Best location?

[Buckman]

I have the caravan satnav which is stuck on bottom right corner of the windscreen. However I have been mounting the TPMS on the bottom corner of the left side of the windscreen. However on that side I have a concern about the airbag and whether it would push the TPMS into the passengers face or am i worrying about nothing?

 

[otherclive]

I have the caravanb satnav which is stuck on bottom right corner of the windscreen. However I have been mounting the TPMS on the bottom corner of the left side of the windscreen. However on that side I have a concern about the airbag and whether it would push the TPMS into the passengers face or am i worrying about nothing?

If its in the inflation area of the airbag then it is a safety risk to the passenger, and depending how the air bag inflates it could be a risk to the driver even when solo.

 

[Buckman]

If its in the inflation area of the airbag then it is a safety risk to the passenger, and depending how the air bag inflates it could be a risk to the driver even when solo.

As far as I can see the airbag is built into the front dash on the passenger side, but have no idea how it would inflate in an emergency.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I have the caravan satnav which is stuck on bottom right corner of the windscreen. However I have been mounting the TPMS on the bottom corner of the left side of the windscreen. However on that side I have a concern about the airbag and whether it would push the TPMS into the passengers face or am i worrying about nothing?

Of course its a potential problem, but in general air bags arn't directed at the windows, they are directed at the cocupants of the car, but it all depends on the precisis design of the car as to whether items fixed to the widows would be caught by the expanding bag.

As you don't know the answer assume it is a risk.

 

[Dustydog]

My VW has front , side and overhead bags for the driver and passenger. Surely Buckman’s Jeep will be similar?Maybe a further think about the situation from your ancillary kit?

 

[Hutch]

Is the TMPS for the caravan ,not the car, I would think anything on the windscreen would be ok as the Airbags protect the passengers from going forward in the car in the event of an incident.

 

[Mr Plodd]

Items on top of a dashboard are highly unlikely to be fired at any passenger, they are located in positions so that, in the event of activation they go out towards the passenger and not up towards the screen.

However its important nit to have a bunch of keys etc on a lanyard around your neck if the airbag goes off there's a good chance the force will drive a key (or similar) through the chest wall. That HAS happened to district nurses etc when a steering wheel airbag has gone off. It's made worse by the fect that women tend to sit close to the steering wheel.

At very serious risk are women who, for some bIzarre reason, choose to ride in the passenger seat with their feet up on the dashboard.when the airbag activates.

I dealt with one crash when that scenario happened. Two badly broken femurs. One shattered tibia, one dislocated knee and two broken hips. Many hours in surgery, followed by months in hospital and over two years of physio.

 

[RogerL]

Many modern cars have side airbags, including in the front screen piilars - so anything attached to the windscreen in the corners could be projected by the airbags.

 

[Buckman]

The Jeep does have knee bags and also the side bags and seat side bags. Looking at the owner's manual it seems that the front airbag may be an issue as it is under the front dashboard. I have no idea how it would deploy.

My thinking is that it would lift the dashboard upwards so that part is behind the airbag and the dashboard part is moved towards the windscreen area. Difficult to see from the diagram in the owner's manual.

The concern has arisen after having to brake extremely hard the other day to avoid a collision on a round about. I was in the middle lane to go ahead and there was a vehicle slightly ahead of me in the left lane. They had their indicator on to show they were taking the first turning to their left. In stead they cancelled at the last minute and then proceed to cut across me to turn right and take the third exit. I am not sure how we missed them.

On Saturday the daughter and family came to visit us and they brought their two dogs. On leaving with her sitting in the passenger seat, she had one of the dogs on her lap which in my opinion is very dangerous. Granted they were only travelling 4 miles on a quiet rural road, but you still get idiots on the road that drive like they own the roads. She has been advised not to do it again due to the danger.

 

[RogerL]

The Jeep does have knee bags and also the side bags and seat side bags. Looking at the owner's manual it seems that the front airbag may be an issue as it is under the front dashboard. I have no idea how it would deploy.

My thinking is that it would lift the dashboard upwards so that part is behind the airbag and the dashboard part is moved towards the windscreen area. Difficult to see from the diagram in the owner's manual.

The concern has arisen after having to brake extremely hard the other day to avoid a collision on a round about. I was in the middle lane to go ahead and there was a vehicle slightly ahead of me in the left lane. They had their indicator on to show they were taking the first turning to their left. In stead they cancelled at the last minute and then proceed to cut across me to turn right and take the third exit. I am not sure how we missed them.

