The caps use LEDs combined with a sensor that causes them to blink when tire pressure falls below 95% of ideal. The system would make it possible to do a simple walk-around and know if your tires are properly inflated. Though you might think that's as easy as looking at the tires themselves, modern tires, especially low-profile radials with stiff sidewalls, don't show low-pressure symptoms as clearly as older tires once did.
Benefits of proper tire inflation are well known, including longer tire life, better fuel mileage and less chance of a blowout due to overheating or forcing the bead off the rim.
Pricing for the caps starts at £20 (US$40) for the standard version, while anti-theft caps cost £22 (US$44). Given that the blinking caps will draw attention to themselves whenever pressure runs even 5% low, it seems advisable to spend the extra 10% for the anti-theft version - especially on tractor-trailer rigs that could require as many as 10 or more of the caps.
Reader Comments
Thu Apr 17 2008 3:07 PM
Gus says
They already have these, but instead of a blinking light they just change color.
Thu Apr 17 2008 3:19 PM
chris says
oh AWESOME! like you dont have enough trouble keeping people from stealing ur stupid valve caps... now you have to make them worth something?!
Thu Apr 17 2008 5:18 PM
rnsaza says
"like you dont have enough trouble keeping people from stealing ur stupid valve caps… now you have to make them worth something?!"
+100
Thu Apr 17 2008 5:20 PM
Raptor says
Where I live, those would be gone in about 3 minutes.
Sat Apr 19 2008 3:45 AM
SMC says
$40 a piece? A little more than that is how much it costs to have a tyre pressure system for the whole car. One that displays warnings on the dashboard.
Call me back when these LED caps drop to $1.
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