Audew 12V Digital Tire Inflator Review

[jordanr]

The editorial side of BAT Auto gets reached out to once and awhile to review automotive products. I was recently contacted by Audew to review a few of their products. This will be the first of a three part series.

The first product Audew sent to me was a 12v tire inflator. It gets power via a 12v cigarette outlet in your car. I think they are targeting an audience such as husbands who would buy for the product for their wife or kids. Overall I would not buy this device for myself, but I want to be clear about why and where it is good and bad.


http://bit.ly/2DWnHVs

Your daughter calls you from high school. She has an old car that you handed down to her. While the tires seemed fine when she went to school in the morning, now one of them is flat and she does not know what to do. Luckily you bought this Audew tire inflator thing. You even showed her how to use it. So you tell your daughter that you are stuck at work, but she can inflate her own tire and limp home to avoid the hassle and cost of getting a tow. When she gets home, you will fix it.

That situation might work, but I struggle to see how in most cases this device is that useful because of how slow and weak the device is. It takes a couple minutes (and feels like forever) to raise the PSI a couple pounds. When I tried inflating a pool toy with the device I got so frustrated that I switched to a hand pump. Now everything else about the device I actually like. It is compact, comes with a number of nice attachments, hooks well to the tires. It even comes with spare tire stem caps and automatically senses the pressure of the tire shutting off when the pressure rises to whatever you set for it to be.

But the slowness is brutal and restrictive. For me at least, I am keeping my hand gauge in my glove box and hand pump in the back of my car for emergency air.

Pluses
* Easy digital display
* Simple operation
* Shuts off when reaches pressure setting
* Comes with extra tips and caps

Negative
* Weak and therefore slow

A final note. When I mentioned my feedback on the device to Audew they were open to my response. Their marketing department is very responsive and nice.

R

 

[grcauto]

Plastic gearing? Low cfm.....not for truck tires. Not for much more than one car tire and do in stages and allow to cool or it'll likely fail trying to fill a flat.

 

[jordanr]

Plastic gearing? Low cfm.....not for truck tires. Not for much more than one car tire and do in stages and allow to cool or it'll likely fail trying to fill a flat.

Agreed.

 

[billr]

What makes you think it has "plastic gearing"? I didn't see that mentioned in the specs.

I don't see this as useful for emergency on-the-road use. If a tire has quickly gone flat it probably has a leak big enough that no kind of pump is going to do much good. It could be used to maintain tire pressures, and that is an issue these days since "service stations" have disappeared. The only "emergency" I can think of is if a TPMS lights up because pressure as slowly lowered in a normal manner and the driver needlessly gets in a panic.

One reservation I have is plugging into the cig socket. Traditionally, those were high current, but intended for only very low duty-cycle; so wiring was kind of marginal for the current they were fused for. In modern times, once those sockets started being used for other (continuous) power, I have heard of more problems of that cig circuit being over-loaded and burning wires/contacts. Powering a pump from a cig socket for many minutes may cause problems with some cars. Not to mention the smallish batterys being used now, Maybe your daughter at school could trade a low tire issue for a dead battery one?

 

[grcauto]

What makes you think it has "plastic gearing"? I didn't see that mentioned in the specs.

I don't see this as useful for emergency on-the-road use. If a tire has quickly gone flat it probably has a leak big enough that no kind of pump is going to do much good. It could be used to maintain tire pressures, and that is an issue these days since "service stations" have disappeared. The only "emergency" I can think of is if a TPMS lights up because pressure as slowly lowered in a normal manner and the driver needlessly gets in a panic.

One reservation I have is plugging into the cig socket. Traditionally, those were high current, but intended for only very low duty-cycle; so wiring was kind of marginal for the current they were fused for. In modern times, once those sockets started being used for other (continuous) power, I have heard of more problems of that cig circuit being over-loaded and burning wires/contacts. Powering a pump from a cig socket for many minutes may cause problems with some cars. Not to mention the smallish batterys being used now, Maybe your daughter at school could trade a low tire issue for a dead battery one?

