When you maintain proper tire pressure, you ensure that you’ll get more life of your tires. On the other hand, improper tire inflation may result in rapid or irregular wear, which can cause significant internal tire damage, and can lead to sudden tire failure and result in serious injury.
Watch this how-to video to make sure you know how to check tire pressure so you can maintain the right level of pressure in your vehicle’s tires.
You should check tire pressure at least once a month. Make it part of your monthly maintenance because on average, tires lose approximately 1 pound per square inch (PSI) of tire pressure every month. PSI refers to the minimum amount of air pressure needed to support your vehicle at its maximum load.
Tire pressure can also change drastically in winter temperatures. For every 10 degrees F change in ambient temperature, tire pressure will change by approximately 1 PSI. That’s why you always check pressure when the tires are cold, meaning they haven’t been driven for at least three hours. The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association’s summary of the basic tire care essentials reiterates the importance of proper inflation.
Drivers who would like to have their tire pressure checked during National Tire Safety Week or ahead of a summer road trip are invited to visit any Bridgestone Retail Operations store – Firestone Complete Auto Care, Tires Plus, Hibdon Tires Plus, and WheelWorks– for a free tire pressure check and tread assessment. Tire assessments and pressure checks are provided courtesy of all Bridgestone retail store teammates every day of operation, year-round.
Use a tire pressure gauge to make sure your tires have proper inflation pressure, and then fill your tires with air as needed.
Many people mistakenly think that the correct inflation pressure is located on the tire’s sidewall. What’s listed on the sidewall is the maximum inflation pressure for the tire, but keeping your tires at the maximum PSI could make them wear faster or compromise your traction or braking abilities;
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From a safety and cost standpoint, tire maintenance is one of the most important things you can do for your car.
The easiest way to care for your tires is both quick and inexpensive: maintain the correct tire pressure.
The recommended pressure for tires varies by the type of car and tire. Because maintaining your tires is so crucial to your safety and your car’s overall performance, it’s important to know what tire pressure is correct for your vehicle.
To learn what your tire pressure should be, look for your manufacturer’s recommendation, which is printed on a label inside your car. Depending on the vehicle, this label may be on the edge of the vehicle’s door, on the doorpost or in the glove box. The label will usually give recommendations for the front and rear tires as well as the spare, and it’s important that you stick to those guidelines. Even after you’ve replaced your tires, the same pressure guidelines on your car’s label apply to new tires of the same size.
Pressure recommendations are based on readings taken from a tire pressure gauge.
Check the pressure first thing in the morning or wait at least three hours after driving; this provides sufficient time for them to cool back down.1
Driving on underinflated tires is one of the biggest causes of tire failure, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And not having enough air in your tires can lead to other problems. Under-inflated tires wear out more rapidly, handle poorly and reduce fuel efficiency. On the other hand, overinflated tires are more susceptible to damage from road irregularities, and they also result in a bumpier ride. Overfilling your tires is just as dangerous as underfilling them, so it’s important you know what is recommended for your vehicle.
Knowing how to check tire pressure is critical to your safety and to keeping your tires in good working order.
When it comes to choosing a gauge, you typically have 3 options:
Put the pressure gauge into the valve stem, making sure the gauge is evenly and firmly pressed onto the stem.
If you’re using a pen-style gauge, read the number on the rod that pops out of the sleeve. Read dial pressure gauges as you would a watch with one hand. With a digital pressure gauge, simply read the number on the screen. 2
Find your tires’ recommended PSI in the owner’s manual or on a sticker just inside the driver’s side door. The proper PSI is crucial to your safety and the car’s longevity. Underinflated tires can overheat and wear unevenly; overinflated tires can blow out.1
Temperature has a direct effect on your air tires’ air pressure, so for an accurate PSI reading, make sure to check tire pressure when tires are cold. If it’s cold outside, then you can assume your tires are losing PSI and you should check even more frequently. This will help to ensure maximum safety. Take your car to a mechanic you trust for a professional assessment.3
If you happen to find yourself without a tire gauge and your car doesn’t have an indicator for low tire pressure, there are several things you can do to figure out whether your tires need to be inflated.
Of course, knowing your recommended PSI isn’t enough. You have to ensure you’re checking your tires regularly. Experts recommend you check air pressure once a month.5 Your car’s tire pressure monitoring system TPMS measures the amount of air in your tires to let you know whether your tires are properly inflated.
1
Frequently checking your PSI becomes even more important in the fall and winter, when outside temperatures drop and weather conditions fluctuate causing your tires to lose air more quickly. Generally, your tire will gain or lose 1 PSI for every 10-degree change in temperature, which means if you have a sudden drop of 30 degrees, you could lose 3 PSI overnight. If your tires were already low, this could cause tire damage, steering problems or even a flat tire.3
Knowing and maintaining the right air pressure is important to the safety and longevity of your tires. All it takes is a tire pressure gauge and a few minutes of your time.
