Why it pays to check

[Fred Stevens]

Most of us check our rigs before hitting the road, whether it is the subsystems of the camper: propane, water, etc., or the trucks themselves. A couple weeks ago I had Toyota service my 2014 Tacoma/ Fleet combination. On the service order I placed a note: “Do not change the inflation pressure of the tires which were BF Goodrich All Terrain D rated tires”. I run these tires 45PSI rear, 40 front. To my surprise when I did my pre-trip inspection I found they had dropped the pressure down to 35PSI both front and rear, the numbers for the original passenger tires for the vehicle. Now, that change to a lower pressure was not likely to lead to disaster by any means, but it almost certainly would have made for sloppier cornering and handling if evasive maneuvering was ever needed, not to mention a hit on gas mileage. So while I’m happy that they didn’t forget to put the drain plug back in the crankcase, I’m not pleased that they ignored my request to lay off the tires. Bottom line here is, don’t assume people working on your rig will always get it right. Check everything you can before heading out on the road.

 

[Bill D]

Part of the drill. I have 12 tires to check when I take the motorbikes + 2 airbags.

 

[takesiteasy]

The techs are required to put the pressures indicated on the door pillar sticker. There is a recall out for the Tacomas running light truck tires. It applies to trucks originally sold with LT tires but it is instructive for those who put LT tires on after purchase. The recall specifies 46 psi front and rear for load range D tires. My dealer put on a new door sticker with the increased tire pressures listed and changed the settings on the TPMS. That should help the techs put the right pressure in, but you will probably still need to check each time.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

I always stress to the service manager,DON'T CHANGE THE TIRE PRESSURE.
And make sure they right it down on the work sheet.But I still check.
Frank

 

[Bombsight]

My sister had her oil changed one time by her local dealership (Toyota).
After driving 45 minutes home from paying for the service, she smelled burning oil when she arrived at her house. The dealership left the valve cover cap sitting on the battery.

Assume nothing when everything depends on feet, legs and brain.