How much air should go in a tire


Recommended Tire Pressure - What Should My Tire Pressure be?

Maintaining correct tire inflation pressure is very important since it helps optimize tire performance and fuel economy while over-inflated tires are just as problematic as under-inflated ones.

In fact, driving with under-inflated tires is one of the biggest causes of tire failure, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Besides, under-inflated tires can cause many other problems such as wearing out more rapidly, handling poorly and reducing fuel efficiency.

In addition, over-inflated tires are more susceptible to damage from road irregularities, and this also creates a bumpier ride.

Overfilling your tires is just as dangerous as under-filling them, so it’s important you know what is recommended for your vehicle.

This article will give you everything that you need know about your recommended tire pressure. These include:

  • where to find recommended tire pressure
  • reasons that maximum tire pressure is not the best one
  • how to check your tire pressure
  • signs that your tires might be under-inflated

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Recommended tire pressure, where to find it?

Since tire pressure is so important to your safety and your car’s overall performance, it is important to know which level of tire pressure is right for your vehicle.

In fact, how much air pressure your tires need depends on several factors, including the type of vehicle, the type of tire and the intended use of the vehicle etc.

Air pressure in tires is measured in pounds per square inch or PSI. You can find your tire pressure both inside your car and on the sidewall of the tire.

How to find recommended tire pressure inside your car

You could find the manufacturer’s optimum or recommended tire pressure for your car on a sticker in the door jam, or in your owner’s manual. Some car models even place the stickers on the trunk lid, in the console or on the fuel door. For best results, look for a placard on the inside of the driver’s door, like the example in the photo below.

How to find maximum tire pressure on the sidewall of your tires

Somewhere on the sidewall of your tire, just below the big, bold letters of the manufacturer, for example, you might have noticed the words ‘Max. Press. 35 PSI.’ (pounds per square inch).

That number tells you the maximum cold pressure needed for your tire to carry its maximum load.

Most typical tires require about 32 to 35 pounds per square inch (PSI) of air, says Rod Tate, owner of highly rated Colony One Auto Center in Stafford, Texas.

Large trucks require much larger tires with PSIs of 50 to 60. Heavy-duty vehicles can go even higher. For example, tire in the picture below requires 41 pounds per square inch of air.

However, the tire’s maximum pressure is NOT necessarily the most suitable pressure for every vehicle upon which the tire can be used (almost all vehicle manufacturers’ recommended tire inflation pressures are less than the tires’ maximum pressure).

You really should follow the recommended pressure printed somewhere inside your car or in the manual rather than the maximum pressure. In the next section, I will explain why.

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Why is maximum tire pressure not the best?

If you insist on inflating your tires to the max PSI, there will be more likely that two things below will happen

  • The handling characteristics change

Since tires inflated to the max cannot give as much on the sidewall, you might see superior cornering, but it could be at the risk of your braking threshold. One quick corner and your back end could slide out.

  •  The life of your tire decreases

When your tires are inflated too much, the rubber rounds out at the top of the tire when you are driving, and the center will quickly wear out. You will also reduce your traction and you could even cause a blowout.

Therefore, maximum pressure is not the best, rather, recommended pressure is. I need to repeat here that the pressure listed on the sidewall is a maximum pressure only, but not a recommended pressure. Instead, you should use the air pressure recommended in the vehicle’s owner’s manual or tire information placard label.

How to check your tires pressure?

Therefore, maximum pressure is not the best, rather, recommended pressure is. I need to repeat here that the pressure listed on the sidewall is a maximum pressure only, but not a recommended pressure. Instead, you should use the air pressure recommended in the vehicle’s owner’s manual or tire information placard label.

After knowing the most appropriate pressure for your car tires, you should check whether your tires have such pressure. In addition, checking the pressure of your tires regularly is one of the most important – and most often overlooked – regular maintenance that you should do to ensure your safety and quality of your driving. Monitoring the amount of air in your tires will let you know if you have a small leak and can help you avoid an unexpected flat tire.