Take it apart and look at the motor to compressor gears. They are plastic.

 

[nickb2]

Did they send you the elm dongle to review?

Of note, I did check out the site, they have a dual cylinder that they say delivers 60l/min instead of the 35l/min of the one you reviewed. So maybe less beard growing/ watching grass grow going on with the dual cylinder but does not have the auto off function.

I think I would buy this for my GF cause it has an auto off function when reached desired PSI. She blew three bicycle tubesonrsummer season going to the local gas station.

I did end up buying her a canadian tire weekend special inflation device that plugs into her car cigarette. I told her to not use the unit for a prolonged period of time if ever her car tires went down. I did not go into details of why, that would have gone way over her head, but I agree with Billr on the cigarette port. The dual cylinder one that I saw on the site comes with a battery clip cable and coil hose with a quick disconnect. Seems alot more sturdier than the one reviewed. Almost same price. For the 4$ difference, I would most certainly buy the dual cylinder one. Even my local canadian tire doesn't carry a model that even resembles this one. https://www.audew.com/AUDEW-Heavy-Duty-Double-Cylinders-Air-Pump150PSI-p-100089.html

 

[nickb2]

I tried to find some sort of info on shipping to canada, the site is quite bare in info.


@jordanr , maybe you could get me that info from the guy who sent you this device to review. I want the 150 psi dual cylinder model like the one I linked to in the above post. I saw no method of payment. The only thing sites links to is products for sale and a very thourough description of the product. But no description of payment method or shipping details. Is this an offshore company?

But if shipping to canada is the cost of the unit itself, or it ships from paskistan, warranty will be a a biatch, this site is worthless to me if they can't provide me with appropiate info to buy the products they WANT to sell. I will try to find it on e=bay or some other china clone site. I like the chuck adapter feature alot.

Interesting device reviewed does not surprise me it has plastic gears. If they could incorporate the auto stop feature into the dual cylinder 150psi 60l/min unit with the bat clips, that would be a sure winner if robustest was there. I would not know where to begin to start making a circuit board for that. For Bill or GRCauto and NickD would be surely able.

Interesting fact, the site did mention to not use the revised (oops, meant reviewed) infiltrator, damn auto correction, meant inflator, for more than 15mins per use. Wait 3mins in between uses. No mention of that with the dual cylinder model. Like I said, I am willing to buy the dual model. If shipping is acceptable to canada. I find that unit very intriguing on picture/paper. I have not seen one yet like that here in my locality.

 

[billr]

Agreed, the 2-cyl one with clips for the battery looks a lot more attractive.

 

[jordanr]

Definately plastic gearing.

@nickb2 I am asking them about ordering. I think they are primarily selling via Amazon. That is how everything arrived.

They sent the dongle but I am still testing it. Also I have a jump starter that they sent which is cool.

R

 

[nickb2]

When you done checking out their elm device, can you post back how the wifi connects to different OS. Is that NEW super chip that much better? The claim seems to be it connects quicker and faster than the older more sturdy build 1.5v.

 

[nickb2]

From my experience, the 1.5v version is the more reliable. It seems to have a more reliable baud rate. The one I tote arounf now is a very basic one, much like in the site. Anyway, long story short. I think we can all agree that baud rate is imperative to live data and capability to catch a glitch on the fly.

Dream of mine, follow a course with scanner danner as a coach. Would definatly buy that guy a beer.

 

[jordanr]

So they say the heavy duty air pump doesn't ship to Canada at the moment...

 

[nickb2]

Ok, thx for the reply. Just for laughs, my phone just rang with california area code. Was that you?

 

[nickb2]

Scratch last comment, area code google search say 415 is california and your last very interesting almost peeing on yourself story made me laugh so hard, I had to go relieve myself. But also, it read you are in florida on I 95. Not same seaboard.

But this thread made me want to give my own anecdote of ghetto living, but canada weird.

First off, I will start with a disclaimer. This story is true and details may make the faint of heart quiver.

