Checking of tyre pressure, oil and coolant.

[Bojmobile 0]

Hey guys,

 

How often do you check:-

 

Tyre Pressures

Oil

Coolant

 

and what are your findings?

 

I check mine every couple of weeks - usually find my pressures are about 5psi off on the front and fine at the rear.

[dr_mat 0]

Sounds like a reasonable time scale. Depends on mileage really, I do very few miles in the C so I don't check it so often.

 

Also sounds like you have corroded wheel rims. My old set of wheels were a bit rough and the tyres just didn't seal well, they'd lose a few PSI within a few days of topping up. My new(er) wheels will go months between top ups though..

[Sonicriot13 0]

Yeah, I do about 30 miles a day to work and back and I just about never have to top the tyres up. Oil and water is a slightly different story though.... Anyhow, I check all of the above every weekend. It doesn't use too much oil but I've got water leaking from several places at the moment. Needs topping up every two weeks or so just to keep on top of it. I do however need to get my finger out. With winter coming I don't really want anything freezing or something catastrophic like a small leak turning into a big one at a bad time....

[Jim Bowen 1]

everyweek for oil and coolant and tyres probably every too, car uses quite a bit of oil so daren't risk letting it go dry

 

is there an oil warning light? and of what does it warn?

[jonnyboyo 0]

Tyres prob every 2wks as they never really lose pressure. But i'm really geeky with the oil/water though. I check it almost daily as with any old car (mines 17) with over 100k you never know when something will pop or split.

[Supercharged 2]

Yeah, try to check mine reguarly but luckily hardly ever have to top up...

 

5PSI is alot in 2 weeks, either a slow puncture or as mentioned wheel corrosion which isn't unlikely with originals... worth maybe trying some ultraseal or similar! - other thing it could be is the valves if they weren't changed - worth trying metal dust caps with the O ring seal (bike shop)

[Yandards 0]

Ideally the only reason you should be putting air/removing it is due to temperature differences (ie summer/winter)

 

5psi in 2 weeks is alot and I would get them down to a garage or whip them off yourself and run them through some water looking for bubble to see if/where you have a leak.

[Wendy 0]

I check mine reguarly, normally as part of the Car Wash Routine.

 

Oil - never needs any - ever !

 

Water - occassionaly - when problems started to arise, otherwise hardly ever - like once annually

 

Type Pressures - also about 5psi every two weeks on one tyre in particular.

 

Will take note to get this checked as suggested earlier - Thanks

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Tyres - Very rarely check. I can feel when they need pumping up. I lose 2 psi every 6 months or so.

 

Bear in mind the pressure will be about 4psi higher when checked hot.

 

Oil and water are checked daily because I lift the bonnet every night when parking up in the garage to help the turbo cool down. Water never moves. Oil needs a litre top up every 3000 miles or so due to the forged pistons. They use a bit.

 

is there an oil warning light? and of what does it warn?

 

Yes, and a buzzer.

 

It warns of low pressure only. Low pressure can come from:-

 

No oil

Oil starvation mid bend

Knackered big end bearings

Knackered main bearings

[Jim Bowen 1]

how can people use no oil at all? thats unfair :lol:

[Bojmobile 0]

I thought VR6s were notorious for using oil?

[vwdeviant 0]

Reminds me I should do all these!

 

Oil was about 2 weeks ago.. added a litre!

[Wendy 0]

Re the oil - I know !!

 

Sorry, but it's true, the car never uses any - well 1/2 a litre every two years - to be exact.

I do not drive my car hard until oil temperature is up to 80 degrees and do very few short runs, rarely sit in traffic for more than a few minutes. Don't know if all this has some bearing - but makes sense to me to be assisting in the little oil usuage.

 

Having previously had older cars that certainly did burn oil, I keep checking every time despite having owned my Corrado for 5 years now.

 

I wish I did not go through tyres so quickly though.

 

Well, its not that quickly, its combined with the 12k miles i complete per annum - minimum and therefore just feels like i am always buying new tyres.