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 speaking, your tire will gain or lose one PSI for every 10-degree change in temperature, which means if you have a sudden drop of 30 degrees, you could lose three PSI overnight. If your tires were already low, this could cause tire damage, steering problems or even a flat tire.

Some experts recommend that you should check the air pressure every time you refuel; others say once a month is sufficient.

How to check tire pressure properly? Checking tire pressure is easy. You can do it right at home or at the gas station. Just be sure you check the pressure when your tires are cold, or have not been driven in several hours. This will give you the most accurate reading.

The most important piece of equipment you need is an accurate tire pressure gauge. You can find battery-operated digital gauges, or more traditional stick-type gauge found at most gas stations. A good gauge should not set you back more than $15 – a worthwhile investment for a longer life for your tires.

Buy Pressure Gauge at Amazon

Make sure you have your manufacturer’s PSI handy when you are checking your tire pressure, and then follow these steps:

  • Remove the end caps on your tires’ air valves (do not lose them!).
  • Place the tire pressure gauge into the valve stem and press down quickly to get a reading.
  • Check the PSI reading. Compare that to your vehicle’s recommended PSI. (It can often be tricky to get the gauge to press fully onto the valve, resulting in an off reading – so take a few readings to eliminate any anomalies.)
  • If the reading is above the recommendation, push in the valve to let out some air (you might have to do this a few times to get it right).
  • If the PSI reading is below the recommendation, fill your tire with air until you reach the ideal level (this may also take a few tries).

By checking tire pressure once a month, you will get a good idea how they are performing. If your tires are fairly new and continue to leak air, you should consult your dealer or mechanic. You may have a faulty valve or other damage that is difficult to detect which could unfortunately result in the need to replace the tires completely. But with proactive maintenance, you could catch an issue before it becomes a problem, and just end up needing a small repair.

Signs that your tires might be underinflated

Often, it is hard to spot an under-inflated tire until it is too late – in other words, it is completely flat. Of course, you could carry a gauge around at all times to measure the pressure, but that is not exactly convenient. Instead, watch for these signs and symptoms of tires that are under-inflated.

  • Your car is not handling as well as it usually does

When your tires are under-inflated, your ride can be less smooth than usual. You may even find that it takes longer to brake.

  • There are cracks in the tire

When a tire is not inflated properly, it wears down more quickly. If you notice that one or all of your tires are wearing out faster than usual, it may be because they are under-inflated.

  • Your steering wheel is shaking or vibrating

Tires that are under-inflated can make your vehicle quiver and shake, which is not a pleasant driving experience. Under-inflation can even cause tires to become misaligned, with comes with it is own variety of problems.

Conclusion

These are all things that you need to know about recommended pressures of your car tires. After reading this article, you will never confuse about the right pressure of your tires and will know how to check it.

Please share your ideas with me if you have other tips for this.

6 Things You Need to Know about Tire Pressure

When it comes to driving safety, tire pressure is always one of the hottest topics. Why does tire pressure matter? What the heck is that little annoying symbol on my dashboard? Should I under-inflate my tire during the winter? How often should I check my tire pressure?

We got tons of questions like this from our community, so for today, let's dive deep into the world of tire pressure, put our geeky glasses on and figure out everything you need to know about your tires.

  

1. What's The Recommended Tire Pressure For My Car?

The recommended tire pressure varies based on the vehicle makes determined by the manufacturer after thousands of tests and calculations. For most vehicles, you can find the ideal tire pressure on the sticker/card inside the driver’s door for newer cars. If there’s no sticker, you can usually find the info in the owner’s manual. Normal tire pressure is usually between 32~40 psi(pounds per square inch) when they are cold. So make sure you check your tire pressure after a long stay and usually, you can do it in the early morning.

 

 

2. How To Check The Tire Pressure?

After knowing the proper tire pressure of your vehicle recommended by the manufacturer, you should check your tire pressure regularly to make sure that you are in good shape. 

