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.
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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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 atm. 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 to:
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. Overinflated tires also cause the following:
Tatyana Eliseeva, an auto expert, master of sports of international class in motorsport, comments
For flat tires:
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 the 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 have 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 drop 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 such 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. After all, even under ideal conditions (for example, the car is idle for a long time), the wheels lose about 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.
Also, don't forget the spare wheel. Automakers advise servicing it at least as often as the main wheels. As a rule, it has its own optimum pressure values, which can be found in the operating brochure or information table.
| Make and model | Standard load front pressure | Rear pressure at standard load |
| Lada Granta (standard version) | 2.0 bar | 2.0 bar |
| Lada Vesta | 2.2 bar | 2.2. bar |
| Kia Rio | 2.3 bar | 2.3 bar |
| Hyundai Creta | 2.3 bar | 2.3 bar |
| Renault Duster | 2.0 bar | 2.0 bar |
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Tire pressure is most often checked when there are obvious problems and the car cannot be driven.
Nevertheless, everything is much more complicated: how the car will behave on the road depends on the pressure, how often the suspension will have to be repaired, the rims corrected and the tires changed. The more attentive the driver is to tire pressure, the less he spends on car maintenance.
Tire pressure can be normal, insufficient and excessive.
At normal pressure , the tire is in contact with the road surface evenly throughout the entire tread pattern. When turning, the contact patch may change, but on a flat surface when moving straight, it does not change. Contact patch - the bearing surface of the wheel, the part of the tire that comes into contact with the road surface.
When the tire pressure is low, the contact patch is shifted to its sidewalls. The wheel rests on the side surfaces, while the central part collapses. Here are the main consequences of insufficient tire pressure:
With overpressure , the contact patch moves to the central part of the tire, the side surfaces of the wheel do not come into contact with the coating. This also causes premature tire wear. That's why it's bad:
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Different tire pressures is another variation from the norm. In this case, all four tires will wear out differently. In addition to the consequences already listed, the car can move the wheels with the least pressure to the side. According to the recommendations of manufacturers and specialists, the pressure should be the same in tires for wheels of the same axle.
Normal pressure in passenger car tires is in the range of 1.9-2.5 bar. But each manufacturer has its own standards. On the Internet, it is quite easy to find summary tables with such standards for almost all makes and models of cars.
But it is difficult to understand when the information is reliable: on the official websites of automakers or tire manufacturers, this data is usually not available, and where third-party sites got it from is unknown.
In addition to tables with manufacturer's standards, there are also average normal values for wheels of different sizes. But it is better to adhere to official recommendations, especially since they can almost always be found on the car itself.
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If you have a car manual, you can search for tire pressure standards in it. There is also information on the car itself. Here's where she might be:
Follow the link for a table and recommendations. Another way to find out what pressure should be in your car's tires is to use various pressure calculation calculators. It is enough to select the make, model and year of manufacture of the car to get the recommended axle pressure. Some services provide a choice of season and weight - the standards will vary.
The pressure value is also applied to the tire itself. Usually it is specified separately from the dimensions in psi - pounds per square inch.
But this indicator cannot be used as a normative one: it indicates the maximum allowable pressure that a tire can withstand. If you inflate the wheels to this pressure, they will most likely burst.
When using a car regularly, it is important to measure tire pressure at least once or twice a month, and preferably once a week. Be sure to do this before a long trip, after a long stop and with a sharp change in temperature. After changing seasonal tires, it will be useful to check the pressure after about 100 km of run.
You can measure tire pressure yourself or at any tire shop: most likely, they won’t even take money from you.
To measure the pressure yourself, you will need a pressure gauge. Here's what they are:
Most often, the pressure scale on pressure gauges is made in bars, in Russia this particular unit of measurement is used. Sometimes a double scale is found on dial gauges, pressure is added in psi. 1 bar is 14.5 psi.
You can find similar tables for converting one value to another and use them.
Here are generally all options for units of measurement and indications up to 4.0 bar. Source: pokrishka.ru Another way to convert the pressure value from one unit to another is to use any online converter. Source: google.com If you haven't bought your own pressure gauge yet, you can measure tire pressure at a gas station. Large gas stations, as a rule, are equipped with special points for tire inflation, where there are also pressure gauges. And there is also a pressure gauge on almost any compressor.
Modern cars have a tire pressure monitoring system. When it falls below the recommended rate, a corresponding icon appears on the on-board computer. This system is called the Tire Pressure Monitor System, TPMS.
