Gen 4 in the twisties

41 is the answer to all things in the universe.

(I'm actually at 40, but close enough for Government work)

 

You can do 42.

or 40/38 or 41/39 etc. I do not do that but some folks swear by it. The reason I keep mine all the same is that I always have a heavy load in the back on long trips.

 

Can the power receptacle in my Gen4 handle the duties of a portable plug-in tire inflator pump? Without shorting something out? Or should I just buy a pump that plugs into the wall....

 

I can't count that high.

 

Absolutely.

Scuderia Priusi pointed that out for us-- Tire Rack sells two versions of the Ecopia EP422 Tire.

He had suggested that the OEM version had a lesser wear index than the other because Toyota wanted to present the customer with a superior driving experience at the time of purchase.

I had simply suggest an alternative theory as to why the OEM version was slightly different in this particular case.

Because it was made in a different country.

in any event, my takeaway from all that is that OEM tires can perform differently than thier seemingly identical (at first glance) replacements -- for whatever reason.

My other takeaway -- the one which matters most to me -- is to do my own research and not assume that Toyota found the best balance of tire characteristics

 

My mistake. Thought you said you could not get OEM/MIJ at TR and only at the dealer. That fine print is very confusing.

So I have bought OEM/MIJs for years from TR and a happy camper (any differences
I could not tell by driving/use or on the side wall). Dealers has stiffed armed me where I live but I have not tried a bigger dealer in another city so that is only a couple of data points. Maybe Auto Nation can get them.

 

My replacement OEM/MIJs have all performed the same so far and could not tell the difference in any category.

Disclaimer:

I do not nor any relative, co-worker, friend, or neighbor work / represent / Promote any tire company or business in any way. Just a consumer who has owned and operated Hybrids since 2002.

 

Decided to set my account like yours. Too much data displayed on the internet that is nobody's business.

 

I'm at 42 all-round

 

I know this isn't directed at me but I didn't see it addressed so I thought I should say something.... The pressure on the tire is the maximum cold inflation pressure for that tire. You most likely do not want to be at that pressure unless you're at the load limit of the car and you should not exceed that pressure.

 

44 is the max trie pressure on the sidewall.

36 is the recommended pressure for the front tires.

So I just split the difference, and went with 40 all the way around.

Easy to remember, and the car seems to handle very well. Not too hard; Not too soft. Thanks ETP.

 

A lot of the Jeep guys run a Q Industries MV50. It connects to your 12 volt battery and they seem to work well for the price. I haven't looked for a long time but you used to be able to find them for $50 or less at Pep Boys which is how they became so popular. They are a chinese-made cheap compressor that is slow and noisy, but they seem to work very well. The Jeep guys are normally filling 32 - 35 inch tires with these from around 15 psi to around 30 psi. One friend had his last two years, the other was on year 5 when the hose melted, but for $50 it's tough to beat.

Q Industries SuperFlow Hi-Volume Air Compressor — 12 Volt, 120 PSI, Model MV50 | Inflators| Northern Tool + Equipment

If you like the idea of a portable compressor but want a better one and don't mind paying for it VIAIR makes really great products. They're quieter, faster and more reliable than Q Industries. Most guys I know with these are running at least the 400P which is around $200.

VIAIR Corporation - 12-Volt & 24-Volt Air Compressors and Pneumatic Systems

If you don't think you want to haul the compressor around (or connect it to your 12v which is a whole other thread), your local harbor freight or pep boys will sell you a small 1 gallon pancake compressor for $50 - $60. The quality on them is not the best, but for the occasional tire top up they're fine.

Me? I have a CO2 tank in my Jeep I get filled at my local brew hut. It lasts me a summer without issue and provides really fast tire fill ups. The pressure I can get out of it is even enough to reseat a bead on the trail if I need to. I've been known to use it to top up my other cars and haven't had an issue yet despite what you'll read online about CO2 destroying sensors or eating rims or tires. In the shop I have a craftsman compressor and tank setup that I use for airtools and could use to top up a tire but really the CO2 is almost always more handy. For the Prius, I might actually break down and get the tires filled with nitrogen so I don't have to mess with the pressure come winter.

 

I bought this unit. It allows you to set a pressure and it inflates to that pressure and stops on it's own. Easy to set and see the pressure settings. Uses the Ryobi battery system, so no power cord to worry about. I am impressed.