You can check your tire pressure in auto part stores, the mechanics, gas stations, and at home. To check tire pressure at home, you need:

  • A Tire Pressure Gauge(Digital or Regular)
  • Air Compressor
  • Pen and paper / your phone

Step 1: Test with cold tires

As tire pressure changes with the temperature a lot, and recommended tire pressures are cold inflation pressure, you should start with cold tires if possible. We mostly check the tire pressure after one night's rest to avoid the heat from the friction of the last drive, and before the temperature goes up. 

Step 2: Check the tire pressure with the gauge

Unscrew the valve cap and press the tire gauge onto the valve stem hard enough until the hissing sound disappears. There should be a reading as long as the gauge is well connected to the tire.

Step 3: Note down the readings

You can then note down the tire pressure of each tire, and compare them with the ideal psi you read from inside your driver’s door or in the owner’s manual. Make sure you read in detail, as for some vehicles, front and rear tires have different recommended psi.

Step 4: Fill your tires to the recommended psi

If you find a tire underinflated, use the air compressor to fill your tires. You can either buy an air compressor in the auto parts store or use one in a gas station. Remember to rest your tires for at least half an hour to make sure they’re cold and the reading is accurate. If you have to fill your tires when the tires are hot, inflate them 3~4 psi above the recommended psi, and check again with your gauge when they are cold. It’s ok to overinflate a bit when filling the tires, as you can let the air out with the gauge.

Step 5: Check the tire pressure again

After filling the tires, use your tire pressure gauge to check the tire pressure again and make sure they are in a good range. Let the air out a bit if they are over-inflated by pressing the gauge harder on the valve stem.

 

3. How To Maintain Proper Tire Inflation?

Tire maintenance is essential for the overall performance of your vehicle, and we highly recommend that you check your tire pressure every time you inflate your tire, each 10°F (5.6 °C) temperature change, and every 30 days. 

Be mindful that don’t wait until the TPMS(Tire Pressure Monitoring System) light come on before you check the tire pressure, as the normal TPMS may:

  • Turn on after the tire pressure is well underinflated
  • Cannot detect gradual air loss
  • Cannot detect over-inflated tires
  • Cannot tell which tire is under-inflated
  • Cannot turn on if the TPMS is not transmitting the signal to the dashboard
  • . ..

For more information about the tire pressure monitoring system, please check our post about TPMS: What is TPMS and Why Does it Matter?

Thus, we highly recommend that you check your tire pressure regularly, especially before a long drive or heavy load driving. Also, temperature affects the tire pressure a lot, and we will explain it in the next section.

 

4. How Does Temperature Affect Tire Pressure?

First of all, the rule of thumb is for each 10°F (5.6 °C) decrease in temperature, the tire pressure will drop by one psi for most passenger vehicles. When it comes to commercial truck tires, which are often inflated to over 80 psi (twice as much as a passenger vehicle tires), the change of tire pressure according to temperature is doubled to 2 psi for every 10°F.

For the non-nerdy readers, just remember this rule of thumb and keep in mind that you will need to monitor your tire pressure during different seasons or a sudden temperature change.  For those who want a deeper dive into how psi's are determined, here's the science behind it.

The equation we use to calculate the relationship between tire pressure and the temperature is called the Ideal Gas Law. It is a good approximation of the behavior of many gases under many conditions. (Appx1) It works well for most low-pressure gases. When applied to tire pressure calculation, the error is less than 1%.

First, we take the Ideal Gas Law equation and apply it to our circumstance:

PV=nRT

where,
P = absolute pressure
V = gas volume in the tire
n = the number of molecules of gas in the tire
R = universal gas constant
T = temperature

Since we are trying to examine the pressure change according to the temperature, let's assume two tire pressures P1 & P2 at their set temperatures T1 & T2.

Given the n and R are both constants, and the gas volume in the tire is also a constant, we can take those constants out of the equation, and suddenly we get this straightforward one:

Let's say the temperature drops from 100°F to 50°F, the tire pressure at 100°F is 35 psi, so what's the tire pressure now at 50°F?

