Petrol stations - No air for tyres

antodeco

Hey folks, just a small rant. Im just wondering is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that less and less petrol stations have areas for you to put air back in your tyres. I have 7 petrol stations near me, and only 2 of them have facilities for putting air in your tyres. Im not sure why this is. Surely its dangerous not allowing people to put air into their tyres. The same ones dont have water facilities either. I can understand to a degree why they dont want water, as I always see people messing with them, But air?

Has anyone else noticed this?

PanhardPL

antodeco wrote: »

Hey folks, just a small rant. Im just wondering is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that less and less petrol stations have areas for you to put air back in your tyres. I have 7 petrol stations near me, and only 2 of them have facilities for putting air in your tyres. Im not sure why this is. Surely its dangerous not allowing people to put air into their tyres. The same ones dont have water facilities either. I can understand to a degree why they dont want water, as I always see people messing with them, But air?

Has anyone else noticed this?

Yes its common now in the Dublin area not to find air facilities at a filling stations.
Take you business in future to one that has the facilities.

dnme

antodeco wrote: »

Hey folks, just a small rant. Im just wondering is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that less and less petrol stations have areas for you to put air back in your tyres. I have 7 petrol stations near me, and only 2 of them have facilities for putting air in your tyres. Im not sure why this is. Surely its dangerous not allowing people to put air into their tyres. The same ones dont have water facilities either. I can understand to a degree why they dont want water, as I always see people messing with them, But air?

Has anyone else noticed this?

You are absolutely right op. Here in Athenry I could only find one station with working air and even that pump would not let air out of types, I had to do that with a key.

It should be compulsory by law, like the toilets. Mind you I find it amazing how many garages say "toilets are out of order" when I ask for them.

GerardKeating

antodeco wrote: »

Hey folks, just a small rant. Im just wondering is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that less and less petrol stations have areas for you to put air back in your tyres. I have 7 petrol stations near me, and only 2 of them have facilities for putting air in your tyres. Im not sure why this is. Surely its dangerous not allowing people to put air into their tyres. The same ones dont have water facilities either. I can understand to a degree why they dont want water, as I always see people messing with them, But air?

Has anyone else noticed this?

Those machines are expensive to purchase and maintain, if they have one, you are paying for it with slightly more expensive fuel...

oxegen85

I drove about for 30 mins over the weekend to find a station that has proper facilities. Most were out of order or the end was cut off and all topaz are charging to use air now.. Charging??? Ridiculous

hugoline

Hammertime (running a petrol station himself) gives the reasons for lack of this service in this thread.

r3nm0r3RASCAL

antodeco wrote: »

Hey folks, just a small rant. Im just wondering is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that less and less petrol stations have areas for you to put air back in your tyres. I have 7 petrol stations near me, and only 2 of them have facilities for putting air in your tyres. Im not sure why this is. Surely its dangerous not allowing people to put air into their tyres. The same ones dont have water facilities either. I can understand to a degree why they dont want water, as I always see people messing with them, But air?

Has anyone else noticed this?

It's hardly dangerous for the garage not to provide you with air its up to you to make sure your tires are safe. It's not up to the garages to provide this service. If you don't like it go somewhere else a bicycle pump is only about 10 euros.

Gumbo

one petrol station out my way have started charging for air, albeit 20c!
Texaco on the Ballygall Road East!!!!

rebel.ranter

They cost a fortune to maintain & keep running. There was a post on here where one Boardsie who owns a few petrol stations outlined the costs involved, he also talked about the cost to fit the shopping trolley type lock (the one you put a €1 coin in to use & get back when finished).
Maybe these station owners made just decided enough is enough where these costs are concerned.

mossfort

if they fit the good quality pumps thiefs just cut them off the hose and steal them. a lot of filling stations just give up replacing them.

