I, like most guys, love cars and driving and all, but i don’t know much about its mechanics nor do i pretend to know, unlike most Lebanese guys. Every time i have a certain problem with my car, i get like 20 different answers and half of them would include “Chou fahhamo el mechanicien! ana ba3rif”.
To make things worse, most mechanics in Lebanon are liars and want to rip you off somehow and companies are no better. You go to change your brakes and end up changing your tyres, cylinders and maybe chassis who knows??
On Tuesday, i had to remove a nail from one of my tyres. I stopped at a tyre place and once the guy was done, i asked him to check the car tyres pressure and make sure they are as recommended.
To find out what your car’s tyre pressure should be, consult the manufacturers tyre placard usually found inside the driver’s door sill, glove box, fuel filler cap or under the bonnet. The placard also displays the manufacturers recommended tyre sizes. [Bridgestone]
He answers me that i don’t need to check what the tyre manufacturer says as it’s common knowledge i should keep them as 30/30. I insisted that he does them as written down and he felt offended of course. I didn’t tip him of course because he was an ass.
After i was done, i went to my mechanic to check why my car is making squeaking sounds when turning the wheel or simply when driving sometimes. He answers me that my brakes are not good quality and should be changed.
One minor detail he forgot is that he was the one who changed my brakes five weeks ago!!!
After having stated that “minor” detail, he tells me he needs to take a closer look at it and after few minutes, tells me that it’s just a minor issue that will pass once i change my brakes. I just let go and went back home because unfortunatelly, he is better than most mechanics i’ve been to or been advised to go to and looking for a good mechanic in Lebanon is cumbersome and tiring.
Thank God my car doesn’t cause me that many problems.
I’ve been there too, I know nothing about my car mechanics and I got ripped off 2 times before I got introduced to a relatively better mechanic..
By the way, you’ve been mentioned in this month issue of Communicate magazine. Check here:
http://thisisbeirut.wordpress.com/2010/07/09/lebanese-bloggers-in-communicate-magazine
In Lebanon they change the tire pressure to better accommodate the nasty roads we have so as to avoid having to change your wheels every time you hit a huge hole in the road.
On my 350Z I insisted that the pressure be as stated by the manufacturer but when driving and hitting bumps and holes and all the crap we have on our roads it used to shake the cabin really hard and even led to breaking one of the spokes of the wheel. I modified the pressure a bit and it became a much smoother ride.
I think in Lebanon the norm is 28psi in the winter and 35psi in the summer. 35psi would make the ride harder but should protect your alloy wheels better in case you fall into a hole.
I asked a friend who supposebly knows about cars. He tells me he always adds 2 psi to the recommended pressure to protect his alloy wheels. He also told me it depends on the tyre shape, whether the tyre is barely showing with a large rim or not.
The suggested pressures are too much for Lebanese road imperfections. but the actual number depends on the profile of your tires. the lower the profile the more pressure they will have. for the normal 15 inch tires, a 30 all round is ok, that’s 2 points below the suggested level. i suspect for 17in low profiles 32 or so would be ok. but the more you put in the harder the ride, the less chance your tire wall will flex to accommodate the holes, especially the raised manhole covers. the expansion joints on the forum de beyrouth bridge took my 4 brand new Michelin tires inflated at 32…ok i was going fast, but when i drove by there that morning, the asphalt was there….30 it is for me…but lways remember to top up in the winter, as the temperature drops the pressure will as well, and the reverse applies in the summer, so when the temp goes back up, you should check if it’s still on the same level…