(the metric system is getting in the way, huh?)

Absolute Pressure = tire pressure + sea level air pressure (14.7 psi). So,

Put all that into the equation,

So a 50°F drop in temperature lowers the air pressure by 4.5 psi, which is pretty much the same according to our rule of thumb.

 

5. How Does Tire Pressure Affect Driving

Both overinflation and underinflation affect your tire performance a lot, and serious problems might occur. According to NHTSA(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), driving on underinflated tires increases a driver's chance of being in a serious accident by 300%. So how will a bad tire pressure affect driving safety? We will explain in detail below.

How tire pressure affects grip

The grip is mostly associated with the size of the contact patch between the tire and the road. An over-inflated tire radically decreases the contact patch while an under-inflated tire does the opposite.

A larger contact patch gives you more grip, and this is the exact reason why lots of racers will intentionally decrease their tire pressures to create a larger contact patch on a dry race track.

However, despite the fact that an under-inflated tire will cause more fuel consumption and improper tear and wear of the tires, for most daily commuters, it might cause an even scarier problem, which is hydroplaning.

Hydroplaning is a hazardous event when a layer of water builds between the wheels and the road surface, leading to a loss of traction that prevents the vehicle from responding to control inputs. (Appx2)

Hydroplaning occurs when the pressure of the tire pushing on the ground is equal to the water pushing back up on that tire. The size of the contact patch, given the force or the weight of the tire, is the same, directly affects the average pressure the tire's putting down on the road. The larger the contact patch (by deflating the tires), the less pressure it puts on that same area. So there's a causal relationship between your tire pressure and the possibility of a hydroplaning event.

Here's a more visual explanation of what is happening between a properly-inflated tire and an underinflated tire when driving on a wet road.

(waters could easily go under an under-inflated tire and cause hydroplaning)

To avoid a hydroplaning event, ALWAYS inflate your tires properly. Also, check your tires' treads, which make the water flow around the tires more efficiently, and of course, driving slow is always a big plus.

How tire pressure affects tire wear

The contact patch directly decides the pattern of the tire's wear and tear. You don't want your tires to wear out prematurely just because you have an over or under-inflated tire.

How tire pressure affects fuel economy

Imagine you are a ball rolling on the ice, there's no friction between the two surfaces, how much extra force do you need to apply to keep the ball moving? Zero (Thanks, Newton). The same applies to your fuel consumption when it comes to driving on the road. The rolling resistance between your tires and the road significantly affects fuel economy, and by now we should all know the logic behind this, lower tire pressure leads to a larger contact patch, which causes higher rolling resistance, and thus, poor fuel economy.

A Michelin study showed that your tire is accountable for at least 1/5 of your total fuel consumption and a 1-bar of pressure drop (14.5 psi) would increase your fuel consumption by 3-5%.

 

6. Special Conditions For Tire Pressure Manipulation

There are of course circumstances where you want to manipulate your tire pressure to meet specific requirements. Like the aforementioned track race, or if you are driving on sand, mud, etc. However, as a daily commuter, we strongly suggest you regularly check your tire pressure, preferably once a week and anytime you might take a long road trip, and always keep the tires properly inflated! 

(overview of tire properties under different pressure points)

 

Conclusion

Tire pressure is always a hot topic regarding driving safety, and it's important to keep an eye on the tire pressure to maximize fuel efficiency and safety.

 

 

 

Before you go

We'd like to offer you our most popular ZUS Smart Vehicle Health Monitor for FREE to better take care of your car and save $$$ on car expenses. Claim your free unit here.

 

 

Top Posts from nonda:

What is a Car Diagnostic Test & How to DIY?

What Does Check Engine Light Mean & How to Fix it?

Best OBD2 Scanner & Code Reader: Complete Buying Guide

OBD2 Codes: What You Need to Know 

 

Appendix 1 - Ideal gas law - Wikipedia.

