasons.
Actually, if you bother to read the text of the law, it's for "greenhouse gases." Underinflated tires burn more gas, you see. I'm not saying there aren't ancillary benefits, BUT...
And I just think it’s a bit rich for you to chide me for “lack of relevance” and then cite a law that, 52/53 of the time, isn’t relevant.
All this nitpicking about the air in tires is missing the most impressive point. Here we have an employee doing his job as he is expected to while working on cars that he probably could not afford and not being bitter about it. The last time I had tire repaired when my keys were handed to me I gave the counter person a dollar bill and said give this to the guy who fixed my tire so he can get a cold drink. And if someone doing their job the way they are instructed to do than get a life and find something important to worry about.
I’d be surprised if the mechanic who adjusted the tire pressure for melott’s car did it because he felt the need to reduce greenhouse gases.
The point is that the mechanic did not do something that should upset a customer. Checking and adjusting tire pressure was obviously part of the garage’s regular service or he wouldn’t have done it.
I’ve given my opinion to melott and shown you how California regulates the issue. Others will decide for themselves.
I’ll say it AGAIN, because clearly not all of us understand, or agree with me
If you want special treatment . . . and that most DEFINITELY includes tire pressures which do NOT match those on the door jamb . . . tell the service writer up front
And then it’s up to him to tell the mechanic
If you do not tell anybody, I wouldn’t expect anybody to be able to read your mind
And no . . . mechanics don’t have a crystal ball in their toolbox
And definitely bring crispy creme donuts, if you want special treatment
Should you be irritated? Only at yourself. They did you a favor, overinflating tires is bad for them.
Also, if you have special requests let them know up front because the service writers or the service techs CANNOT READ YOUR MIND.
I hesitate but the part of this whole discussion that bothers me is the idea that simply because the customer is writing the check, that they can determine how work will be performed. A doctor is not going to allow a person to dictate the terms of a medical procedure if it is not within professional standards. It doesn’t matter if you are paying him or her or not, it becomes a “no deal” and there’s the door. Service work is a negotiated deal with what one person wants and what the other is willing to provide. People providing a service are not prostituting themselves simply because someone is paying them. I find it highly distasteful that people think they can lord it over someone providing a service and have every term and spec dictated to them simply because a payment is being made.
Like I said, my new computer guy refused to do certain work whether I paid him or not. I respect that and think of him more highly than someone that would simply cave in for a few dollars. Pick a profession. They aren’t going to let you dictate terms that are not professionally acceptable.