Danbo!

oxegen85 wrote: »

I drove about for 30 mins over the weekend to find a station that has proper facilities. Most were out of order or the end was cut off and all topaz are charging to use air now.. Charging??? Ridiculous

Topaz has a €2 slot similar to a shopping trolley, you get it back afterwards. It's to ensure people hang it back up after use and it doesn't get damaged from cars rolling over it. Not a bad idea, but a pain when you need to split a fifty just for air.

oxegen85

Stee wrote: »

Topaz has a €2 slot similar to a shopping trolley, you get it back afterwards. It's to ensure people hang it back up after use and it doesn't get damaged from cars rolling over it. Not a bad idea, but a pain when you need to split a fifty just for air.

o right.. stand corrected... I just saw the slot and drove off thinkin I wasnt gonna pay for air.. Ill know better next time. Cheers

Mc Love

I live close to one of the first stations to start charging for air - pretty busy shop, and the fuel prices arent the cheapest.

Rafloution

This probably belongs in another thread but why dont they just get a detachable hose/meter thingy that connects to the airline and keep it behind the counter.

Pay 5 quid deposit and get it back when you bring the meter back it has to exist and if it doesnt im getting first dibs on the patent

Guy:Incognito

antodeco wrote: »

Surely its dangerous not allowing people to put air into their tyres.

While it can be dangerous to drive with incorrect tyre pressure I don't see why this is the responsibility of the local petrol station. They provide the service for free and people abuse it.

gt112 wrote: »

It should be compulsory by law, like the toilets. .

If it's to be made compulsory then they should be allowed charge for it (as in actually charge not a system that returns your coin when your done) The machine are not free and they dont fix themselves when peopel break them because they can't be trusted to put the nozzle back when they are done.

How come the same people that just chuck it on the ground when they are done dot do the same with the petrol pump?

r3nm0r3RASCAL

Stekelly wrote: »

While it can be dangerous to drive with incorrect tyre pressure I don't see why this is the responsibility of the local petrol station. They provide the service for free and people abuse it.

Sure thats what i said??

dnme

There's a bigger picture here. This is another example of society having ro pay for the bad behaviour of some (those who abuse the air facilities).

Petrol stattions used to be garages, places where you could get all sort sof things done to your car and petrol was poured for you by an attendant. Competition and capitalism did away with that. Now they are supermarkets designed to add value for the owner or franchise.

Again, we are all slaves to capitalism and bad behaviour. I want to go back to the time when garages were freindly places designed for the car.

And as for free stuff? why not? why dont we all stand up and say "No!, no air, no business".

Air pumps have always been dammaged to a degree. Up til now, it was a cost that was added to the overall cost of doing business. But in the Michael O'Leary society, we all have to pay for everything. Its such a shame and such a stupid way to live.

Guy:Incognito

r3nm0r3RASCAL wrote: »

Sure thats what i said??

**Pats r3nm0rRASCAL on the back**

teednab-el

Is that true that all topaz garages are charging for using air pumps? If thats the case I have driven off 3 times without paying. I didnt know.

L1011

teednab-el wrote: »

Is that true that all topaz garages are charging for using air pumps? If thats the case I have driven off 3 times without paying. I didnt know.

None are. Some have coin release mechanisms like shopping trolleys but you get your coin back. My local Maxol has the same.

peckerhead

Charging to use air pumps?

That's inflation for you. :pac:

unkel

MYOB wrote: »

Some have coin release mechanisms like shopping trolleys but you get your coin back. My local Maxol has the same.

Have come across several of these in recent months. Good idea. It will motivate nearly all users to correctly return the pump to the base station.

RTTH

I carry a can of tyre inflater, handy if stuck and there is no air about.

DubTony

gt112 wrote: »

There's a bigger picture here. This is another example of society having ro pay for the bad behaviour of some (those who abuse the air facilities).

Petrol stattions used to be garages, places where you could get all sort sof things done to your car and petrol was poured for you by an attendant. Competition and capitalism did away with that. Now they are supermarkets designed to add value for the owner or franchise.

Again, we are all slaves to capitalism and bad behaviour. I want to go back to the time when garages were freindly places designed for the car.

