Maintaining proper tire inflation is relatively simple and essential to the overall tire performance of your vehicle. A properly inflated tire will provide longer life, quicker steering response, better fuel efficiency and a smoother ride than an improperly inflated tire. Both underinflation and overinflation can cause headaches like premature treadwear and possible tire failure. The best way to ensure you're getting the most out of your tires is to check your tire pressure on a monthly basis.
Knowing how to use a tire pressure gauge is very simple. Here’s how to check tire pressure and refill your tires.
Items You Need When Checking Tire Pressure
Tire pressure gauge
Air compressor
Pen and paper
Your tire pressure gauge can be digital or standard. Auto parts stores typically carry both. Many auto parts stores sell portable air compressors that run from your car battery or 12v power port. Alternatively, you can use the air compressor found at most gas stations. They usually cost $0.50 or $1.00 to use.
Vehicle manufacturers specify PSI – literally “pounds per square inch” of pressure – assuming tires are cold. Tires are considered cold when the vehicle has been parked for three hours or more, or if the vehicle has been driven less than a mile (1.6 km) at moderate speed. PSI is the unit your pressure gauge uses to provide readings.
Look on the driver’s side door jamb or your owner’s manual to find the recommended cold tire PSI for your front and rear tires. If you cannot find it, you should consult your vehicle dealer, manufacturer, or a qualified tire professional.
If your front and rear tires require different pressure levels, write down the correct PSI for each to avoid getting confused as you move around your vehicle checking tire pressure.
Remove the valve cap from one of your tires. Then place the pressure gauge on the valve stem and press down hard enough so the hiss sound disappears and your gauge provides a reading. With a standard gauge, the air pressure will push a small bar out from the bottom of the gauge. Measurement units are etched into the bar. A digital gauge will show you the reading on a screen.
Write down the reading and repeat this process for all four tires.
Use an air compressor to refill any tires with low pressure. Many air compressors are different, so read directions carefully to be sure you’re using it correctly.
If you’re using the air compressor at a gas station, be sure to park so that the hose will reach all four tires. Insert change into the machine until you hear the motor running. Fill each tire by placing the end of the hose over the valve stem and pressing on the lever.
Using a gas station air compressor means your tires might be “hot.
” If it is necessary to adjust inflation pressure when tires are “hot”, set their pressure to 4 psi (14 kPa) above the recommended cold inflation pressure. Recheck the inflation pressure when the tires are cold.
After filling your tires, use the gauge to check pressure again. At this point, it’s ok if you overfilled the tires because you can always let some air back out. Never drive on overinflated tires. Overinflation can result in decreased traction, premature wear, and decreased impact absorption.
Make the above procedure a monthly ritual. Regularly checking your tire pressure is the best way to ensure your tires never dip far below the optimal PSI.
Accuracy matters and you should keep that in mind when choosing a gauge. For just a few dollars, you can find a quality, accurate tire pressure gauge that gives accurate readings. If you’re not sure which one to purchase, ask a professional technician which he or she prefers.
A digital tire pressure gauge will provide accurate readings, but don’t forget that it operates on a battery. If you think having to replace the battery will prevent you from using it, it’s best to go with a standard gauge.
It’s best to use your personal tire gauge versus those available attached to air hoses at service stations. Of all the pressure gauges out there, they’re the most likely to be weathered, and possibly inaccurate.
There’s never a good time for a flat. That’s why Bridgestone DriveGuard tires are masterfully engineered to keep you moving for up to 50 miles at speeds up to 50 MPH without disruption.
There’s never a good time for a flat. That’s why Bridgestone DriveGuard tires are masterfully engineered to keep you moving for up to 50 miles at speeds up to 50 MPH without disruption.
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We all know that routine maintenance is important for everything from our computers to our cars.
But sometimes, we fall short. One of the most neglected routine car maintenance tasks is to check tire pressures and inflate them as necessary. That’s why newer cars have tire pressure warning lights, or tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), that let you know when you have under- or over-inflated tires (when any tire is 25% underinflated).
Older vehicles don’t have this useful warning light. So, don’t wait for a rupture to check or change a tire. Use this guide to learn how to check the pressure (PSI) of your vehicle tires and how to inflate them to the proper air level.
Why should you check your tire pressure?The number one reason why you should periodically check your tire pressure is SAFETY, but there are monetary and handling reasons as well:
Proper tire pressure (as recommended by the manufacturer) is needed to drive safely and efficiently.
According to a 2009 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
“…about 28% of light vehicles on our Nation’s roadways run with at least one underinflated tire. Only a few psi difference from vehicle manufacturer’s recommended tire inflation pressure can affect a vehicle’s handling and stopping distance. Poor tire maintenance can increase incidences of blowouts and tread separations. Similarly, underinflation negatively affects fuel economy.”