Appendix 2 - Aquaplaning - Wikipedia. 

Sun and tires. What pressure is better to keep in the wheels in the heat? | Practical advice | Car

Extremely high air temperatures lead to sharp pressure fluctuations inside tires. Under the sun's rays, dark gray asphalt can heat up to 60 degrees and above. It affects the temperature of the tires, and also softens itself and changes the characteristics. As a result, in the heat, you can observe a deterioration in the handling of cars. What pressure should be maintained in tires to compensate for the harmful effects of high temperatures?

Temperature and pressure fluctuations

As the ambient temperature rises, the tire pressure increases. If you inflate the tire in the evening at a temperature of +20 degrees to a working pressure of 2.2 bar, then in the morning with an increase in temperature by about every 5-7 degrees, the pressure will begin to rise by 0.1 bar. Thus, at +32 degrees at noon, the tire pressure will reach 2. 5 bar.

If the motorist decides to go on a long journey and drives out onto hot asphalt, the tires will warm up even more. During movement, due to the frictional force during lateral overloads, as well as during braking, rubber usually heats up 10 degrees above the ambient temperature. And since the asphalt in the sun also warms up to 40-45 degrees, the temperature of the rubber in the heat reaches 50-55, and with sudden braking - 60-65. The pressure periodically rises to 2.7 bar.

Thus, when driving in hot weather during the day, the tire pressure can fluctuate from the standard 2.2 bar to 2.7 bar or more, which affects the performance of the wheel.

Under-inflated tires

Za Rulem experts conducted a study on the relationship between tire performance and pressure. The experiments involved Lada 112 on Kleber Viaxer tires with a dimension of 175/70R13.

With a tire pressure of 2.0 bar, the braking distance from a speed of 80 km / h was 46 meters, and the speed of the “rearrangement”, that is, the maneuver to sharply evade an obstacle that suddenly appeared, was 65. 9km/h

When the pressure is reduced by 0.5 bar to 1.5 atm., the behavior of the car is noticeably distorted. The wheels have become softer, which is why the suspension response to bumps has decreased. Lada became more comfortable and annoyed less with blows on bumps.

On the other hand, directional stability on the straight line worsened: the car began to “walk” along the lane, reacting to lateral disturbances. The contact patch has increased, and the braking distance has been reduced by almost a meter. The tire was dented, and most of the micro-roughnesses of the road relief began to work on braking.

At the same time, handling has deteriorated on underinflated wheels. The car during the "rearrangement" became less sharp and reacted worse to the actions of the steering wheel.

Reducing the pressure led to inconsistent results. On the one hand, the Lada 112 became more comfortable and braked better, but on the other hand, the handling suffered.

Inflated wheels

At the end of the test, the tire pressure was increased to 2. 5 bar. The car immediately lost in comfort. Bumps on the bumps have become noticeably stronger. Harder tires dampen impact energy less. In general, management has deteriorated. Compared to normal pressure, steering feel has noticeably decreased. The pumped-over tires practically lost their pulls, and this harmed the “understanding” of the car, especially in critical modes. The car could first catch on the road, and then start to slide. That is why the speed of the “rearrangement” has increased to a record 67 km / h, since the ability to turn the stern a little due to the micro-skidding of the rear axle is very helpful for front-wheel drive vehicles with a sharp lane change.

But with increasing pressure, the braking distance also increased. Inflated tires slow down worse, and compared to the norm, from a speed of 100 km / h, the distance to a stop has grown by almost a meter.

In general, in hot weather, due to an increase in tire pressure by 0. 5 bar, you need to be careful on the road, as the car not only becomes less comfortable, but also tends to slip “to the floor” during emergency braking.

Fuel economy

Manufacturers claim that every 0.15 bar increase in tire pressure over the operating range of 2.0 to 2.5 bar results in a 5% reduction in rolling resistance. In other words, if the tire pressure rises to 2.5 bar, then fuel consumption in strictly straight driving can be reduced by an average of 15-17%.

