Tire pressure affects the handling of your vehicle on slippery surfaces
The short answer: yes! Here’s how to make sure your tire pressure is always right in cold weather
Maintaining correct tire pressure not only ensures optimal traction and grip on any road surface, it also gives you more mileage for your fuel and even reduces CO2 emissions. However, as soon as the temperature drops during cold winter months, it’s important to be vigilant of your tires’ inflation pressure. Once you‘ve prepared your car for winter and fitted it with winter tires, you also need to adapt your tire pressure checks to the seasonal conditions.
Let’s take a closer look at how cold weather affects air pressure and how you can effectively monitor it for maximum driving comfort.
When the temperature drops, tire pressure drops with it
As a rule of thumb, when the temperature decreases by 10°C, tire pressure drops between 0.07 to 0.14 bars or 1 to 2 pounds per square inch (PSI). Furthermore, if you live in or travel to a location where there is high elevation, tire pressure is further reduced with every added meter of altitude. For this reason, it’s important to regularly check and maintain all four of your tires’ inflation levels.
Not sure what your tire pressure should be? There are several places you can find it in your vehicle:
Inflating your winter tires according to your car manufacturer’s recommendation helps maintain good traction and handling on slippery icy surfaces, no matter the temperature change.
Obviously, the same goes for all-season tires.
In short, yes, you need to regularly check the inflation levels. As the temperature drops in cold weather, you might notice your TPMS symbol illuminating more often than usual – particularly in the morning when the air is cold. This is most likely due to the temperature dropping overnight, along with the bar or PSI level. However, this is no reason to become complacent when it comes to maintaining your wheels. You should check the air pressure at least every two weeks. In fact, while your tires might look fine, a tire can be under-inflated before it’s visibly noticeable! When checking your tire pressure, you can also take a minute to check the condition and tread depth of your winter tires.
If you live in a region where roads often get covered in ice and where studded tires are allowed or necessary in winter, maintaining the correct air pressure is just as important as it is for non-studded tires.
Maintaining the correct levels will provide maximum performance and safety. Poor maintenance can lead to premature stud loss.
As inflation tends to drop with the temperature in cold weather, it’s important to check tire inflation every two weeks. Here are some simple tips to help you check and adjust your tire pressure:
Try make a habit of checking your tires every time you fill up.Yes, you typically need to inflate your tires in cold weather. As we'll explain, low temperatures often mean low tire pressure, and low tire pressure could mean dangerous driving conditions.
With the promise of holiday travel up ahead, it’s time to prepare! Firestone Complete Auto Care is here to help you drive safer with a quick lesson on cold weather and tire pressure.
First, a quick science lesson: when the temperature drops, molecules in the air move slower and huddle together.
When the temperature increases, molecules move faster and farther away from one another!
You can test this concept for yourself. Just set a basketball outside and wait! The ball will slightly deflate in the cold morning air, then re-inflate in the heat of the afternoon.
When this concept plays out inside your tires, it can affect your tire pressure.
That's because tires lose or gain 1-2 PSI (pounds per square inch) for every 10℉ change in temperature. So theoretically, your tires could lose 4 PSI over the weekend if the temperature drops by 20℉!
While your tire pressure should bounce back after the cold spell passes (assuming it does pass and your tires have no leaks or holes), low tire pressure shouldn't be ignored.
Low tire pressure can lead to:
2% for every 1 PSI drop in the average pressure of all tires, notes the U.S. Department of Energy.A small decrease in tire pressure is hard for the naked eye to detect, but it can still have a big impact on your driving. Tires can lose pressure even when temperatures remain constant over the winter. To be safe, we recommend checking tire pressure every other time you visit the pump, and especially when your TPMS light pops on.
Here’s how:
You can find it written in your owner’s manual or on a sticker attached to your door jamb, glove box, or fuel hatch. Recommended tire pressure usually falls between 30-35 PSI for passenger cars. If you’re not sure, try our recommended tire pressure tool.