When your tires are underinflated, the tires get fatter, increasing their surface area. This causes high heat generation and extra resistance that could result in higher fuel costs, blown out tires, tire wear, and loss of control.
If you feel like you’re spending too much at the gas pump, it might be your tires. According to the US Department of Energy:
“You can improve your gas mileage by 0.6% on average—up to 3% in some cases—by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure.
Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by about 0.2% for every 1 psi drop in the average pressure of all tires.”
In addition to safety and fiscal concerns, keeping your tires properly inflated will also reduce your impact on the environment. When your tires are properly inflated, you’ll pay less for gas, replace your tires less often, and improve your handling and stopping distance. You’ll also feel better knowing that you are emitting less carbon dioxide and other harmful substances into the atmosphere.
What is the right PSI level?PSI stands for pounds per square inch. The recommended PSI for your vehicle’s tires is determined by the vehicle’s manufacturer and the recommended tire size.
One big question that we get is whether you should follow the recommended PSI level on the tire itself or the recommended PSI level printed in your owner’s manual or on the placard inside of door edge, glove box door, or fuel door.
Do NOT use the max PSI that is printed on the tire sidewall. This is not the recommended PSI level. The pressure amount on the tire is normally the maximum allowed pressure. The correct PSI level is almost always less than what you see printed on the side of the tire. Over-inflation can lead to poor handling and comfort, overheating and blow outs. Over 40 PSI is a dangerous level for most vehicles!
Make sure you always use the recommended PSI as provided in your owner’s manual and don’t go any more than 5 PSI over the recommended level. You should make sure, however, that your tires are appropriate for your vehicle. You can do this by checking the car’s owner’s manual or the placard that is on the inside of the driver-side door, glove box, or fuel door.
Most car tire pressure recommendations range from 30-35 PSI.
How often should I check tire pressure?A question in many minds is when is the appropriate time and frequency for checking and inflating vehicle tires.
A quick google search will reveal a variety of different opinions and suggestions. Some say that you should check your tire pressure every 2nd visit to the gasoline station, while others say once every 3-6 months is OK.
Most tire and vehicle manufacturers, on the other hand, will say that you should check your tire pressure at least once every month, or every second trip to the gas pump. Your tires will lose around 1 PSI each for every month that goes by.
Unfortunately, not one answer will fit every situation. There are several factors that influence how often you should check your tire pressure, including:
Did you know that for every 10°-drop in temperature, you lose 1 pound of pressure?
If you have a leaky valve or a small puncture, you will lose air pressure much more quickly. This is one more reason why you should frequently check the tire pressure on all of your tires.
Since tire pressure constantly fluctuates, it’s important to check it periodically (at least once a month) and add air as necessary.
How to Check Tire PressureFinding out the tire pressure of your tires is incredibly easy. All you need is a pressure gauge (click here for additional items you should have in your vehicle).
Just make sure that you are checking your tires when they are relatively cold. If you check your tire pressure after a long drive, you will get an inaccurate reading since heat will temporarily increase the tire pressure reading.
Unfortunately, not all pressures gauges are created equal. Some are better than others. We recommend shelling out a couple extra bucks for a digital reader. The pop-up, stick-type versions are notoriously inconsistent and unreliable. A reliable gauge will be well worth the investment. Prices range from about $5 for the stick-type and about $30 for the digital and dial-type pressure gauges.
You can also check your tire pressure at most gas stations or auto repair shops. Discount Tire offers free tire pressure checks and inflation.
Here are the steps for checking your tire pressure:
Check the tire pressure again. Release more air if necessary. If you release too much air, you can always add some air back.It should only take you a couple minutes to check the air pressure of your vehicle’s tires. As soon as you restore tire pressure to the recommended levels, you’ll start experiencing the safety and savings that come with this regular maintenance task.
Watch this video for more information on how to check your tire pressure:
How to Inflate TiresHere are the steps for adding air to your tires:
Instead, go to your local gas station that has a coin-operated air pump (ask the attendant if you can’t find it). You can also purchase your own automatic air compressor, but it will cost you around $50-$150.
Hold it firmly against the valve as you listen to the air filling the tire.
You’ll want to screw them back on now.Remember, just one drop in PSI can lower your gas mileage by about 0.2%. For every 3-4 PSI units that your tire is underinflated, you are burning around 1% more fuel.
If your tires are flat, then you probably have a leak. Add air and see if you can drive around without the pressure dropping. If you hear air escaping the tire while you are filling up, then it’s time to replace the tire.
