Blaupunkt has been known for well-known in the automobile audio department. However, you should know that they are also experts in a few more divisions — car accessories. One such accessory is the Tire Pressure Monitoring System TPM 2.14 USB. The device is a simple sensor-monitor pair that attaches to your car/two-wheeler tires and informs you about your tire’s health in real time.
The gadget is super-simple to install and use. It contains of two parts — a sensor and a display. Four sensors are packaged along with its attachments, caps, tools and a sensor. The sensor is a simple car cigarette lighter-sized device with a head display. Simply plug in the device into the car cigarette lighter socket and its tiny display will keep you informed. The sensors are two pairs of tiny pressure buds that need to be mounted on each tire’s air input nozzles. Each sensor has a set of nuts, rubber sleeves and two different coloured replaceable/interchangeable caps (black and silver) to match you wheel caps.
Installation is very simple and user-friendly. If you are unsure about doing it yourself, you could you are your local tire service mechanic or the brand’s technician to have it installed for you. You could easily do it yourself in just under 10 minutes. Simply place the rubber sleeve on the tire’s air nozzle and screw on the bundled nut (clockwise). Don’t tighten it. Then screw on the sensor cap on the nozzle, all the way till you tighten it a little. Make sure you read each sensor marking as they are labelled for its subsequent tire — front left and right, rear left and right. You would hear a hissing sound (air pressure releasing from the tire) just before it tightens completely. This is completely normal. If you still hear hissing sounds, you must remove and reinstall it again.
Make sure the nozzle and sensors are clean and no dust is present. This will cause problems and air will leak outwards, flattening your tire in a few minutes. The sensors bypass the tire nozzle’s valve and use its own internal valve to monitor the tire’s pressure. Lastly, use the supplied mini spanner to turn the nut (that you slipped in earlier) anticlockwise and tighten it. This will fix the pressure sensor on the nozzle and prevent it from falling off the tire, and also from being stolen. Do this for all four tires. After installing each sensor, you can spray or slowly pour some water on the sensor to ensure that there is no air pressure leakage.
Do note, each time you need to refill/topup your tires; you will have to use the provided spanner to remove the sensor and fill in air. So keep the spanner in your car, and at hand, always.
Once all sensors are installed, you should be able to now check the pressure of each tire on the monitor. The monitor is powered by the car’s battery via the lighter socket and the display is continuously on, reading out the information in all four corners of the screen, each reading for each respective tire. The readings give you real time pressure values for each tire. The monitor also points out if each tire is under pressure, over the desired pressure value, and even if the tire is heating up. All this in done real time, since each sensor talks to the monitor using Bluetooth.
The sensors contain a small battery (CR1632), which is replaceable and lasts for 2-years each. The monitor also doubles as a pressure sensor, as well as a USB car charger. Simply pull down the display and behind the display is a USB port for charging your gadgets or powering your car DVR (if any). The display has a small button below it for programming the sensors, in case you accidentally place the wrong sensor on the wrong tire.
The Blaupunkt Tire Pressure Monitoring System is a must-have accessory for all vehicles, especially for those who use their cars for public transport or long journeys. The sensors alert you in real time (with a display and audible beeps) and you can avoid moving out of your car in the middle of the road, just to ensure your tire pressure is good enough. The device saves you time and money, apart from keeping you safe on the road, by providing real time information on each of your tire’s health. The sensors can also be used for two-wheelers which have a cigarette lighter socket. Using the sensors can relieve you from the stress of physically checking each tire before your journey. The sensor kit is available for an MRP Rs 18,990 and a street price of Rs 12,990, which we feel is very steeply priced. However, if you can afford it, this expensive, yet wonderful, auto gadget from Blaupunkt, can be a life saver.