Check your tires before driving.Measure your tire pressure before driving, not after, for the most accurate reading. This practice is referred to as setting the cold tire pressure. If your recommended tire pressure is 32 PSI, that means 32 PSI before you put rubber to the road and the tires heat up.
Tire pressure gauges can be purchased for a few dollars at most big box retailers. "Pencil" style gauges are cheapest and have a little stick that pops out with the tire pressure reading. Digital tire pressure gauges are a bit more expensive but are extremely easy to use.
This is the little black, blue, green or silver screw-cap on your wheel's valve stem. It should be plainly visible from the outside of your car.
Follow the instructions that come with your tire pressure gauge. If there's a hissing sound when you insert the gauge, it may not be properly seated on the valve stem.
Re-adjust the angle of the gauge until the hissing stops. What's your tire pressure? Do your tires need to be inflated?
Repeat the process for each tire and note your tire pressure readings.
There's a good chance you'll need to inflate your tires in winter at least once. If your tire pressure is low, find your nearest air pump. Add air until you reach your recommended tire pressure, or visit your nearest Firestone Complete Auto Care and we'll inflate your tires for you.
If you need help with any of these steps, please don't hesitate to stop by a local Firestone Complete Auto Care. Summer or winter, sunshine or snow—our knowledgeable technicians will check the health of your tires, inflate them to the recommended pressure, and guide you in buying new tires if yours show an alarming degree of wear.
As repeatedly stated, regular maintenance not only improves mileage, but also increases reliability.
Of all the maintenance methods, the most important for us is regular tire pressure checks. The optimum pressure (recommended by the manufacturer) is equal to the optimum return during operation.
Do you know that pressure depends on temperature changes and climatic conditions? Yes, it is - it changes in warm and cold weather. What do we remember from the school physics course? The fact that when heated, the gas expands and increases in volume. And at low temperatures, the gas is compressed. The same process takes place inside your wheels. In countries where the temperature changes significantly throughout the day, it is very important to pay attention to pressure.
It has been scientifically proven that the internal pressure changes by 3-4% for every 10°C change in temperature. Simply put:
So, that's sorted out. We go further.
Not only the outside air temperature should be taken into account when checking and pumping. There is also the heat generated by the tire itself, which also leads to a change in pressure.
The crux of the matter is... how does this affect performance?
Imagine this situation: your mechanic checks the tires, and the pressure is normal - exactly according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Everything is great. Then (shortly after the pressure test) the ambient temperature rises significantly (this happens in many parts of the world). Plus, the tires warmed up from work. The combination of these two factors leads to a significant increase in pressure and negatively affects performance.
Always remember that excessive pressure leads to intense and uneven wear - this is the number one enemy in the operation of the wheels.
The same principle works in the opposite direction: the outside temperature drops sharply (during harsh winters, for example) or when operating on snow or ice.
The clutch drops, maneuverability and grip deteriorate, the carcass deteriorates, and fuel consumption increases.
Is there a way to control the situation and how to prevent pressure surges? We strongly recommend that you carefully follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Remember that the nominal pressure must be checked in the morning - when the vehicle has not yet been used and the tires have not warmed up.
But if suddenly the outside temperature changes significantly (hard frost or heat), you should deviate slightly from the recommended pressure - in order to avoid potential problems. But try to do it yourself. Always check with a tire specialist beforehand. He will take into account the features of the vehicle, operating mode, temperature and climate, and only then will he give a recommendation for “fine tuning” of the pressure. Remember, if you have any questions about tire pressure, don't hesitate to ask a tire specialist for advice.
BKT Information
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?
- hello lowered the wheel!
— Not at all?
— No, only from below…
Humor from the Net
Let's start with commonplaces.
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 flap.
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, greater heating during wheel rolling, and 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 owner's manuals 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 point. 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 pressure in the tires 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 it is often possible to 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.