Once you have the right tire pressure, make sure you also have the right coverage. Learn more about how Nationwide auto insurance can help protect you and save you money.
Sources:
1 https://www.pirelli.com/tires/en-us/car/driving-and-tire-tips/how-to-read/recommended-tire-pressure, Accessed April 2022.
2 https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/tire-pressure-gauges/buying-guide/index.htm#:~:text=There%20are%20three%20types%20of,of%205%20to%2099%20psi., Accessed April 2022.
3 https://www.firestonecompleteautocare.com/blog/tires/should-i-inflate-tires-cold-weather/, Accessed April 2022.
4 https://rxmechanic.com/how-to-check-tire-pressure-without-gauge/, Accessed February 2022.
What should be the pressure in the tires of the car? Does it need to be adjusted and what will happen if the pressure is changed in one direction or another?
Two friends conversation:
- hello lowered the wheel!
— Absolutely?
- No, only from below ...
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Let's start with platitudes.
The pressure must be as specified by the vehicle manufacturer. And since the average modern driver usually does not have such information, especially for him, a "cheat sheet" with the necessary numbers is hung on the middle pillar on the driver's side or on the gas tank hatch cover.
A relatively rare solution: the "reminder" is located on the gas tank cap.
A relatively rare solution: the "reminder" is located on the gas tank cap.
An important point: pressure should be measured only on cold tires. By the way, especially for pedants: cold tires are those on which the car has been without movement for at least 5 hours.
This "cheat sheet" nestled on the driver's door. An example of how tire pressure recommendations change depending on tire size.
This "cheat sheet" nestled on the driver's door.
An example of how tire pressure recommendations change depending on tire size.
Since car manufacturers allow the use of tires of different sizes, the pressure may also be different. In addition, the pressure in the front and rear tires has the right to both differ and be the same.
And here there is no difference in recommendations: what is in front, what is behind is the same.
And here there is no difference in recommendations: what is in front, what is behind is the same.
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Reduced pressure leads to an increase in tire deformation, more heating during wheel rolling, accelerated wear of the outer tread tracks. Perhaps even a violation of the integrity of the frame. As a result, fuel consumption increases.
If you hit a hole in the road, the likelihood of damage to both the disk and the tire is higher.
Increased pressure is an overstrain of the cords, increased wear of the middle part of the tread. In addition, when driving on a bad road, the shocks that are transmitted to the suspension and body will become more noticeable for riders. When hit in a pit, the likelihood of a tire burst increases.
Uneven pressure on all four wheels is the worst thing! At the same time, the car, while driving, inevitably leads the wheels with lower pressure to the side - in fact, sideways movement begins.
Tube tires of the past required a weekly check, especially before the advent of butyl tubes. Then the pressure began to be checked less often, and nowadays, as a rule, they are limited to visual inspection.
Tube tires of the past required a weekly inspection, especially before the advent of butyl rubber tubes.
Then the pressure began to be checked less often, and nowadays, as a rule, they are limited to visual inspection.
In a good way, you need to check the tire pressure at least once a month. And before a long journey - just a must.
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The air pressure in an enclosed space changes by approximately 0.1 bar for every 10 degrees of temperature change. This allows, having installed summer wheels in April, not to worry about the pressure in them until the end of August, when the air temperature begins to drop. Having pumped up the wheels at the end of summer, you can already reach the seasonal shift. But having installed winter tires in October, with the first frosts, you should check the pressure a couple more times: when the temperature drops to minus ten, fifteen, and when it goes over minus twenty. But from the middle of winter until the moment of changing the wheels to summer ones, there is again a period of relaxation.
Electronics are increasingly thinking for us. Now, a tire pressure monitoring system is being installed on parts of production cars. Moreover, some simply read the wheel speeds through the ABS sensors: after all, a flat tire rotates faster, since its radius is smaller than that of inflated wheels. There are also sensors that evaluate the amount of air pressure and send information via radio to the "brains" of the car. Such devices can also be purchased separately: sensors - in the wheels, and the receiver - in the car.
By the way, a lot depends on the road you are going to take.
The operating instructions supplied with the vehicles indicate that it is recommended to increase the pressure by 0.2-0.3 bar before driving for a long time on expressways. We advise you to follow these recommendations on all cars: it will not get worse.
The operating instructions supplied with the vehicles state that it is recommended to increase the pressure by 0.
2-0.3 bar before driving for a long time on highways. We advise you to follow these recommendations on all cars: it will not get worse.
I don’t want to discuss overload: this, you see, is not the case. But, unfortunately, many deliberately overload the car several times a year, not only stuffing the interior and trunk to the eyeballs, but also attaching a trailer, which additionally loads the rear wheels of the tractor. In such cases, we advise you to increase the pressure in the rear tires by at least 0.2–0.3 bar. Tires will only thank you.