So here we go.

I am 30ish at this time in life, recently divorced (thank god common law) and I am basically homeless and in quebec city. I have a brilliant idea to find work in alberta in the oil fields there and get as far away as possible from my soon to be ex. Fort Mc Murrey was my initial destination. Is that far enough?

Anyway, stop in Toronto. Yeah, not same side of the country right? Proceed to find some lodgings, could not find anything within my budget as I had left quebec with nothing more than a few hundred bucks in my pocket. This is where I realize I did not think this through.

So I went to a homeless shelter on queen and jarvis street. Worst ghetto place in canada apart from vancouver.

Now that I have secured a bed for a short period of time, I focus on making money to get to final destination which is supposed to be the oil fields.

So I find a work place which is called "labour ready". They send me to various construction sites to do odd jobs I am in no way qualified for, but end up helping to build an I max theatre in Mississauga. Money starts getting good, contacts are getting made, I get picked up by a jewish guy who has money to spend and a garage on a choice piece of real estate in the financial district of toronto. We come to an agreement that all my pay will be cash.

One night, I am flush with some cash and decide to go out for a beer. In the wrong side of town. Which is right next to were I found the first and last bed for homeless men I ever want to see in my life. Now at one point, you guy's will want me to get to the point.

Here is were some may want to not follow the reading of the rest of this post.

I was told to keep my money folded close. Always keep a 20$ bill readily available in case some crack head wants my junk. So I find a bar, sign says 99cent draft beer. My head says deal.

Proceed to drink way to many 1 dollar draft beers, open my hidden spot were I keep my precious earned cash and peel off a few to pay the tab. At this point I am intoxicated enough to ignore all danger signs ppl told me to watch out for. I am now walking down the street in what I am now feeling is a neighborhood my white arse should not be in. No cab in sight, probably not that mysterious if you would have been there. Anyway, I decide to cross the street where there is a bus stop. At some point while I am waiting for a bus which is probably never going to come, some dude asks me for change. I say in broken english, I ain't got none. Next, some other dude comes out from behind the bus shelter, says "WE think you got cash!!"

We . Now a third one comes from nowhere on a blind side. I instinctively know this is going to be bad. Third guy asks me to empty my pockets. My stupid arse says "you are all going to come get it over my dead french canadian self"

BAM!! Lights go out. Wake back up to a fourth human going through my pockets. Lung up (when I mean lung up, that means I take a huge lung full and hope for the best of a worst possible outcome), start swinging for fences. Hit whatever my fists can get a hold of cuz at this point I am blind. That was from all the blood pooling in my eyes. The fourth human was a chick, and I disticntivly remember her a female voice saying "hit him again, he ain't done"

Again, BAM!! light out again. Next, I wake up, my social insurance card, my quebec health card are on the ground, they went through all my person to try to find my . And they got it.

At this point, no one even tries to help me. Even though I am done for and left for dead. I crawl/stumble to a pay phone. Call 911. Help arrives in the form of squad cars and an ambulance.

Once in intensive unit, doctor is still counting my head injuries, says these look like hammer strikes. Here is another kicker. I hear a male nurse say, "like last week?" Doc says yes. Police open a attempted homicide case for me which will go nowhere. They are now on the look out for repeat offenders with same MO.

So while the police go through what is left of my personal effects, they comment that my ID picture has been burned. I ask why did they burn that? They said it is to slow down the identification processes of what was supposed to be my carcass. Wow, they actually took the time to burn the ID. That is the dictionary definition of premeditation. Final count. 8 hammer strikes to the head. Luckily, the other 6 I did not feel as I was obviously knocked out.

So, long story short, I got lucky. My health insurance from quebec paid for repatriation from ontario back to my place of birth. It took me a long time to not have nightmares after that one.











.

 

[nickb2]

If this scenario would have went down in the usa, they probably would just have shot me in the head. So at least the doc confirmed I got a few licks in, my knuckles showed that I had defended myself.

So conclusion of this, thank you canada for gun laws.