On Saturday the daughter and family came to visit us and they brought their two dogs. On leaving with her sitting in the passenger seat, she had one of the dogs on her lap which in my opinion is very dangerous. Granted they were only travelling 4 miles on a quiet rural road, but you still get idiots on the road that drive like they own the roads. She has been advised not to do it again due to the danger.

I understand it's now an offence to travel with unrestrained animals in a car, either strapped to the existing seat belts or caged in the boot. I'm not sure if it's the driver or the pasenger that would pay the fine.

 

[otherclive]

The Jeep does have knee bags and also the side bags and seat side bags. Looking at the owner's manual it seems that the front airbag may be an issue as it is under the front dashboard. I have no idea how it would deploy.



My thinking is that it would lift the dashboard upwards so that part is behind the airbag and the dashboard part is moved towards the windscreen area. Difficult to see from the diagram in the owner's manual.

The concern has arisen after having to brake extremely hard the other day to avoid a collision on a round about. I was in the middle lane to go ahead and there was a vehicle slightly ahead of me in the left lane. They had their indicator on to show they were taking the first turning to their left. In stead they cancelled at the last minute and then proceed to cut across me to turn right and take the third exit. I am not sure how we missed them.

On Saturday the daughter and family came to visit us and they brought their two dogs. On leaving with her sitting in the passenger seat, she had one of the dogs on her lap which in my opinion is very dangerous. Granted they were only travelling 4 miles on a quiet rural road, but you still get idiots on the road that drive like they own the roads. She has been advised not to do it again due to the danger.

Good advice to your daughter. Mile for mile travelled rural roads make smart motorways look good. They have the highest statistics of all.

 

[JTQ]

Our Tyrepal, albeit an older model, has an audible warning so there is no real need for it to be visible whilst driving, so could be left for example in the console's bits tray.
It had done its thing when I use the mover to bring the van up, so only needs looking at when I get into the driving seat. That "need" is really only to reassure me the vans tyre pressures are correct, something even the car's inbuilt system does not provide. Both our cars only give an audible warning, coupled with a rather uninformative "low pressure" warning icon.

So IMO we don't "need" to mount our trailer TPMS in a directly and continuously visible location, if there it could become a missile.

 

[Buckman]

Good point however if you have a "slow" leak the alarm will not sound until it reaches the parameters that have been set. We have had two blow outs and I assume this was because there was a leak and the tyre slowly deflated, got hot and then exploded. In one case we did not have the TPMS and the other we did have the TPMS, but we were already on site when the tyre exploded.

 

[otherclive]

Aren’t the TPMS warning thresholds set so that a slowly deflating tyre will trigger a warning before it becomes a hazard to itself.

 

[Buckman]

Aren’t the TPMS warning thresholds set so that a slowly deflating tyre will trigger a warning before it becomes a hazard to itself.

It is set by the user and I think the recommendation is 5psi . Our tyre pressure is 49psi and we have the low warning to trigger at 45psi and the high at 54psi. Similar with temperature of the tyre, but we allow 5C above the normal operating temperature.

 

[JTQ]

Aren’t the TPMS warning thresholds set so that a slowly deflating tyre will trigger a warning before it becomes a hazard to itself.

In our case, now with an old Tyrepal TB99, the setting suggested for a low pressure alret warning is, to quote "15% below recommended pressure "
Therefore, the recommended, well the cold static value, in our case is 65 psi, the suggested Tyrepal alert would come in at 55psi.
To me, this is absolutely nuts, any value that is below the tyre makers recommended, I want to know about and make decisions on.
In use a tyre must get warm relative to the ambient, so anything below is not right.
If we don't follow the tyre makers given values reacting to changing ambient, and say have the value right only on a 10C day, though couple the van up on a -5C day, then there will be initially a sub recommended pressure.
I tend to be able to twig this, so I don't generally alter the inflation to reflect ambient changes when I tow, they are at 65 psi on a 10C type day. Basically, I only now tow in a pleasurable caravanning ambient!

I most definitely want to be aware if towing they are ever below that, most definitely long before they drop to 55 psi.
Also, if underinflated, that does tend to be self-correcting in the tyre "works" hard and the walls plus air heat up, disguising on a pressure only basis, the drama the tyre carcass is enduring.
Here the temperature warning might help, but looked at logically, the stem fitted sensors I have are quite remote from the tyre wall, and as the wheel rotates centrifual induced air flow is pulling ambient air over the sensor and rim, little chance it knowing anything about the abuse temperature of the wall, IMO.

