Expected tire life on an e-Golf

[JoulesThief]

I have one experience with the low tire pressure warning - it was when there was a screw embedded in the tire tread and the tire pressure was in the 20 psig range. I had the tire repaired and have otherwise never seen the low pressure light. I don't know how low the pressure needs to be to trigger the warning, but I suspect it is low enough that extended driving (say, for 5000 miles) may not cause safety issues but may lead to poor tire wear. I try to check the pressure every month or so to keep it 1 psig above the recommended pressure (I check it first thing in the morning before any driving puts heat into the tires).

The sensors work by rotational speed of each wheel. When one tire gets lower in pressure, it's rotation speed changes compared to the other 3 tires, and a sensor goes off noting that tire pressure is not correct.

 

[JoulesThief]

Thanks for the info. I'll try to keep the PSI higher as well. Regarding TPMS warning, this car doesn't show the tire pressures, so do you fill when the low light comes on, isn't that supposed to be an imminent failure warning?

Read your owners manual.

These tires lose air. You don't wait for the indicator on the dash to tell you to check your tire pressure. You are expected to check and verify it every month or two. Its part of the responsibility of having a drivers license, maintain your equipment so that you are safe to everyone else on the road, too. Repeat, tires lose air pressure, it's up to you to maintain that air pressure.

I set mine at 45 psi cold, no driving, first thing in the morning. I might get 2 months before I need to add air pressure again. Just the nature of the beast. Cars are not maintenance free, but they are damn easy compared to owning an airplane.

Thank you for putting it so eloquently and reminding me that cars are not maintenance-free. My questions were directed at the previous poster who was kind enough to share some helpful information. Did you even consider that used cars may not come with Owners Manual?

Buy one used on Ebay, or visit your local VW dealership and order a replacement. Don't be so cheap.

I have bought a fair amount of used VW's in my lifetime, and if the owners manual isn't in the glove box, I consider that a sign of neglect by the previous owner. It's inexcusable, and I pass on buying the used vehicle, if it's not present. But what do I know? I wouldn't buy a used plane, without a POH either.

 

[DasCC]

That's pretty awesome! Was there anything specific you did to make your tires last that long? How often did you check the air and rotate the tires?

Thanks

honestly no... the car is the wife's and she's a pretty conservative driver. Only rotated every 10k (I normally do 5K intervals but got lazy this time around) and topped off air during those inspections or if the TPMS triggered a warning. I do keep the tire pressure around 5 psi higher than the door jamb.

Thanks for the info. I'll try to keep the PSI higher as well. Regarding TPMS warning, this car doesn't show the tire pressures, so do you fill when the low light comes on, isn't that supposed to be an imminent failure warning?

Yeah, unfortunately the TPMS doesn't show the pressure on each tire, unlike other models. I've noticed it kicks on after a 5 PSI drop or so, so I'm fine with using that as a guide. I only check tire pressure before a road trip.... which doesn't happen in the short range e-Golf

 

[eGolfJoe]

Yeah, unfortunately the TPMS doesn't show the pressure on each tire, unlike other models. I've noticed it kicks on after a 5 PSI drop or so, so I'm fine with using that as a guide. I only check tire pressure before a road trip.... which doesn't happen in the short range e-Golf

Yeah. They didn't put a sensor inside each tire but instead are counting the rotational differences being read from each wheel's ABS ring. The good news is you won't have to worry about having TPMS sensors replaced or reprogrammed.