I have an old Accutire digital pressure gauge. The internal 3v lithium battery finally died (lit up "L" in the LCD window). Out of curiosity, I decided to replace the CR2032 lithium battery with a new one. After I did that - as well as change out the two button cells which light up the display, The "L" disappeared, but the gauge only now reads "1.0" PSI no matter what. Any thoughts on what is going on? I suspect it is no longer calibrated and defaults to 1.0 psi given the battery change. Has anyone changed out one of these lithium batteries before? Thanks
Have you tried using it? Maybe a few use cycles will get it working? Sorry I am not familiar with them, but did look up tire pressure gauges on Consumer Reports this morning. Most of the Accutire digital gauges are highly rated by CR for accuracy. Unfortunately the feedback from users for every model is poor. I see complaints of short life, fragile construction, comments of "stopped working", "not durable", "doesn't work" and of course complaints of the sealed "lifetime" battery. That is too bad, since they are inexpensive (I see one model for $7 and another for $10) and are all at the top of the rankings. Most of the analog gauges rated poorly for accuracy or repeatable readings (stick type seemed the worst). One dial type rated well but is $56. Here is the synopsis: • Two digital Accutire gauges topped the Ratings, the MS-4400B ($10.99) and MS-4021B ($9.99). The heavy-duty dial-type Intercomp 360060 ($55.95) was also very good but is limited to 60 psi.
That's the big fault I find with Consumer Reports- their testing revolves around determining which product works easiest and best versus the rest in the short term but ignores the longer term reliability issue. For automobiles, appliances, computers, and other goods, they do report reliability/durability manufacturer rankings every year from a survey of their members of various high-dollar products and that survey is probably statistically accurate as the sample size can run in the tens or hundreds of thousands. However, in the case of air pressure gauges, the reviews by buyers are probably the consumer's best information to use in choosing something for the long run.
I agree in part. They actually do durability testing for the majority of products. In the example of tire pressure gauges, they try to reproduce use testing by dropping them from various heights, and two or three gauges were rated poorly due to accuracy problems after a drop test or at temperature extremes. Here is an overview of their testing "We tested them for accuracy, ease of use, and durability, and also checked to see how they were affected by ambient temperatures spanning a range from just above freezing to 113-118 degrees F". But nothing beats user feedback, especially folks that have had them for a number of weeks or months of use. CR does filter their feedback, asking users how long they have had the product and describe the good and bad aspects of their experience.