If you doubt the accuracy of your pressure gauge, then we advise you to check it immediately after leaving the tire shop, where you were set the obviously necessary pressure, to measure it with your own measuring device (separate or as part of the compressor). So you determine whether your pressure gauge is "lying" a lot. For the future, right on the dial, you can put a mark of the correct value.
Of course, it is better to have your own, known to be correct pressure gauge, but such a toy is not cheap.
Of course, it is better to have your own, known to be correct pressure gauge, but such a toy is not cheap.
If terrible ice caught you on summer tires, say, in the country, and you need to drive some distance along an absolutely icy road by any means, then you should reduce the tire pressure to approximately 1.6 bar. Is it bad for tires? Yes. But an accident will cost more. In addition, in such a situation, one does not have to wait for high speed, and overheating of tires at near-zero temperatures most likely will not happen.
Everyone knows what caused the excellent maneuverability of Soviet tanks? That's right: wide tracks, that is, low pressure on the ground. We, having an ordinary, non-all-wheel drive car, are also able to provide it with a similar cross-country ability.
If the wheels of the car sink into sand, snow or sticky mud, then it makes sense to lower the tire pressure. And not only driving, but also driven wheels.
We know from experience that you can often get out of the "black spot" by reducing the pressure to 1.2 bar.
We know from experience that it is often possible to get out of the "black hole" by reducing the pressure to 1.2 bar.
In a very critical situation, if you know that you have a fairly narrow disc and a relatively wide tire (such a wheel has a lower chance of self-disassembly), you can reduce the pressure to 1.0 bar.
Stalled on wet grass? Try to relieve pressure.
Stalled on wet grass? Try to relieve pressure.
Pressure reduction is also useful in other cases - for example, to overcome diagonal hanging. If you reduce the pressure in the wheels on which the car rests, their height will decrease and there will be a chance to “hook” on the suspended wheels.
Of course, if the car has already laid down on the bottom, then it is too late to reduce the pressure - this will only interfere.
A concrete example of the effect of pressure on flotation. In this case, the pressure is very low, and the contact patch of the wheel with the coating is much larger than that of a conventional car.
A concrete example of the effect of pressure on patency. In this case, the pressure is very low, and the contact patch of the wheel with the coating is much larger than that of a conventional car.
In general, the pressure in tires, as well as in vessels, is better to keep normal. Any deviation has its negative consequences. Tell us, have you ever had to adjust tire pressure to improve flotation?
Tire pressure: your norm
Tire pressure: your norm
adv.rbc.ru See also
Tires are the only vehicle element that is in constant contact with the road. One of the main indicators of their serviceability is pressure. It affects not only fuel efficiency, but also safety.
As a rule, car manufacturers recommend maintaining tire pressures between 2.0 and 2.8 bar. But in practice there are situations when it is necessary to deviate from this norm.
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Tire pressure should be checked at least once a month, there are several ways to do this. We understand why it is so important to observe the optimal pressure indicator and what it affects.
In this story:
Tire pressure is the resistance with which air "presses" on the inner area of the rubber.
Properly inflated tires will last longer, give you better ride quality and improve your driving safety. If the pressure in the tires is too low or they are pumped over, then the car owner runs the risk of facing a number of problems: from buying new tires to the threat of an accident.
Properly inflated tires will last longer (Photo: Global Look Press)
Under-inflated tires are tires that are below the recommended pressure. In this case, the contact patch of rubber with the road increases, which leads to increased friction or rolling resistance. A worn out outer edge of the tread can visually give out such a problem.
Increased friction with the road can cause the tire to overheat, slip and even burst. In addition, low tire pressure leads:
When tires are over-inflated, that is, above the manufacturer's recommended rate, the contact patch decreases. As a result, the main friction with the road is taken over by the central part of the tire.
Excessive tire pressure leads to excessive sensitivity to road irregularities and the risk of tire damage, even destruction. Inflated tires also cause the following:
For overinflated tires:
Excessive tire pressure leads to excessive sensitivity to road irregularities and the risk of tire damage (Photo: Shutterstock)
For each car model, the manufacturer sets its own optimal tire pressure. This indicator depends on the mass of the car, the speed of operation, the number of passengers (partial or full boarding), as well as the load on the trunk [1].
