Complete Auto Repair
ASE Certified Technicians
All Makes & Models - Foreign & Domestic
Locally Owned & Operated
We Perform A/C Service Work
January 17, 2017
Austin drivers know that underinflated tires wear out more quickly. Underinflation is also a major cause of tire failure for Texas auto owners. More flats, blow outs, skids and longer stopping distances are all results of underinflated tires.
It's hard for many Austin drivers to tell when a radial tire is underinflated. If your owner’s manual recommends 35 pounds of pressure, your tire is considered significantly under-inflated at 26 pounds. The tire may not look low until it gets below 20 pounds.
Uncle Sam to the rescue! A recent U.S. federal law required vehicle manufacturer’s to include a Tire Pressure Monitoring System - or TPMS system - in all vehicles. Many Canadian vehicles have them as well. The system is a dashboard mounted warning light that goes off if one or more of the tires falls 25% below its pressure recommendations.
Obviously, all of this doesn't come free for Austin car owners. Government studies have estimated the net costs. Of course, the TPMS system itself will cost something. Maintaining the system will have a cost, replacement of worn or broken parts and tire repair cost increases. The net cost is estimated to be between $27 and $100.
Texas service centers have purchased new scanning equipment to work with the TPMS sensors and updated expensive tire change equipment to better service wheels equipped with the new monitoring systems.
Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Austin service advisors have been trained on many systems and new tire-changing techniques. All of this adds up to significantly increased cost to the service center to perform what was once a very inexpensive service. So if you've noticed the cost of flat repairs, tire changes, and rotations going up, please keep in mind that it's because of government mandated safety equipment. Your Austin service center just wants to keep you safely on the road - and it's committed to do so at a fair price. Remember, this change will help you avoid the most common vehicle failure, and possibly a catastrophic accident.
Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Austin
1170 Anderson Mill Rd
Austin, Texas 78750
512-258-3400
http://www.tuffyaustin.com
April 14, 2024
If every road was straight and smooth, we wouldn't have to worry much about wheel alignment. But they're not, so we do. Hitting potholes or driving on rough pavement can knock your vehicle out of alignment and you'll notice it in one of several ways. Your steering wheel may not be centered when ... More
April 7, 2024
All Austin service advisors know that without the alternator, the battery will go dead in a few miles. The serpentine belt may also run the pumps for both the power steering and power brakes. And on many vehicles, the serpentine belt powers the water pump. The water pump circulates coolant thro... More
March 31, 2024
Nearly every modern vehicle on the road today has power steering, a wonderful invention that makes steering take far less effort than it did in the "good old days." Today, we take our steering for granted: until something goes wrong, that is. Most power steering these days is rack-and-pinion, th... More
