This tire inflator normally 'locks' on the tire valve so you hold the spring loaded valve unlocked, slide it over the tire valve and release the lever. Every time it closes on the valve. My original valve was "normally unlocked" so I had to push it against the valve while putting the lever in lock mode. With practice I was able to get this old valve to close about 1 time out of 3 and the other 2 times I deflated the tire. This new valve took some effort to fit into my tire pump's thick rubber hose. It cannot be installed simply by pressing and twisting with your fingers. I suggest placing this valve in a vice and then using pliers to push and twist the tubing over the valve. Significant efforts are still needed to advance them further. Once installed on the hose this valve seems reliable and can be enough to inflate car tires to 32psi. I used the included clamp to ensure it stays connected when inflating high pressure bike tires up to 100psi. It works well on car tires, but I haven't tried bike tires yet.