 

The tracking, cambers etc are fairly reguarly checked, the wear is even, so it is just down to the mileage, oh possibly a little spirited driving at times - but rare of course !!!! :lol:

[Kevin Bacon 5]

1/2 litre in 24,000 miles must be some kind of record for a VR6!

 

So long as there's no embarrassing blue smoke and the oil hasn't fallen off the bottom of the dipstick every time you check it, I don't care about consumption tbh. It's a performance engine, comes with the territory. VTECs get through a fair lick of the stuff, as do M3 engines, or any engine that sees some revvy abuse. They have loose bore tolerances for less friction and therefore more power.

 

My old Allegro 1300 used more oil than petrol. It was far WORSE than Del Boy's yellow "TITs" van! Couldn't see out the back at all.

[moneypit23 0]

I rarely check my tyres, i know when the pressure is wrong like it is now, i've got them a bit on the high side trying to get a few more metres to the gallon.

 

The water gets checked when the light comes on and the oil gets checked when it starts beeping on quick corners. I don't like having to go under the bonnet because the release seems really flakey like its going to give up.

[Bojmobile 0]

Moneypit - I like your style!

[ZippyVR6 0]

The variance in pressures could be put down to dodgy iar compresors at garages. They are notourious for being inaccurate.

 

So what pressure would you put in a Standard VR6 ?

I keep mine at 30 PSi but the Toyos seem to roll on the edges. But after going through a set of Pirellis in 6k a few years ago because they were over inflated, I dont want to fill them with too much air.

[Andy665 0]

Check all of them every week on all of the cars.

 

Corrado and Saab never use water or oil, Passat uses a bit of oil and water but at a very consistent rate, tyre pressures seem to be all over the place

[Gypsydal 0]

Like most of you...tyres every coupla weeks or so (depending on the queue for air at my local Tesco :mad2: )

Oil and water every week....hardly ever needs water...but she seems to be guzzling oil. Have to top up every week. Not huge amounts but consistant.

...something else to add to my long list of 'things to check out' :shrug:

[CazzaVR 0]

Oil and coolant every couple of weeks. The current VR has only used 1/2 litre of oil since I bought it 16 months ago. It's gone through plenty of coolant though...

 

Don't check tyres too often- can usually tell if they need inflating.

[skinnyman9000 0]

oil and coolant every time it gets cleaned, so every weekend effectively. But my tyres are naff, rear one has a bad leak, it was 34psi 2 weeks ago, went down tonight and it was 14, hmmm

[Critical_Mass 10]

Again, no oil consumption (or at least that i can work out) hasnt used a drop since its last and only 2nd oil change :D which was 4k miles ago. Though i WILL be looking after it. Water is spot on too. As for the tyres they get checked when either A - i remember B - see one of the tyres seems low.

[joeshenton 0]

hi guys

i run a standard vr6 - what should my tyre pressures be on the front and back?

got the car a couple of months ago and never got a manual - what is the reccomended pressures in the book?

 

cheers

[Critical_Mass 10]

hi guys

i run a standard vr6 - what should my tyre pressures be on the front and back?

got the car a couple of months ago and never got a manual - what is the reccomended pressures in the book?

 

cheers

 

lo mate,

 

If you look on the inside of the drivers door theres a sticker telling you what they are. I think its 32 psi front 34 psi back cant honestly remember.

[craigowl 0]

I had slow loss of pressure in tyres all round. Really annoying having to blow em up each time you got her out for a run.

Had the wheels refurbed (£230) after a test I did with slightly soapy water showed tiny bubbles coming out at the rims.

Wheel refurb was best labour saving thing Ive done for a while!

 

Same thing with our Pug 205 (now 17). New steel wheels from Peug for about £23 each well worth it.

 

Never really need oil. I changed it a few years ago and it is still golden-syrup-coloured with hardly any black in it. Only do about 1000 miles per year, though.

 

Having a slight coolant drip from new crack pipe joint (grrrrr! - if it ain't broke, don't fix it) but may be solved now after fiddling with O ring :camp: .

Otherwise no coolant or power steering fluid loss.