Nissan’s clever tire inflation alert

 

 

Honk if you're full.Honk if you're full.

Improperly inflated tires are the root of many automotive problems. This holds true of heavy equipment and trucks as well. Nissan has come up with a simple way for consumers to know when their tires are properly inflated. When the correct pressure is reached, the car horn honks.

All new cars and trucks since 2008 come with tire pressure monitoring systems–basically an idiot light that comes on when your tire pressure falls more than 25 percent of normal. But 25 percent low is seriously underinflated and there’s no way short of sticking a gauge on the valve stem of knowing exactly what your pressure is. The horn honk is at least a step in the right direction.

Back in April we did a story on aftermarket TPMS systems in our publication ProPickup. These systems take the technology to the next level and provide a lot benefits especially for truck owners who haul heavy loads or trailer heavy equipment. It’s worth a gander (at the link) if that’s you.

As with many innovations on today’s vehicles, the first TPMS were introduced by small business entrepreneurs in the aftermarket. Equipment OEMs, are you listening?