30+ years ago garages didn't sell enough petrol to make a decent living off. Most of them were company owned operations and they were simply a way to get the product out. I worked in a Texaco garage 25 years ago that sold nothing but petrol and oil. When the oil companies put tenants into them there had to be a way for the fellah to make a living, so in came the groceries etc. Previously the independent garage did petrol as a sideline to the tyre or crash repair/mechanic business they had going on.

fuelinjection

This has been happening around Dublin for years now.

The car washes get more and more complex and expensive.
The air supply is usually "out of order". Same for water and spare engine oil bottles too.

A friend of mine works in the airport and he checked what the petrol station supply told him he put in his tyres with the fire brigade air pressure gauge. Was out by 10 to 20%. (Yes the fire brigade callibrate their gauges regularly)

So I bought a Michellin foot pump from the car accessories place in Blanch shopping Centre in Dublin for 25 Euro and 12 Euro for a digital pressure gauge for 10 euro and they get my tyres bang on. Have not used a petrol station in about 4 years now for air - screw them.

Mc Love

Chawkes in Limerick offer free air/services - one of the best places

squod

There's now a greater 'variation' in petrol prices than ever. With many areas now without a 'cheap' supply to go to. There is no correlation between those supplying pressurised air and those selling lower cost petrol.

The idea of not supplying air to inflate tyres is horrendous, stupid and immoral in my view. The €1800 per year it might cost to fix the equipment is tiny compared to what profits are being made by these high priced petrol stations (which are the majority).

galwaytt

squod wrote: »

.... There is no correlation between those supplying pressurised air and those selling lower cost petrol. .......compared to what profits are being made by these high priced petrol stations (which are the majority).

Make up your mind: there's a connection, or there isn't.

squod wrote: »

The idea of not supplying air to inflate tyres is horrendous, stupid and immoral in my view.

Inconvenient ? Yes.
Annoying ? Absolutely.
Horrendous ? jeez, hardly..........
Stupid ? Debatable..........
Immoral ? Ah, now FFS - it's air, not dialysis.

If you're so inflamed, buy one of these and you're always ....'inflated'....or for a few dollars more......one of these....you won't even need the petrol station's power to use them, either..........and if breaks........it's only yourself you can blame !

Guy:Incognito

fuelinjection wrote: »

A friend of mine works in the airport and he checked what the petrol station supply told him he put in his tyres with the fire brigade air pressure gauge. Was out by 10 to 20%. (Yes the fire brigade callibrate their gauges regularly)
.

Gauges are not indestructable. If people keep flinging them on the ground it breaks them.

antodeco

I have bought a foot pump to keep an eye on, but 10 seconds at a proper pump versus 2 minutes with the foot pump. Plus, I have to interchange the foot pump between both cars. Id have no problem paying 5c/10c to use one if they were maintained properly.
The Esso at the spaghetti junction on the Naas/Nangor road mainly get my business. Working air and water.

L1011

squod wrote: »

The €1800 per year it might cost to fix the equipment is tiny compared to what profits are being made by these high priced petrol stations (which are the majority).

The profit on fuel is TINY. Sub 1 cent a litre actual profit much of the time.

Pkiernan

Why don't we demand that the garages give us frees brake pads too?

If you want free air, ask the petrol station manager to provide it.

Here's a hint, he probably won't be reading this thread, so you may have to ask him directly.

While you're at it, let him know you'll be taking your business to a place that provides free air. Then he will have some incentive to provide it for his customers.

bladespin

Pkiernan wrote: »

Why don't we demand that the garages give us frees brake pads too?

If you want free air, ask the petrol station manager to provide it.

Here's a hint, he probably won't be reading this thread, so you may have to ask him directly.

While you're at it, let him know you'll be taking your business to a place that provides free air. Then he will have some incentive to provide it for his customers.

What garage does free pads? defo heading there, great idea, talk about recession beating.

joolsveer

Get yourself a small compressor powered from the 12 volt car supply. I use one and a handheld guage so I don't have to bother looking for a filling station with "free air".

dizzydiesel

The most frustration thing is when a garage has air - but it's out of order.
Drive to another garage - out of order, another garage, out of order!