Tip: Learn how to use the air pump properly first. Some automatic air pumps at gas stations have a handle/switch that you need to depress in order for the air to flow. When you let go of the handle, a tire pressure gauge will pop out showing you the tire pressure. At the same time, air will be slowly released. If your air pump has this kind of handle, then you will want to hold down the handle for most of the time, periodically releasing it to check the pressure reading. Consult your own tire pressure gauge for accuracy.
When should I replace my tires?If you check your tire pressure at least once a month as recommended, you’ll also get a good idea of the general condition of your tires and when you should replace them.
We recommend using the penny test:
Source: bridgestonetire.com
Click here for more car maintenance tips. Click here for car winterization tips.
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Tire pressure significantly affects driving parameters: comfort, car handling, economy and safety. It is important to maintain the pressure recommended by the manufacturer and check it regularly. Let's figure out how to do it right.
When driving on asphalt, incorrect tire pressure (both high and low) leads to a decrease in the contact patch with the road. An overinflated wheel clings to the surface only in the central part, which leads to its rapid wear. A poorly inflated tire, on the contrary, "sits" on the sidewalls, leaning on the shoulder areas of the tread and pushing the central part inward. Here's what it looks like:
Both under-inflation and over-inflation in tires create many problems for the driver.
1. Increased wear of the central part of the tire tread.
2. Reduced ride comfort, hardness of potholes and road bumps.
3. Increased load on the car's suspension due to reduced tire damping effect.
4. Risk of tire damage and herniation due to shock loading (getting into a pit or pothole). nine0013 5. Reduced control stability due to reduced contact patch.
1. Increased wear of the tread sidewalls (shoulder areas).
2. Severe deformation of the rubber when driving over bumps, which increases the risk of tire damage.
3. An increase in tire temperature, which threatens to delamination of the carcass and can lead to tire explosion at high speed.
4. Increased risk of hydroplaning on wet roads.
5. Risk of tire breaking. nine0013 6. Increased fuel consumption.
Reduced pressure hits the driver's pocket hard: a pressure drop of 20% (which is not uncommon: it is enough, for example, to deflate the wheels to 1.8 atmospheres instead of the manufacturer's prescribed 2.
2) reduces tire life by 25-30% and increases fuel consumption fuel by 3%.
There is no universal tire pressure: it depends on the size of the tires, the characteristics of the car (primarily weight) and road conditions. Therefore, it is important to follow the factory recommendations, maintaining exactly the tire pressure that the engineers expected when designing the car. nine0003
The recommended pressure for your machine can be found in the operating instructions and on the sticker in the door frame. If, depending on the configuration, tires of several dimensions were installed on the car, then the pressure recommended for them may differ - look in the table for your exact wheel size. The manufacturer may prescribe an increase in tire pressure at the maximum load of the machine. For the spare tire (Spare tire), the required pressure is also indicated on a separate line - note that it is much higher than the standard one. nine0003
So, you have found the necessary pressure parameters, it remains to decipher them.
In physics, pressure is measured in pascals, in real life - in anything: in bars, atmospheres, pounds-force, kilogram-force ... Drivers and tire workers usually use the term atmosphere, but such a unit is often absent on pressure gauges (pressure measuring devices) . Let's clear up this confusion.
Atmosphere is a non-systemic unit of measurement, approximately equal to atmospheric pressure on the surface of the Earth. Since it has become widely used, it was necessary to somehow equate it with correct physical units. For simplicity, one atmosphere is considered equal to one bar, one kilogram-force and one hundred kilopascals. nine0003
In addition to the technical atmosphere (at), there is also the physical atmosphere (atm), which is slightly larger. Again, for convenience, they are considered equal. But all these assumptions introduce an error, so if you need accurate tire pressure, measure it correctly - in pascals or bars. Moreover, manufacturers usually indicate the pressure in these quantities.
Imperial pounds-force (aka PSI, “psy”), popular in the USA, is more difficult to translate, here you can’t do without a calculator. In the table, we have collected together all pressure units with exact values, and also approximately brought them to each other to simplify calculations:
| Pressure units | |||||
| Pascal | Bar | Technical atmosphere | Physical atmosphere | PSI | |
| 1 Pa | 1 N/m² | 10-5 | 10. | 9.8692•10-6 | 145.04•10-6 |
| 1 bar | 105 | 1x106 dynes/cm² | 1.0197 | nine0060 14.504 | |
| 1 at | 98066.5 | 0.980665 | 1 kgf/cm² | 0.96784 | 14.223 |
| 1 bar | 101325 | 1.01325 | 1.033 | 1 bar | 14. |
| 1psi | 6894.76 | 68.948•10-3 | 70.307•10-3 | 68.046•10-3 | 1lbf/in² |
It is advisable to check tire pressure daily, before driving. But this is only possible with a very measured rhythm of life. In reality, checking at least once a month is already an excellent indicator for the average driver. But before traveling a long distance, checking the pressure and visual inspection of tires and rims should be done in any case. nine0003
It is necessary to measure the pressure in cold tires, that is, before driving. During driving, the tires heat up, which increases the pressure by about 10%. Therefore, never release supposedly excess air from hot tires: after cooling, the pressure will be below normal.
