Leaf maintenance for leasing

[jjeff]

It is also helpful to have a flashlight for doing the repair at night and a tire pressure gauge. But in the absence of a tire pressure gauge the LEAF should have the "Easy Fill Tire Alert" (mine does):

TPMS with Easy Fill Tire Alert

When tire pressure is low, the low tire pressure warning light illuminates.
This vehicle provides visual and audible signals to help you inflate the tires to the recommended COLD tire pressure.
Vehicle set-up:
1. Park the vehicle in a safe and level place.
2. Apply the parking brake and push the P position switch on the selector lever.
3. Place the power switch in the ON position. Do not place in the READY to drive mode.
Operation:
1. Add air to the tire.
2. After a few seconds, the hazard indicators will start flashing.
3. When the designated pressure is reached, the horn beeps once and the hazard indicators stop flashing.
4. Perform the above steps for each tire.
• If the tire is over-inflated more than approximately 4 psi (30 kPa), the horn beeps and the hazard indicators flash 3 times. To correct the pressure, push the core of the valve stem on the tire briefly to release pressure. When the pressure reaches the designated pressure, the horn beeps once.
• If the hazard indicator does not flash within approximately 15 seconds after starting to inflate the tire, it indicates that the Easy Fill Tire Alert is not operating.
• The TPMS will not activate the Easy Fill Tire Alert under the following conditions:
— If there is interference from an external device or transmitter.
— The air pressure from the inflation device is not sufficient to inflate the tire

Assuming, of course, that one doesn't ruin the TPMS with goop... But I consider a tire pressure gauge standard equipment for any car I own.

Be aware that the Nissan suggested pressure seems to be much too low for LRR tires. Most of us run 40 psi or higher.

I just replaced my factory Ecrapia's today, 25k and rears are basically bald(they were on the front until 15k) and fronts were pretty well worn, at least on the edges. I kind of wanted Michelin Defenders but was scared off by reading old threads talking about how much they affected range, for sure at first but it seemed also a bit after they were broke in. Anyway I went with the new and improved..... Ecopia + 70k tires(205-16) which were about $50 cheaper for the set than the 90k Michelins. So when I get home I go to check the tire pressure, figuring they probably underinflated them, and they were at 38psi. Well ever since my originals started wearing on the outside edges very quickly I've been in the habit of running 44psi or max. I get out my air compressor and start adding air, all the sudden the horn beeps quickly 3 times! I've never heard this before, I figured they must have enabled something at Costco. Anyway after the beeps I check the pressure and it's 42psi(according to my somewhat accurate tire pressure gauge). I add a couple more pounds to get to 44psi and all is good. I repeated this for each tire and after each tire got to ~42 psi the horn would beep 3 times. For the last 2 tires I just inflated a couple seconds past the beeps and that turned out to be 44psi or what I wanted.
My question is this, nothing I've read talks about 3 rapid beeps of the horn(only 3 flashes of the hazard lights) is this normal and does it mean it thinks my tires are over inflated? Truthfully I didn't even notice if the hazard indicators flashed, I'd think it would be hard to see them when filling the tires :? Lastly I've never noticed the beeping horn but do regularly check and inflate my tires, I'm thinking it may be due to the fact that I generally turn off the car when checking or adding air, sounds like the car needs to be ON to get the beeps? At first I was going to give Costco hell for enabling something that I might not want(beeping horn when adding air) but it sounds like it may have been enabled all along, I just finally discovered it :idea:

 

[LeftieBiker]

IIRC the horn does sound when it gets 4psi over the preset 36psi. BTW, 40psi should be enough to prevent extra wear, and 42psi enough for best range as well. I try to avoid inflating to the maximum recommended pressure.

 

[jjeff]

BTW, 40psi should be enough to prevent extra wear, and 42psi enough for best range as well. I try to avoid inflating to the maximum recommended pressure.

I'm also that way on other things too, not running at max but rather a bit below but in regards to the tires I figure they must have some cushion built in, I mean I have a very accurate gauge but I bet lots of the cheap ones could be 5psi or more off. I'm pretty confident if my gauge says 44psi it isn't more than a pound or two off, I'm also a bit ticked the Leaf, even properly aligned, seems to wear much quicker on the outside edges than inside or center, for sure I'll never run the 38psi that I ran for the first 10k miles of my original tires where the front outside edges were very worn, thats crazy and something I've never ran into in all my years of vehicles(well unless the car was very much out of alignment).

 

[atikovi]

BTW, 40psi should be enough to prevent extra wear, and 42psi enough for best range as well. I try to avoid inflating to the maximum recommended pressure.

Those with first gen Honda Insights often fill the tires to 50 or 60 psi. I've read about one guy on the forum there that does 80. :shock:

 

[BillHolz]

WRT the horn beeping when adding air to the tires. I think you were setting off the tire pressure delta warning. If it is enabled, it warns you when the difference between the lowest and highest is more than a settable delta pressure. It can be set in Leaf Spy Pro in .5psi increments up to 5psi.

 

[jjeff]

WRT the horn beeping when adding air to the tires. I think you were setting off the tire pressure delta warning. If it is enabled, it warns you when the difference between the lowest and highest is more than a settable delta pressure. It can be set in Leaf Spy Pro in .5psi increments up to 5psi.

Interesting, that could be. Like I said previously I've never heard this before and had the vehicle since new but I'm not positive I ever added air to the tires when the ignition was on....
The other thing that threw me was the horn beeped 3 times in rapid succession, everything I've read says the horn beeps(no number of times specified) and the blinkers blink 3 times. Since I'd never ran into this before I wasn't paying attention to the blinkers and even if I was I'd have to think adding air to the tires it would be hard to see the flashers :?