PSA: make sure the 'SET' indication is showing when you inflate each tire using onboard compressor

[140 degrees]

Could be that no one else made this mistake. I'm posting here in case someone else didn't read the manual before using the onboard compressor for inflating their tires.

First time I used the onboard compressor, when I moved from the first tire to the second tire, I just moved the hose and pressed play on the control panel again. I thought if it was the same pressure, why would I set it again? I didn't realize the setpoint had been erased. The compressor just kept pumping until I stopped it manually.

Now, I didn't trust the automatic pressure mechanism. Next time, I set the pressure, and started inflating the tire. Just like an old fashioned compressor, I detached the hose and manually checked the pressure when I thought it might be getting close. However, the act of detaching the hose erases the setpoint. Now the compressor works just like a manual compressor with an upper limit of 150 pounds. I thought my unit was faulty, and it was on my list when I visited the service center. They told me it worked as designed and showed me what I was doing wrong.

Moral of the story, make sure the 'Set' indication is showing when you inflate. If you disconnect, set the pressure again. Sort of embarrasing on my part, but maybe reading this will save someone some frustration.

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[Dark-Fx]

Normal behavior, but I think it still generally will kick off somewhere in the high 50 psi in that mode (blower mode) as a safety.

 

[mroe]

I've found this to be super flaky. Sometimes it stops at the pressure I set, and sometimes it just keeps running. Have accidentally exceeded 60psi on the tires multiple times and had to air down again. I now time it and double check with a manual gauge.

 

[VSG]

It's not "super flaky" - it behaves exactly as described in the user manual. If you read the manual and follow the instructions it will work. You missed the point of the OPs post -

Moral of the story, make sure the 'Set' indication is showing when you inflate. If you disconnect, set the pressure again. Sort of embarrasing on my part, but maybe reading this will save someone some frustration.

This is good advice. Don't ignore it, learn from it.

The point of the OPs post is that the way we *expect* it to work (without having read the manual) is not the way it was designed to work. So our mistaken expectations lead us to do the wrong thing. Lots of people, including me, have experienced the same thing where they inadvertently over-inflate a tire because they expected a different behavior from what is documented.

The manual says in part "The word Set disappears when target pressure is reached. Ensure you see Set again to fill another object. If target is not set, the air will flow freely and continuously." Which is exactly what the OP said.

 

[s4wrxttcs]

I made the same mistake.

I reported it on here, and someone had the gull to tell me it was user error.

It's a bad UX design if something so simple requires reading the manual.

It's not like it took me a long time to move the cord from one tire to another. It worked fine on the first tire.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Don’t be this guy:

 

[usulio]

I've found this to be super flaky. Sometimes it stops at the pressure I set, and sometimes it just keeps running. Have accidentally exceeded 60psi on the tires multiple times and had to air down again. I now time it and double check with a manual gauge.

Happened to me, but looking back, I might have just made the same mistake as the original post.

With just a slightly bigger display and better UI, it would be able to always show (a) the current pressure, (b) whether there is a target pressure set and (c) what the target is. Right now, most of the time it's running, it shows none of those things!

 

[timgradywy]

I exploded a bike tire from this. I expected the setpoint to stick rather than having to be re-entered every time. Not sure who thought this was a good design idea.

 

[Greg Chick]

I made the same mistake.

I reported it on here, and someone had the gull to tell me it was user error.

It's a bad UX design if something so simple requires reading the manual.

It's not like it took me a long time to move the cord from one tire to another. It worked fine on the first tire.

My opinion is the factory design should require setting a pressure cut off point every time the hose is started or disconnected. The default pressure could be 30 PSI. for an auto cut off. That pressure is starting setting, to be added to for the desired pressure setting. As the pressure rises, the gauge shows that pressure on the gauge, and you can know where the pressure is as a backup so to prevent over pressurization. Once the set pressure is met, the compressor cuts off, and you are done. If another tire is needing air, reset it to that pressure, but whatever the existing pressure is in that tire will display of the compressors gauge, the compressor will only come on if existing pressure is lower.

 

[HaveBlue]

Probably better just to use it like any gas station compressor. Add air, check, rinse and repeat.

 

[SASSquatch]

Thanks for the PSA. I have a compressor kit that I keep in the car and it does not behave like this. It remembers the last PSI target that you set.

Of course you should always read the manual but I'm not sure what Rivian was thinking. It's one thing to operate as designed - it's another to operate asinined. If you are trying to air down then air up all of our tires - in part what that compressor is for - why would you double the time it will take by having to run back to the bed and reset the PSI every single time.

Don't all 4 wheels inflate to the same PSI?

 

[HighVoltOverland]

A good friendly reminder especially for folks that may not be used to certain onboard compressor behaviors

I too have been frustrated by this “Feature” when I’m using my DIY roadshower
Last fill memory would be nice

 

[HighVoltOverland]

Don’t be this guy:

damn I was stressed with how close his head was that whole video

 

[Eeyore]

Probably better just to use it like any gas station compressor. Add air, check, rinse and repeat.

Probably better to use the 60 gallon compressor in my garage if I'm going to use that method.

The built in compressor is designed to run to a set point, then stop. It's too bad that the set point isn't sticky. It shouldn't default 150 psi after every use. That's just a accident waiting to happen.

 

[Eeyore]

damn I was stressed with how close his head was that whole video

To say he was lucky is an understatement.

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