Thanks guys - I'll just drive around all day on a flat.:rolleyes:

JHMEG

What some petrol station owners don't realise is customers have the owner's money in their pockets. If I pull into a station looking for air and petrol and can't get air I'll leave again, with that petrol station owner's money still in my pocket, and worse again, I'll give it to someone else.

Guy:Incognito

dizzydiesel wrote: »

Thanks guys - I'll just drive around all day on a flat.:rolleyes:

If your tyre is flat you have a puncture. Drivign to garages topping up isn't the answer. Your first port of call should be a puncture repair place.

KamiKazi

The garage on the N81 near the M50 has digital air gauges mounted on poles, you enter whatever PSI you want and it fills/reduces your tyre's pressure as required. Pretty accurate from my experience and as the only moving part is the valve not too expensive and more importantly pretty robust.

So they get my custom whenever I'm there.

Del2005

gt112 wrote: »

Air pumps have always been dammaged to a degree. Up til now, it was a cost that was added to the overall cost of doing business. But in the Michael O'Leary society, we all have to pay for everything. Its such a shame and such a stupid way to live.

Why should I pay more for my petrol when others break/steal things?

Compressors, hoses and pumps aren't cheap and if the garage is replacing/repairing on a weekly basis the costs soon add up. As has already been posted here before garages make very little money off fuel and make no money on air. Why should any company be forced to spend money on something which isn't even their responsibility? It's always the drivers job to make sure their car is legal not the petrol station.

I bought a cheap 12V compressor and can put air into any tyre I like when and where I want. I don't spend €'s driving around looking for air:D

dizzydiesel

Stekelly wrote: »

If your tyre is flat you have a puncture. Drivign to garages topping up isn't the answer. Your first port of call should be a puncture repair place.

I wasn't speaking literally. It's nice to check and inflate tyres often - the frustration is when you are unable to use the facilities due to their poor condition.
The thread is about air being available - not about puncture repair.
Obviously if you have a flat you simply get it repaired.

blackbox

I arrved in Scotland last week with a slow puncture, so sought out the first filling station to top it up...

I had to put 50p (non-refundable) into the machine to get a puff of air - what a sickener. I reckon they know the Micks are coming off the ferry. I can't imagine the locals are prepared to pay that.

...and yes - I did replace the tyre, but I had to get air to get as far as the tyre place.

Jip

Del2005 wrote: »

Why should I pay more for my petrol when others break/steal things?

Well you're already paying more on car insurance due to other peoples driving behaviour and house insurance due to thieves, this is no different.

PaddyFagan

galwaytt wrote: »

If you're so inflamed, buy one of these and you're always ....'inflated'....or for a few dollars more......one of these....you won't even need the petrol station's power to use them, either..........and if breaks........it's only yourself you can blame !

Whatever about the OP, I'm in the process of getting one - similar ones are available more cheaply in other places (like ebay: http://shop.ebay.ie/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=car+footpump)

Paddy

R.O.R

blackbox wrote: »

I arrved in Scotland last week with a slow puncture, so sought out the first filling station to top it up...

I had to put 50p (non-refundable) into the machine to get a puff of air - what a sickener. I reckon they know the Micks are coming off the ferry. I can't imagine the locals are prepared to pay that.

...and yes - I did replace the tyre, but I had to get air to get as far as the tyre place.

Before I moved over here in 97, you had to pay for air in all the local garages to me in the UK. Think it was 20p at the time, but there is 13 years of inflation since then so 50p sounds about right.

Foot pump for home use and an air line in work keeps me inflated.

ttm

Going back to the OP's original rant.... what really gets me going is when a Supermarket with petrol pumps calls itself a "Service Station" and has no Water, no Air and no Toilets. BUT they'll have an atm machine wtf!

galwaytt

PaddyFagan wrote: »

Whatever about the OP, I'm in the process of getting one - similar ones are available more cheaply in other places (like ebay: http://shop.ebay.ie/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=car+footpump)

Paddy

..whatever you buy, buy a good one. I have (& had) the cheap ones, and they don't last.