If you had to inflate a hot tire during a trip, inflate it 10% more than the nominal value, and check the pressure again when the wheels have cooled down - no earlier than 3 hours after stopping.
Always check the pressure in all tires. Different tire pressures seriously affect handling and can cause the car to pull to the side. Do not forget about the "spare tire": it should always be inflated in case of an unexpected wheel change on the road. nine0003
For long-term driving at high speeds (more than 160 km/h), car manufacturers advise increasing tire pressure by 0.2-0.4 bar from the recommended value. This will slightly improve the handling of the car, although it will negatively affect comfort. But such advice is relevant for driving on high-speed autobahns, and not for everyday urban use, especially in Russia.
Before a long trip on a dirt road or a road with a muddy surface (mud, snow), it is reasonable, on the contrary, to reduce the pressure in the tires - this will improve the grip.
In summer, it is worth limiting yourself to reducing pressure by 5-10% of the nominal value, and in winter - by 10-15%. nine0003
The pressure in low-profile tires (especially non-standard sizes) must be monitored especially carefully. Low profile tires have two features: a low sidewall (profile) height and a large rim diameter. If the tire has the correct air pressure, only the tread is in contact with the road. Low pressure causes the sidewall of the tire to bend, causing it to touch the roadway and wear out quickly, up to complete abrasion. And punching a low-profile tire in a pit at low pressure is much easier. nine0003
When inflating low profile tires, you need to focus on the pressure indicated for a full load of the machine and the maximum allowable pressure for a particular tire. It is indicated on the sidewall, next to the inscription max pressure, in one of the accepted units of measurement: kilopascals (KPA), bars (BAR) or pounds-force (PSI).
Modern cars equipped with sensors in tires and a TPMS (Tire pressure monitoring system) pressure monitoring system themselves monitor the pressure in each wheel and signal deviations, which is very convenient. If there is no such system in the car from the factory, you can install it yourself. nine0003
But the old manual measurement methods are still in use. Firstly, any modern car compressor is equipped with a pressure gauge: by inflating the wheel, you immediately control the pressure.
Secondly, there are compact hand-held pressure gauges: no need to unpack and connect the pump to check the pressure, and the measurement accuracy of such a pressure gauge is usually higher than that of a built-in compressor instrument. There are also modern digital pressure gauges on sale that allow you to switch pressure units on the fly and save readings in memory, which is very convenient. nine0003
Finally, if you want to entrust all maintenance of the car to professionals, you can use the services of tire fitting.
In Hyperauto car services equipped with tire fitting areas, experienced mechanics will accurately measure and correct tire pressure, assess the condition of the tire tread and perform any other work with the wheels.
Home / Articles / How to check tire pressure correctly
The tire contains air, but this air tends to go out and little by little the tire goes down. The pressure in the tire drops, which entails certain consequences. Because the tire distorts more under load, the tire heats up more and wears out much faster. Control accuracy deteriorates and fuel consumption increases. In the worst case, this will lead to loss of control of the car and the tire may burst. Therefore, it is extremely important to constantly check the pressure in car tires. However, this operation requires some explanation. nine0013
In fact, the required tire pressure for various types of machines is usually given with cold tires.
In fact, the required tire pressure for various types of machines is usually given for cold tires.
It's a tire that hasn't moved for at least the last two hours. The tire heats up quickly. For example, already after 3 kilometers of slow driving around the city. This means that in most cases the tire will be hot during the pressure test. In this case, it is considered normal that the pressure, which increases with increasing temperature, will be higher than that set for the cold Shiga. More precisely, the pressure in hot tires should exceed the pressure in cold ones by 0.3 atmospheres. If this is not the case, the pressure should be brought back to normal. For example, let's take a tire in a cold state and a recommended pressure of 2 atmospheres. After the trip, the tire has warmed up, and the pressure gauge shows a pressure of about 2.1 atmospheres. Although this pressure is higher than recommended for cold ones, nevertheless, the tires can be pumped up by about two tenths of an atmosphere, that is, in order to reach the normal figure for a hot tire of 2.3 atmospheres. nine0013
What to do if the pressure gauge reads more than 2.
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