It is curious that when gas prices go up, people don't pay more attention to having properly inflated tires (and thereby get better mileage).

I believe that the Hummer already has this. The tires can be inflated or deflated from inside the vehicle to adjust to various terrain. This is accomplished by an onboard compressor, and associated controls.

It seems like this would be easy to do by extending "Run-Flat" technology. What would be even better is to combine the Hummer H2's capability to inflate/deflate tires to specific pressures and a monitoring system that compares existing tire pressures to pre-programmed standards. Then the automobile could automaticaly adjust the tires to the ideal pressure at all temperature and driving conditions.

This idea could easily be implemented with inexpensive existing technology, as an after-market product. Also, a temperature sensor would be a tiny fraction of the cost of each rim's pressure sensing device, so it could automatically adjust the reading for the tire temperature.

Too expensive except in extreme cases, where it often already extists. (eg Porsche 959.)

The top of the line Renault Vel Satis I rented recently had this.

Rolls Royce cars had this feature more than 50 years ago!

Porsche introduced this in the Porsche 928 in 1979. I assume the fact that it has not become an industry standard over the last 25 years is that (a) it was expensive to do and (b) the quality of tyres has improved enormously over that period. Nowadays one seldom sees (certainly at least in the UK from where I write)cars with punctures on the roadside.

i believe gm is putting this as an option on the new vette and in the cadillacs, an after market kit would be great, id buy one

New cars already have this by law, to some extent. If any tire is lower than the others, it sounds an alarm. However, onlly GM, of all companies, let's you know which tire is low.

If your idea is to provide actual pressure (and maybe let you cycle though at a serial button push, I'm all for that.

-wick

my pressure reader was $3. How could this be more efficient?

Don't you have to check your oil and your other fluids anyway? I don't like making your car (or its computer) responsible for maintaining itself.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee has this feature as an option. I believe it is standard in their Limited Package. It will display the tire pressure in each tire when you push a button. It will also automatically warn you when one tire is low. I used to drive one and found it to work well especially in winter when tire pressure goes down.

It looks quite clear that cost is the main drawback. Therefore I think that a cheap bluetooth (or using other RF link) pressure gauge that can be installed within the tire (i.e: atached to the rim with velcro) might be a simple, cheap and quick solution for cars that dont have high pricetags. The information could be received in a bluetooth enabled phone.

pressure gauges have be exposed to the outside air as well as the air inside the tire

Canadian Tire (Canadian department like store, but with a huge automotive department rather than apparel) sell a set with a receiver box you install in the car, and sensors that screw onto the valve on the tire. I am not sure how the sensors are powered though.