The recommended tire pressure can be found in the vehicle owner's manual or on one of the plates/stickers in the passenger compartment. They can be:
Tire pressure is measured in several units. In Russia, they usually indicate in kg / cm 2 (or atmospheres) and bars (bar). These two indicators are almost equal, which is why they are often used as synonyms:
Foreign models often use pounds per square inch (pound per square inch), or psi:
For convenience, car manufacturers can indicate pressure in two units at once - bar and psi. Thus, the need to independently calculate according to the formulas disappears. Otherwise, you can do this in one of the online calculators or check the table of popular values.
| 2.0 bar | 2.1 bar | 2.2 bar | 2. 3 bar | 2.4 bar | 2.5 bar | 2.6 bar | 2.7 bar | 2.8 bar |
| 29psi | 30psi | 32 psi | 33 psi | 35 psi | 36 psi | 38 psi | 39 psi | 41 psi |
Temperature has a significant effect on tire pressure: when it drops, the pressure in the wheels decreases with it. When the temperature drops by 10 °C, the tire deflates by an average of 0.07–0.14 bar or 1 to 2 psi [2].
Temperature has a significant effect on tire pressure (Photo: Shutterstock)
Summer tires typically use manufacturer's recommended readings. But in winter, it is advised to add about 0.2 bar to these figures [3].
Experts also recommend checking and correcting tire pressure at outside temperature. In the cold season, swapping is best done not in a warm garage, but on the street. In summer, before such a manipulation, you should make sure that some of the wheels of the car were not under the scorching sun, while others were in the shade.
Sometimes the tire pressure needs to be adjusted according to the situation. For example, when the machine is fully loaded or a trailer is towed. For such cases, automakers, as a rule, separately indicate the optimal pressure.
But there are moments that fall into the category of extreme and non-standard (especially if before that the car most often drove around the city). Automotive expert Tatyana Eliseeva analyzed the most common of them.
Causes tires to heat up, especially in summer, so you should follow the manufacturer's recommendations before such a trip.
We do not know what we will meet: patched road repairs or heavy rain. After all, for each of these situations, the recommendations will be opposite. Athletes can play with pressure when track conditions are known and engineers can always change the settings. For a long journey, the layman just needs to choose the average.
Tires must be bled off, especially on sand. The question is for how much? You can bleed up to 0.7 atm, but a not very experienced motorist can slip the wheels with an inaccurate movement, and if the driver turns the steering wheel sharply (for example, trying to catch on the edge of the track), then the tire can come off the disk. And such cases occur regularly.
At near-zero temperatures on packed snow, ice or sludge for new wheels (velcro or studded) it is better to pump the wheels a little so that water and sludge are squeezed out of the central zone of the contact patch and the tread is better worked.
The wheel must be cleared for the tread to work. When it is clogged with snow, the braking distance and traction deteriorate greatly.
If the car has worn wheels, but with an acceptable tread depth for winter tires (4 mm), then you should not hope for the correct operation of the tread. Such a low checker no longer pushes the snow. In this case, it is necessary to reduce the pressure in the wheel, thereby increasing the same contact patch.
Photo: Global Look Press
On a country road, the weight of the machine will be an important factor. In this case, we select the pressure according to the load - specific indicators must be viewed on the central pillar of the body. There you will see something like the following recommendation: the more the car is loaded, the higher the pressure in the rear wheels should be.
But a badly broken road can lead to herniations, ruptures and tire damage. Therefore, if we increase the pressure, then we drive on a bad road as calmly and measuredly as possible.
Or we slightly deviate from the manufacturer's recommendations and raise the pressure not as much as the manufacturer recommends.
The main factor in changing the behavior of the wheel is not the pressure difference at altitude, but the presence of a large number of sharp turns and long braking. The tire will heat up not only from the loads, but also from the operation of the brake mechanisms. Therefore, the idea that due to low pressure it is necessary to increase the pressure in the tires is wrong, because the temperature of the wheel has a much greater influence in this case.
The recommended pressure is always given when the tires are cold. This means that the vehicle has not been driven for three hours or has traveled less than 1 mile (or one mile).
There are two ways to check tire pressure: on your own or at a workshop. In the first case, it is enough to use a public pump at a gas station or purchase a pressure gauge.
This tire pressure measuring device comes in three types:
Another option is to install special pressure control caps on each nipple. Such a gadget works as follows: the upper part of the cap is transparent and, depending on the level of pressure, an indicator of three colors appears in it. Green - the pressure is normal, yellow - the tire is flat, red - the pressure has exceeded the norm.
Photo: Shutterstock
The easiest way to monitor tire pressure is with the automatic TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitor System). Today it is installed on almost all models, and in some countries its presence is a prerequisite for releasing a car from the assembly line.
In these systems, the electronics automatically detect changes in the tire, and if the pressure drops below the recommended value, a warning signal lights up on the on-board computer screen.
There are two types of TPMS:
Car manufacturers recommend checking tire pressure every two weeks, but at least once a month. Indeed, even under ideal conditions (for example, the car is idle for a long time), the wheels lose approximately 0.069bar, or 1 psi, per month [4].
The pressure should be monitored before and after a long trip, during a sudden change in temperature (for example, during the first frost or warming), and also after changing tires or driving with a load.
