Product Test..SuperCheap Steel Mate Tire Pressure Monitoring System

[McGirr]

Have been looking for a TPMS system for a while and this one looked good and great value at $149.



Installation: easy just screw in the sensors, it tells you which tires to put them on and attach the cigarette display into a socket. The kit comes in a small box and a locking nut with tool to screw the nut in.



Instructions: simple and easy to read.

Over view: the display rotates between each tire giving you the pressure each tire has.



Road Test: for the 3 days it was used on tar and dirt roads it worked well. The temperature rose in each tire as expected and gives you a good idea how the tires are going. My tires went up to 41 in the front to 45 in the rear while towing a camper.

Reliability: early days but happy so far.


Mark

[GGV8Cruza]

Let us know how it goes Mark, I saw them last time I was in a store and they had no price displayed. If I saw them for that much I may have some fitted

GG

[Ynot]

Cheers Mark, I look forward to hearing how the go over time.


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[Matto]

I Saw these in the last catalogue and thought I might pick up a set. Very happy to hear they work - I may be swayed.

I never really had much time for tyre pressure gadgets, until I blew a tire while driving in the US. All new cars over there have to have a tyre pressure warning system installed, and this thing saved my bacon. It completely changed my mind, and I've been wanting to get one myself ever since.

Cheers,
Matto

[swanny]

I also spotted them in cattledog here last week, I have been interested in something like this also, and for the price if they turn out to be a reliable item, then I to will be swayed, particularly given the price of other brands out there.

Good review.

Will watch with interest.

Swanny

[GeeTee]

Yes three days is indeed very early days for reliability - standing in a creek for an hour, being caked in mud and 10,000km of corrugations might change that! - but the 12V accessory socket 'install' is a smart and simple idea.
Does it have an audible alarm? I assume the four green dots on the display indicate the tyre positions?

[McGirr]

Yes three days is indeed very early days for reliability - standing in a creek for an hour, being caked in mud and 10,000km of corrugations might change that! - but the 12V accessory socket 'install' is a smart and simple idea.
Does it have an audible alarm? I assume the four green dots on the display indicate the tyre positions?

Yes early days and the alarm is loud and the green dots light up as it checks the tyres pressure.

Mark

[Jeepers Creepers]

It will double as battery condition monitor as well.

If all the green dots disappear, you've got a flat battery. 

Yeah yeah, going to my naughty corner now.

[McGirr]

Well I can report that this system performed perfect on the recent Cape Trip. Corrugations, water crossings, traveling over the Old Coach Road and it never faulted.

Only once it went off after I hit a pot hole but checked the tyre and no problems.

Very happy with the set up.

Mark

[champin]

Just been checking some of them out earlier on. Digoptions have a system with a what looks like a dash mounted screen for $199. Also have an option for a tire monitor to pair with their GPS. Doesn't look like a bad set up.

[Marcus73]

Is the pressure that the alarm sounds set by the operator or preset and if the operator, how hard was it to do?

Cheers


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[McGirr]

Is the pressure that the alarm sounds set by the operator or preset and if the operator, how hard was it to do?

Cheers


Sent from your iPad using Mental telepathy

The alarm is loud. The sensors just screw on the tyres and the unit goes into a cig plug.

Mark

[Patr80l]

Just did a search on eBay.   The Steelmate brand also do a kit with all four readings on the one display.   Might be a bit small to read for those of use with old eyes.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/STEELMATE-TP-71-DIY-WIRELESS-TPMS-TYRE-PRESSURE-MONITOR-SYSTEM-4-SENSORS-SILVER-/171356554037?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27e5a58335&_uhb=1

[dazzler]

Thanks for the review.


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[champin]

Just wondering if those screw on valve sensor thingos would get knocked of in the bush. Or how they would fare on a corrugated road.

[McGirr]

Just wondering if those screw on valve sensor thingos would get knocked of in the bush. Or how they would fare on a corrugated road.

I did over 2500klm on the rough roads of the Cape and never had a problem.

We tackled the Old Coach Road and that is one hell of a rough track.

Mark

[champin]

Thanks Mark. I think I will be investing in a set up in the very near future. I have just reshod with Toyo AT2s so it would make it easier finding out my best pressures on and off road using the old 4psi rule.

[Matto]

I might have to pick up a set of these nest time they're on special then. Sounds like they've acquitted themselves well through the Cape trip.

Aside - how was the Old Coach Road (other than rough) Mr McGirr? It's been on my list for a while, but I've always been a bit hesitant as to whether my little car would cope OK or would sustain damage. Some of the bits I've seen on Youtube and videos make it look either ridiculously easy, or terribly hard.

Cheers,
Matto

[Matto]

Is the pressure that the alarm sounds set by the operator or preset and if the operator, how hard was it to do?

Just following up on this one from Marcus - is there any way to change the pressure setting for the alarm McGirr?

The link that Patr80l posted above states that the low pressure warning is set to 25psi. When towing on sand I'll run much lower than that - do I have to deal with the alarm going off constantly, or is it easy to adjust the alarm pressure setting up and down? Or can you cancel the alarm and shut it up, and then just monitor the pressures via the display?

Cheers,
Matto

[McGirr]

I might have to pick up a set of these nest time they're on special then. Sounds like they've acquitted themselves well through the Cape trip.

Aside - how was the Old Coach Road (other than rough) Mr McGirr? It's been on my list for a while, but I've always been a bit hesitant as to whether my little car would cope OK or would sustain damage. Some of the bits I've seen on Youtube and videos make it look either ridiculously easy, or terribly hard.

Cheers,
Matto

Mate that track was slow and rough. Alot of rocky climbs in low range that seemed to go forever. The trip report will have alot of pics.

Mark 

[McGirr]

Just following up on this one from Marcus - is there any way to change the pressure setting for the alarm McGirr?

The link that Patr80l posted above states that the low pressure warning is set to 25psi. When towing on sand I'll run much lower than that - do I have to deal with the alarm going off constantly, or is it easy to adjust the alarm pressure setting up and down? Or can you cancel the alarm and shut it up, and then just monitor the pressures via the display?

Cheers,
Matto

when I drove on the sand I took them off so it was easy to pump the tyres up. I will have to read the instructions regrading the minimum psi it will go down to.

Mark 

[Muckinhell]

thats a cool display, using something that isnt overly used in the front the ciggy socket.. i also like this one i just found using you phone and a app, i typically run my phone on a cradle using the gps on the longer runs wich is really when you would use the tpms,

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/TPMS-Tire-Tyre-pressure-monitoring-system-Blue-Tooth-Apple-Android-4-x-Sensors-/181262142335?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2a3410cb7f

[Eski]

Just wondering what the cover on the external sensors is?

I have a Jette 400 TPMS and the sensor covers are plastic and break easily and have had 3 of the 6 sensors go bad...   At $90 a pair they get expensive...

I'm hoping the sensor quality has got better...

[muzza01]

How is the TPMS going Mark. Still working AOK?

[Rodt]

I just had a look on the SuperCheap website and they are advertised at $139 http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online-store/products/Steel-Mate-Tyre-Pressure-Monitoring-System-TP-75.aspx?pid=343875#Cross

Rod