SmarTire Tire Monitoring System
03-10-2003, 10:58 AM
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SmarTire Tire Monitoring System
Hi everybody. You had lots of experience on installing and using SmarTire Tire Pressure/Temperature Monitoring System on your cars. I am one of the designers in SmarTire and I have an Audi A6 with one of our latest systems installed. We are doing some fine tuning on our current product. Like to have some feedback from you. Or feel free to ask any question you may have regarding our system.
03-10-2003, 11:17 AM
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I'd love to have one, but...
My tire installer refuses to put them in. Says it make installation of tires difficult. Also told me that units sometimes break loose, and can do damage inside the tire. Give the dynamic forces and thermal expansion stresses in the tires, I found that credible and worrisome.
As for the electronics, an easy installation and small size is most important. A shallow package and small power wires (if not battery power) would help, I would think. Perhaps a very thin readout connected by a fine cable to another module that can live inside the dash.
Mounting the readout so that it faces the driver might be helped by availability of two or three wedge-shaped pieces of different angles that could be placed on the back of the readout, allowing it to be mounted low on a curved dash surface, for instance.
Cosmetics of the readout should be made as consistent with car interiors as possible, something elegant which doesn't look to aftermarket.
I wish my car came with an integrated package.
As for the electronics, an easy installation and small size is most important. A shallow package and small power wires (if not battery power) would help, I would think. Perhaps a very thin readout connected by a fine cable to another module that can live inside the dash.
Mounting the readout so that it faces the driver might be helped by availability of two or three wedge-shaped pieces of different angles that could be placed on the back of the readout, allowing it to be mounted low on a curved dash surface, for instance.
Cosmetics of the readout should be made as consistent with car interiors as possible, something elegant which doesn't look to aftermarket.
I wish my car came with an integrated package.
03-10-2003, 11:19 AM
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A couple links...
<a href="http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AR4&url=%2Faccessories%2Fsmartire%2Fsmarti re_all.jsp">SmarTire 2nd Gen Basic Display</a>
<a href="http://ctny.a4.org/mark/s4/smartire/smartire.html">Smartire install pics</a>
<a href="http://ctny.a4.org/mark/s4/smartire/smartire.html">Smartire install pics</a>
03-10-2003, 11:29 AM
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Re: I'd love to have one, but...
These systems are on some super fast cars as factory installed. (approved by manufacturer) and also super bikes in our new system. They handle very high speeds at elevated temperatures, that the tires will melt (Tire starts to melt at around 120ēC). System is tested up to 3000G of acceleration which means you should drive at about 450km/h with your 19" rims (if you have one). It is a fully engineered package approved in all European contries and also North America.
Current package is not ideal, but you can modify the shape and color. It has a buzzer so you do not need to look at it all the times.
Tkae a look at Rims and Tire Forums we already answered some questions regarding the installation.
There is a integrated version for Audi from another manufacturer, but do you need that it has 4 antennas and lots of wire harness all around the car and less acurate than our system?
Current package is not ideal, but you can modify the shape and color. It has a buzzer so you do not need to look at it all the times.
Tkae a look at Rims and Tire Forums we already answered some questions regarding the installation.
There is a integrated version for Audi from another manufacturer, but do you need that it has 4 antennas and lots of wire harness all around the car and less acurate than our system?
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03-10-2003, 11:33 AM
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Re: Can this be retrofitted on a 2001 A6?
I do not have a 2001 model. Mine is a older body style (1997) but you can play with the display housing and make it smaller. for example I changed the LEDs for the buttons to red to have somthing compatible with the instrument panel. There is a nice place in 1997 for the display on top of the Stero system. I will check the recent body style to give you some ideas.
03-10-2003, 11:39 AM
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Sounds more like a sales pitch than a response to feedback. My concerns still exist....
I am an engineer for medical devices, so I know all about how a product can be designed for immense stresses and tested thoroughly, but still fail in the field. Remember, real people (not SmarTire employees) install these things, so perhaps that is an issue. A manufacturer needs to make the installation poke-a-yoke, idiot-proof.
If you are suggesting the 2nd generation version below, I've seen that. I'm looking for a 3rd generation. ;^)
Anyway, that's the feedback. Use it or don't.<ul><li><a href="http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AR4&url=%2Faccessories%2Fsmartire%2Fsmarti re_all.jsp">http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/smartire/smartire_all.jsp</a></li></ul>
If you are suggesting the 2nd generation version below, I've seen that. I'm looking for a 3rd generation. ;^)
Anyway, that's the feedback. Use it or don't.<ul><li><a href="http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AR4&url=%2Faccessories%2Fsmartire%2Fsmarti re_all.jsp">http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/smartire/smartire_all.jsp</a></li></ul>