Yahoo Message Number: 5034 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/5034)
Got Stuck in Bumper to Bumper Downhill crawl off of Mt. Hood, Oregon yesterday afternoon on westbound Hwy 26. I had the transmission locked into 3rd gear but had to occasionlly use my brakes, even thought most of the time I was in 1st or 2nd gear with the exhaust brake on. Near the bottom of the very long grade the Smart Tire monitor started Beeping and a Red Light flashed. As I scrolled through the tire temps. I saw the Driver's inside Tire at 190 degrees, it rose to 194. I stopped and felt all of the tires. None were abnornally Hot to the touch and Smart Tire indicated the pressures a little high because of the high temps. I thought of a defective sensor. Many miles down the road the temp dropped to 172 and red lignt went out. The other inside rear sensor was at 172. Eventualyy both dropped to 154 for the duration on our trip home to Milwaukie. I thought the cause must have been hot brakes that trasferred the heat from the brake drums into the inside steel rims. I've noticed that the inside rear tires always run 30 to 40 degrees higher than the outside tires, even on the open road with no brake usage for hours. I've check tire pressues manually with a Good gauge and Smart tire readings are relativly close to manual gauge readings. Anyone else have similiar expereinces? Thanks
Lee '01 Intrigue #11219 & was towing a 4,250 Ranger Pickup WITHOUT Brakes ! ! ! ! Yipes, when we start "Most Timing" It. I will definitely get brakes on my Towed unit....
Yahoo Message Number: 5051 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/5051)
Yes, I have had a red light on the Smart Tire with lots of braking.
The inner rear AL wheels wrap around (2 out of 3 sides) the brake drums. The brake drum heat radiates to the AL which the sensors are strapped to. That aluminum gets hotter faster than the air or rubber tire. So in one sense, it is a false reading. In another sense, it says to try to be more careful with the brakes, if you can. The alarm can come 5-10 minutes after the heavy or just repeated braking because of the time it takes for the heat transfer to the AL wheels.
First time it was quite a surprise. Now, if I am braking more than usual, I will watch the tire (or should I say the AL wheel) temp sensors so that I can adjust my driving or expect the alarm.
And it takes a while for them to cool down too, even on a uphill grade with no brakes.
Inside tires do see to run hotter, also the outside tires facing the sun shows higher temps and pressures.
Herb
Allure 2002 #30690
Yahoo Message Number: 5059 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/5059)
Use the old truck driver system to avoid brake use on down hill grades. Go down the hill in the same gear you went up or even drop one gear lower and you will not need the brakes as much. We have Smart Tire and have never activated the alarm using this system.
Bill G. 2001 Magna #5998
Yahoo Message Number: 5087 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/5087)
Lee,
My inside rear tires always run hotter by about the same amount... but in the 30, 000 miles that I have on my coach I have not had any alarms. That is, since I had my coach weighed and my Smart Tire programmed properly at Les Schwab. Prior to that I had PLENTY of alarms.
Dick May
2002 Intrigue, #11438
"The problem with doing nothing is not knowing when you are finished."