If such a system is not available from the factory, you can purchase a similar one. It operates by analogy with the factory one: sensors are installed on the rims, and a control unit is installed in the passenger compartment, to which pressure and temperature readings from each of the wheels are constantly transmitted. There are many options for different brands and models of cars, and the cost starts from about 2000 R. Often, sensors in such systems are installed instead of a nipple cap. They are larger, stick out a lot, so they are easy to damage when driving on bad roads or deep snow.
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Here's how tire pressure monitoring systems work.
According to ABS sensors. Analyzing the rotation speed of each of the wheels, the control unit will quickly realize that one of them has begun to rotate at a different speed, an indication will appear on the instrument panel. At the same time, there will be a button for resetting pressure readings in the cabin or in the on-board computer menu. It must be pressed after adjusting the pressure so that the control unit remembers the new readings.
According to the sensors in each of the wheels. The sensors are installed inside the tire under the rim nipple. The antenna captures their readings and displays them on the on-board computer screen, the data can be monitored in real time: in the morning, after overnight parking or when driving on the highway in hot weather.
Different car manufacturers have different sensors. For example, Volkswagen and Mercedes have no difference on which wheel which sensor is on: the system itself will determine and show the pressure correctly. But on Hyundai or Subaru, the sensors are located exactly where you need them: if you swap them, the readings will be displayed incorrectly, and the wheels on the on-board computer screen will be confused.
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A yellow exclamation mark in a tire cut across is the “Check tire pressure” sign. Photo: Smile Fight / Shutterstock Standard dial gauge. It usually has two scales and a reset button. Source: market.yandex.ru Mechanical pressure gauges are like a pen.To measure tire pressure, you need to unscrew the cap on the nipple, reset the pressure gauge and install it on the valve. The readings obtained are compared with the recommended norms and, if necessary, the pressure is adjusted. It is important to measure the pressure on each wheel, and the tires must be "cold": the car needs to stand for at least a few hours.
If the pressure is below normal, the wheel must be pumped up with a compressor from the cigarette lighter, a foot pump or a stationary compressor at a gas station or tire shop. Almost each of these devices also has a pressure gauge, so you don’t have to use a separate one.
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High blood pressure is not a problem either. It is enough to press on the spool in the nipple and bleed off excess air.
At the very end of the procedures, it is important to screw the cap on each nipple.
Almost every major gas station has a similar tire inflation machineThe tire pressure of a car does not always have to be the same. Its normal value may change under the influence of various factors.
Season. In summer, due to the high temperature, the air in the tires expands, the pressure becomes higher. And if you move on hot asphalt, then the indicator will increase even more. Therefore, in summer it is especially important not to pump the wheels and check the pressure on well-cooled tires.
In winter, when the temperature drops, the pressure level in the tires, on the contrary, drops. Not critical, but it is worth considering when pumping up the wheels. In this case, the pressure should be measured only after the car has stood still in the open air for at least a couple of hours. In winter, it makes sense to pump over the wheels by 0.2 bar.
Car loading. The pressure standards for different car loads are usually already indicated by the manufacturer on the same stickers. The principle is simple: when the load increases, you need to increase the pressure at the wheels on the rear axle.
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As an example, using the online calculator: for the Volkswagen Polo 1.2 TSI, the recommended tire pressure without load in summer is 1.9 bar on both axles. Source: ka4nikoleso.info And now the same car, but instead of summer they chose winter, the recommendations have changed. The tire pressure rate on the front axle has become 2.0 bar, and on the rear axle - 2.Coating condition. On off-road, especially on loose earth or sand, you need to bleed the pressure in the tires, even below 1.0 bar. The area of adhesion to the surface will increase, and the car will become more passable. In loose, rough snow, this technique should also help. The main thing is to perform all maneuvers at low speed, without sudden movements. Otherwise, there is a risk of disassembling the wheel.
Speed and driving style. High speed, sharp turns, starts and stops heat up the tires more than during normal driving. This means that the pressure in them increases. That is, you should not pump over the wheels if you cannot change the driving style to a more relaxed one. This advice is also relevant for trips to the mountains. Long braking on descents, steep climbs and sharp turns affect tire pressure more than pressure reduction at altitude.
The standard recommended pressures will not work with custom size low profile tyres. You can focus on summary tables with pressure depending on tire sizes - they take into account different profile heights. You can choose the right pressure empirically. But it is best to seek the advice of specialists. Low profile tires are much more sensitive to incorrect pressure than standard tires.
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And one more important point: when monitoring tire pressure, it is important to remember about the spare wheel. For a full-size spare tire, the normal pressure will be the same as in the rest of the tires. But for rolling, a higher pressure is recommended - at the level of 4.2-4.5 bar. Roll-out - a spare wheel with a tire width less than the standard one, so the general pressure standards will not work. You need such a spare wheel to get to the nearest service, you can’t constantly ride it.
