Confused with tyre pressure on a T3 with Michelin cross climate 2

[Manu]

Hi, I am currently running Michelin Cross climate 2 (255/45/R18 103Y) on my T32 van. I keep getting conflicting information about pressure. Different mechanics have differnet opinions, which are radically differnet. I have heard anything from as little as 40 to as much as 55 PSI....
- On the door of the van it does not give pressure indication for my wheels. It gives it for 215/60/R17C, even though my current tyres are the ones the van came with.
- The tyres do not mention the maximum pressure I can use. They just say "never inflate beyond 40PSI to seat beads", but no mention of maximum pressure.
The van is about to for a 4000 mile trip fully loaded, and I am confussed as to what pressure is best, or if I should just use what is on the sticker of the van, which seems massive (58 PSI front and rear.
Thanks!

 

[JDC]

Is it this sticker? I have this in my T6 and run 18s sport line alloys. I stick to the plate and don't have any issues on uneven tyre wear. I do feel 36 on the rear when unladen seems a bit low so keep it all at 44 and 48 when towing or loaded up. This relates to my current tyres though but appears the pressure reduces and along with the sidewall. Hopefully this is sorted as I'm getting a couple of CC2s myself so would be curious to find out.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Hi, I am currently running Michelin Cross climate 2 (255/45/R18 103Y) on my T32 van. I keep getting conflicting information about pressure. Different mechanics have differnet opinions, which are radically differnet. I have heard anything from as little as 40 to as much as 55 PSI....
- On the door of the van it does not give pressure indication for my wheels. It gives it for 215/60/R17C, even though my current tyres are the ones the van came with.
- The tyres do not mention the maximum pressure I can use. They just say "never inflate beyond 40PSI to seat beads", but no mention of maximum pressure.
The van is about to for a 4000 mile trip fully loaded, and I am confussed as to what pressure is best, or if I should just use what is on the sticker of the van, which seems massive (58 PSI front and rear.
Thanks!

Are you 100% sure that the max pressure isn’t marked on the tyre? I’d be very surprised/shocked if it wasn’t, especially on a quality tyre.
I run my Agilis at 55psi all round. But they are commercial tyres. Not sure about the CC2

 

[Kind of Blue]

Hi, I am currently running Michelin Cross climate 2 (255/45/R18 103Y) on my T32 van. I keep getting conflicting information about pressure. Different mechanics have differnet opinions, which are radically differnet. I have heard anything from as little as 40 to as much as 55 PSI....
- On the door of the van it does not give pressure indication for my wheels. It gives it for 215/60/R17C, even though my current tyres are the ones the van came with.
- The tyres do not mention the maximum pressure I can use. They just say "never inflate beyond 40PSI to seat beads", but no mention of maximum pressure.
The van is about to for a 4000 mile trip fully loaded, and I am confussed as to what pressure is best, or if I should just use what is on the sticker of the van, which seems massive (58 PSI front and rear.
Thanks!

Put the recommended manufacturers suggested pressures and all other details as asked, details are usually as seen on your door jam or where ever else they are stuck, into a Tyre comparison site on the relevant question spot, then put in all the details of the new tyre as asked then the tyre comparison site will compute the correct tyre pressures for you. Best then to write normal and high pressures and make up another sticky lest you forget or to help garages when dealing with your vehicle

 

[Lubrown]

In the past I have emailed Michelin asking them what they suggest (letting them know my vehicle, wheel and tyre size etc) - they have always replied. Usually customer service pass it on to the technical department so it can take a couple of days.

Hopefully they are still just as helpful. I broke tradition and went with Hankook last time

 

[jadatis]

Googled the 255/45R 18 103 loadindex and saw XL .
This means that maxload of 875 kg AT 42psi( 2.9 bar) upto 160 kmph ( officially 220 kmph for Y speedrated, but better keep it on 160 kmph/ 99 mph).

So if you never drive any faster then 160 kmph ( not that difficult ) and dont overload any tyre ( so more then 875 kg) you dont need more then 42 psi to prevent overheating any part of tyre-material, wich is main goal of tyremakers.
If you only use 90% of maxload is 787 kg you still have acceptable comfort and gripp with 42psi.

That you cant find maxcold pressure on sidewall is strange, but look again.
It wont be that 42 psi, but most likely 51 psi/ 350 kPa/ 3.5 bar. Difference is used in the official system, to highen up the 42 psi referencepressure for higher speed.

XL is also called reinforced or extraload.

But nowadays verry high pressures are recomended to give lesser energy-use or yust liability reasons.
Then the discomfort it gives , people have gotten used to, and think its normal.