It turns out that under ideal conditions, a good tire inflation for an ordinary passenger car with a 1.6-liter atmospheric engine brings 1-1.5 liters of savings per 100 km in warm weather. This is quite a tangible result.

In some cases, vehicle operating instructions even state that it is recommended to increase the pressure by 0.2-0.3 bar before driving on expressways. True, this is true only for low-profile tires with a diameter of 16 inches and above. Such wheels are slightly deformed at maximum pressure.

If conventional tires are overinflated by 0.3-0.5 bar above the prescribed pressure, there is a risk of uneven tread wear. It wears out in the middle of the contact patch.

In general, it is best to drive at normal pressure in hot weather. At high air temperatures, the pressure should be released by 0.2-0.3 bar so that when the daytime temperature rises, the pressure can rise to normal. If the standard set out on the plate at the driver's door requires inflating tires to 2.2-2.5 bar, then in the heat they should be inflated to 2.0-2.2 bar. However, with a decrease in air temperature to 20 degrees, the wheels again need to be pumped up to normal.

how it should be, table :: Autonews

Photo: Shutterstock

www.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.

www.adv.rbc.ru

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:

  1. The dangers of incorrect tire pressure
  2. Signs of abnormal pressure
  3. What should be
  4. When to correct
  5. How to check
  6. How often to check
  7. Table for popular car brands in Russia

Why incorrect tire pressure is dangerous

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

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 their excessive wear;
  • to poor handling and less accurate car reactions to driver actions;
  • to lower fuel economy due to increased drag;
  • to an increased risk of hydroplaning.

Tire pressure too high

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:

  • the car becomes difficult to handle at high speeds and corners;
  • suspension is stronger and harder to work out the load from bumps and bumps;
  • due to less grip, the braking distance increases (this is especially dangerous in rain or ice):
  • increases the chance of a puncture or other damage.

Signs of incorrect tire pressure

Tatyana Eliseeva, an auto expert, international class master of sports in motorsport, comments

For flat tires:

  • whistle in tight turns and at low speeds;
  • if one wheel is flat, the car starts to drive (pull in one direction) along the road;
  • in fast corners, a flat tire “breaks down” - there may be a sound or disassembly.

For overinflated tires:

  • the car gets more nervous in a straight line;
  • shakes her on bumps;
  • more felt side edge of the wheel in turns;
  • there is a pleasant feeling (this should alert) that the car suddenly began to roll well.

Excessive tire pressure leads to excessive sensitivity to road irregularities and the risk of tire damage (Photo: Shutterstock)

What tire pressure should be

The manufacturer sets its own optimal tire pressure for each car model. 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:

  • on the driver's door pillar or sill;
  • on the glove box door;
  • on the back of the gas tank flap;
  • on the tailgate.

Tire pressure chart

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:

  • 1 bar = 0.986923 atm.

Foreign models often use pounds per square inch (pound per square inch), or psi:

  • 1 psi = 0.068948 bar;
  • 1 bar = 14.5 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.

The most common tire pressures in bar and psi

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 39psi 41 psi

Tire pressure in summer and winter

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.

When to adjust the pressure: 5 examples

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.

Long road trips

Leads to heating of the wheels, especially in summer, and therefore it is necessary to 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.

Off-road

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.

On packed snow and ice

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

With a loaded machine

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.

In mountainous terrain

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 tight 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.

How to check tire pressure

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:

  • Pointer . A simple working mechanism, as a rule, issuing a small error.
  • Electronic . Compact, handy digital screen, battery operated.
  • Rack or slide-out . Inexpensive, easy to use, but more fragile than other 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:

  • Direct. It uses pressure sensors in each wheel, and the on-board computer displays the actual air pressure.
  • Indirect. Calculates the size of the wheel and the distance it travels in one revolution. If this indicator changes, the system notifies the driver about the presence of a problem, but without accurate readings of air pressure.

How often to check tire pressure

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.


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