 

Duplicate

 

Thanks, Mischief. By the way, what kind of bike you riding? I started out with a little 250 Yamaha dirt/street "enduro"... Then went up to a Honda 500 street bike.... Then to a Honda 750.... Then a Honda 1100....
Had two pretty serious crashes, and one minor one, and decided this is probably not for me! And riding on the Freeways just scared the heck outa me... Too crazy out here. People hate bikers like they hate Prius drivers!

 

Thanks Kevin. Rechargeable battery.

 

Kawasaki Z1000..... not mine just first one I found


When I decided I wanted a bike I did the MSF course first, got my license then went bike shopping. I had my heart set on a Triumph Speed Triple but let myself get talked out of it by some random coworker who rode. "1000cc for a first time bike! you're insane! You'll die!" Later spoke to my dad about it, he used to ride an Indian SuperChief back when they had the unique controls. He pointed out to me that it's a lot cheaper to just buy what you want from the start. By then the Triple had sold so I was out looking again that's when the Z1000 popped up as an option. Being a sport naked in the US they don't really hold their value very well. I've never regretted it as a first (and only) bike. Never had a problem due to too much or too little power, only accident I had was due to a car turning left in front of me like they like to do. Of course they drove off as well, leaving me laying on the highway, in the dark... I really love people. I think about half the people on the road hate motorcycles, the other half doesn't see them. At any rate, still have the bike, still ride. I keep playing with the idea of getting another bike, the Concours 14 really catches my eye and is relatively cheap for a 1,400 cc bike.

 

Man, that is a mean machine! The motorcycles of today, are 10 times more powerful than what I was riding, back in the 1980's. (Old dude here!) Have fun!

 

Thanks Scuderia for posting such a comprehensive answer. I've been using one of those stick type pressure gauges lately. I had a sweet little pump with attached gauge but it ran off with my ex... along with my tool chest. My air compressor is still here though. I wonder if I can get an accurate gauge to go on the end of the hose. I'm going to look into that. I'm definitely thinking I don't want to raise the pressure much from where my tires were set at delivery. I'd better check and see where that is and I'd better have a good gauge to do so. I usually keep them set at the recommended pressure since I prefer the more comfortable ride. To me, that means a combination of noise reduction and road grip. In the past, I've always purchased touring grade tires understanding they wouldn't last as long as the two million mile Michelins.

The one and only thing I'm going to miss about the car I traded in is the tire pressure monitor system. I could read the tire pressure in all four tires from my seat in the cabin. I don't know if it was accurate. But it was very educational to me to see the pressure go up and down with temperature and just driving around.

When I was a kid, I pumped up the tires on my car to where they looked good. I didn't know what a tire pressure gauge was. I don't know what the pressure in those babies was but I did wear out the treads in just the middle on all four. Dad taught me how to change tires, how to rebuild an engine, and how to chase electrical problems. But he didn't tell me about tire pressure! Bad Daddy! I sure miss him. He taught me I could do anything I wanted. He was a smart man.

 

You're welcome! As I said, sorry for the wall o text, I get carried away sometimes.

FWIW, I'm using the Q Industries MV50, also. I'm reasonably satisfied with it, but it is kinda heavy. Comes in a nice carry-bag with room for the coiled hose, power cord, battery clips, etc. The air valve that connects it to the tire is a bit fiddly, but once you get the hang of it, it works well enough. Decided on a 12V model since I wanted field portability. The MV 50 shouldn't be powered with the 12V Auxiliary outlet in the console - this air compressor is rated for 30 amps, which exceeds the maximum rating of the console outlet.

The equivalent VIAIR models are almost certainly "better", but are more $...like twice the price. No Can Justify.

As to the hate for bikers and Prii:

I think the hate is mostly for opposite reasons. though. Bikers get their hate for their all-too-common loud noise, and recklessness (by at least a few riders).

OTOH Prii get most of their hate for:

• their hypermileage-driving in traffic
• and/or for their all-too-often "I'm gonna camp in this left lane and do exactly the speed limit"
• and the "all you people going faster than the limit are hurting the planet, so I'll be the 'Official Pace Car of the Freeway" sanctimonious social-policeman attitude.

This is probably a good topic for another thread, sorry.