So, I have my low warning just below 65 psi; that never goes off and I am pretty sure I am running my tyres as their maker's intended inflation pressure. Thats presently Goodyear, and I feel happy they know what is right, rather than tolerating running 15% below that value as Tyrepal suggest as the threshold of an alert evelope.

 

[Raywood]

I would speak to the dealer f bought from one as they are better equipped to deal with tthis.

 

[Buckman]

I would speak to the dealer f bought from one as they are better equipped to deal with tthis.

Dealer for what? Tyrepal or car etc? I have had a good look at the passenger dashboard area tro se where the "splits" for the airbag are located. It does look as if the TPMS will not affect the air bag deployment or the air bag deployment cause the TPMS to be shoved into the passengers face due to the way the "split" in the dashboard will open.

 

[Johnb]

It is set by the user and I think the recommendation is 5psi . Our tyre pressure is 49psi and we have the low warning to trigger at 45psi and the high at 54psi. Similar with temperature of the tyre, but we allow 5C above the normal operating temperature.

Amazed.

It's not unusual to see our 65 psi tyres warm up by just under an extra 10psi. This is particularly likely when towing at speed abroad and not only a high ambient temperature but the sun striking the tyre for long periods and a hot road surface.

But be that as it may the reassurance that things are working as intended is always welcome.

 

[Hutch]

Amazed.

It's not unusual to see our 65 psi tyres warm up by just under an extra 10psi. This is particularly likely when towing at speed abroad and not only a high ambient temperature but the sun striking the tyre for long periods and a hot road surface.

But be that as it may the reassurance that things are working as intended is always welcome.

I see the same pressure rise, so it is nice to know that several of us get the same readings.

 

[Mr Plodd]

Add me to that list !

 

[JTQ]

And me, but then it is a single axle of 1900 kgs running as it has to on "Cargo tyres" with 65 psi base setting pressure, not a twin running on what could be and might be domestic car tyres. Where used with an initial inflation pressure of circa 49 psi as a base.
Quite differing types of units altogether.

I still consider its "nuts" to dilly waiting till the in-use tyre pressure drops way below that of the static cool base value before alerting the running tyre is in distress, running way below pressure never can be "right".
If one morning it alerts, then yes for me it is easy enough to mentally conclude that's just down a tad and evidently because it's so damn cold that morning, accept the alert and just eyeball check during the first mile it moves quickly back up as it should.

 

[Buckman]

Amazed.

It's not unusual to see our 65 psi tyres warm up by just under an extra 10psi. This is particularly likely when towing at speed abroad and not only a high ambient temperature but the sun striking the tyre for long periods and a hot road surface.

But be that as it may the reassurance that things are working as intended is always welcome.

I have no idea whether a single axle will cause the pressure to change by more than 5psi as ours is a twin axle.

 

[Mr Plodd]

Going back to "Stuff sitting on the dasboard" Firstly the drivers airbag is located in the steering wheel not the dashboard. Secondly the passengers air bag is directly in front of them and if activated comes out horizontally and only then inflates upwards (in addition to inflating outwards) so anything on top of the dash will be forced away from the passenger and back towards the screen.
If you are at all concerned, place any TPS monitor or similar in the centre of the the dash. Most cars have a speaker there, so sit it on the speaker grill as that isnt going to move if an airbag goes off.

 

[Buckman]

Going back to "Stuff sitting on the dasboard" Firstly the drivers airbag is located in the steering wheel not the dashboard. Secondly the passengers air bag is directly in front of them and if activated comes out horizontally and only then inflates upwards (in addition to inflating outwards) so anything on top of the dash will be forced away from the passenger and back towards the screen.
If you are at all concerned, place any TPS monitor or similar in the centre of the the dash. Most cars have a speaker there, so sit it on the speaker grill as that isnt going to move if an airbag goes off.

I am aware of the driver's side not being an issue, but was concerned about the front passenger. I have never had an airbag activated or seen one activate so have no idea, but what you say makes sense as you have the experience.

Due to the depth of the dashboard it is difficult to reach the middle of the windscreen and secondly as it may be in line of sight it may cause a distraction which is why I prefer such gadgets out of my direct line of sight.