 

[EmH]

Hi, I am currently running Michelin Cross climate 2 (255/45/R18 103Y) on my T32 van. I keep getting conflicting information about pressure. Different mechanics have differnet opinions, which are radically differnet. I have heard anything from as little as 40 to as much as 55 PSI....
- On the door of the van it does not give pressure indication for my wheels. It gives it for 215/60/R17C, even though my current tyres are the ones the van came with.
- The tyres do not mention the maximum pressure I can use. They just say "never inflate beyond 40PSI to seat beads", but no mention of maximum pressure.
The van is about to for a 4000 mile trip fully loaded, and I am confussed as to what pressure is best, or if I should just use what is on the sticker of the van, which seems massive (58 PSI front and rear.
Thanks!

I also changed the wheels on my van from 17" to 18" and then went for Michelin Cross Climate 2 (225/45/R18). I had these running at 56psi (3.9 bar) for about 6 months, as that is what the van settings said to use (tyre pressure sensors that appear on the dash). However, I then got a slow puncture and had to take the van to Pro Tyre. In Pro Tyre they told me that the Michelin Cross Climate 2 is technically a car tyre and that I should instead be driving with them at 47 psi (3.3 bar) as they can't handle the pressure that the van is telling me they should be at. I have since been driving around with them at 3.3 bar, but every single time I turn the van on I get an alert (noise and light) to tell me that the tyre pressure is too low.l am now driving around constantly with a dashboard light on for tyre pressure. after about 6 months it's starting to get a bit annoying! Does anyone know if it's possible to get the target pressure level re-set so that the gauge is correct for the Michelin Cross Climate 2 tyres?

 

[Lubrown]

I also changed the wheels on my van from 17" to 18" and then went for Michelin Cross Climate 2 (225/45/R18). I had these running at 56psi (3.9 bar) for about 6 months, as that is what the van settings said to use (tyre pressure sensors that appear on the dash). However, I then got a slow puncture and had to take the van to Pro Tyre. In Pro Tyre they told me that the Michelin Cross Climate 2 is technically a car tyre and that I should instead be driving with them at 47 psi (3.3 bar) as they can't handle the pressure that the van is telling me they should be at. I have since been driving around with them at 3.3 bar, but every single time I turn the van on I get an alert (noise and light) to tell me that the tyre pressure is too low.l am now driving around constantly with a dashboard light on for tyre pressure. after about 6 months it's starting to get a bit annoying! Does anyone know if it's possible to get the target pressure level re-set so that the gauge is correct for the Michelin Cross Climate 2 tyres?

It should be doable but l’m going off my golf as the t5.1 I have doesn’t have tpm. In the golf there is a ‘set’ button once I have the tyre pressures where I want the. I would have thought it’d be the same on the Transporter. Have you looked in the handbook?

Also, the sticker above (found on the door pillar but repeated in the handbook) suggests both 17” and 18” should be inflated to 48 psi max front and rear for a loaded van, less for unloaded (44 front 36 rear) so ProTyre seem to have made the right call in reducing your pressures. Or are these stickers different from van to van - more pressure for t32 maybe?

 

[whodat]

My tyre place told me it should be above 55psi for my 16" CC2 when they fitted them on the T6.1. Also the plate reckons on about 60psi. I've never had tyres that inflated before.
Seems to be ok though.

 

[Kind of Blue]

One can see from above how tyre pressures vary with changes of tyre sizes. Birger tyres that is those that have greater volume of have lower pressures. I use oversize tyres, same wheel diameter width but greater profile and had it computed on a tyre size comparator after filling in all the required boxes for each size original fit and pressure and the generator does the rest. The new recommended pressure are now much lower than the original fit and fine more comfortable no adverse ware.

Michelin has been used and suggested by Lubrown

Someone on the forum used another service just the other day

I would not take very much notice of mechanics, certainly would always check tyres after they might have touched them or taken them off. Over the years have learnt that it is ones own responsibility and have found tyres way off regarding pressure at both garages and tyre fitting outlets. At one garage the wheel of my UNIMOG had not been tightened on one wheel. Just heard this fastly increasing rumbling and the wheel was at the end of the bolts a little further and disaster. Huge and very heavy they where as well one might imagine. Could have killed someone.

 

[whodat]

Again - agree with you. Must stop doing that or people will start talking.

A mate of ours was having problems a couple years back with weird steering. So I got him to drive past me very slowly to see if there was anything out of place. His wheels were actually wobbling.
Turns out he had had some work done on his car and the mechs hadn't tightened up the wheel bolts. He had driven down a dual carriageway with one wheel that was held on by friction alone.
Lucky b*****d he is. Could have gone really wrong.