Fwiw, if there's an old Porsche lying around, have a look there.........they've been supplied with fold-flat tyres for years, and came with a good quality nifty 12v compressor as standard in the toolkit.

bongi69

KamiKazi wrote: »

The garage on the N81 near the M50 has digital air gauges mounted on poles, you enter whatever PSI you want and it fills/reduces your tyre's pressure as required. Pretty accurate from my experience and as the only moving part is the valve not too expensive and more importantly pretty robust.

So they get my custom whenever I'm there.

Its a Texaco, and most Texacos I've been to have this system.
However, the hose sometimes isn't long enough, so you have to turn the car to get at the opposite side.

rebel.ranter

Seems to me that some on here think that we should have a divine right to free compressed air supplied by a fuel sales outlet.
As someone referred to already fuel sales used to be offered by "motor mechanic" type garages & car sales garages as a sideline or enticement for other business. Something that would draw people in to buy more lucrative services & goods (e.g. cars)
This type of complimentary relationship has all but disappeared & the new relationship is groceries & motor fuel. Think about the number of car sales garages that have removed fuel services, they were probably more hassle than they were worth.
For the remaining fuel sales outlets they are probably viewing the compressed air as not adding value so they remove or give it a low priority. Hence all the broken or removed systems out there.
Tradition not legislation has been the driver for the provision of compressed air at fuel stations.
I just gave up looking for a working compressed air system that I could rely on & bought my own.

bongi69

Right, I grew up in South Africa and have been home recently, and this is how petrol stations work there:

They are similar to here, as in convinience store, toilets etc. In fact, same brands too, Caltex (AKA Texaco), Shell (before Topaz took over here), and are somewhat larger.

All petrol stations employ attendants (in the company uniform), to prevent drive offs, misuse, and provide employment in the local area, in a country with large unemployment levels.

All petrol bays have air hoses, and the attendant will pump the tyres as part of the entire process, if asked. Generally you do give a small tip, the equivalent of 50c, but this is your choice, as they are paid by the garage. He'll also check your oil, and will be able to top it up if necessary (you pay for the oil, or course). You don't have to leave the car, even to pay, as the attendant will take the cash for you, or process a credit card payment

I do appreciate that having pump attendants wont work here, as discussed in a thread about drive offs, as the minimum wage and costs of living are lower in SA, i'm just pointing it out as a comparison.

I do however like the idea that Topaz have put in place, i.e. trolley style deposit slots, and have found the air supply in my local Topaz to be at least working now

dnme

and another thing.......;)

If you think it's difficult finding an air pump that works for your car, try findig one that delivers 100PSI which is what the tyres on my bike take. Within 100 miles of me here in Athenry (and I have cycled most of it), I have found 1 (yes one) garage with a pump that goes to 100PSI.

Now I'm not saying it's garages responsability or obligation to provide 100psi, I'm just stating that some bikes require that pressure and very few garages air pumps go that high.

In the end, and as a result of this thread, I ordered this today - http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/what-car-test-tyre-inflators/1st-ring-automotive-rac600--26-99/231565

I figure it'll do my car and my bike.

Del2005

gt112 wrote: »

and another thing.......;)

If you think it's difficult finding an air pump that works for your car, try findig one that delivers 100PSI which is what the tyres on my bike take. Within 100 miles of me here in Athenry (and I have cycled most of it), I have found 1 (yes one) garage with a pump that goes to 100PSI.

Now I'm not saying it's garages responsability or obligation to provide 100psi, I'm just stating that some bikes require that pressure and very few garages air pumps go that high.

In the end, and as a result of this thread, I ordered this today - http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/what-car-test-tyre-inflators/1st-ring-automotive-rac600--26-99/231565

I figure it'll do my car and my bike.

These compressors aren't rated for pumping bicycle tyres, they work at way too high a pressure to be save. Though I'm not surprised but when they are installed there's always a big sign saying not to inflate bicycles/inflatable toys with these compressors, no doubt that sign has also been vandalised.