Your car's tires play many valuable roles in the safety and function of your vehicle — from helping you navigate twists, turns, and stops like a pro to carrying the full weight of your car. That's why it's important to pay special attention to these essential components.
Fortunately, maintaining the proper tire pressure on your vehicle is one of the easiest yet most effective ways to care for your car tires. Learn how to check air pressure and inflate your tires with this helpful guide.
Underinflated tires can not only reduce fuel efficiency, but it can also run the risk of getting into an accident, losing proper steering control, damaging various components of your vehicle, and more. If you notice that your tire's air pressure levels have dropped, it's best to prioritize inflating them as soon as possible.
Checking your vehicle's tire pressure is a relatively simple task. You'll want to start by purchasing a tire gauge. These vary in price depending on the type you choose (i.e., digital, basic, etc.) but can usually be found for well under $40. It's also essential to keep a tire gauge on hand, as some gas station air hose gauges are not always accurate. Many modern cars and trucks also display the tire pressure for each tire on the dashboard. Once you have your tire gauge in hand, it's time to determine the proper pressure for your vehicle.
Find the correct inflation level. To do this, you can either look for the recommended pressure on the sticker within your driver's-side door jamb or consult your car owner’s manual. This is the tire pressure specification when the tires are cold, meaning not driven for a few hours.
Remove the valve stem cap from your tire. Some cars and trucks have green valve stem caps with an “N” on them - this means the tire is filled with nitrogen instead of air (air is mostly nitrogen). If your tires have these green valve stem caps, you can find some special stations that dispense nitrogen, but be aware that you can use normal air as well.
The inflation pressure specifications are the same regardless if the tire is filled with air versus nitrogen.
Connect your air pressure gauge to the tire’s valve stem until you receive a reading.
If the pressure level number seems unrealistic, remove the gauge and try again. This time, ensure that the indicator is connected firmly to the valve stem.
It's not always possible to tell if a tire is underinflated by giving it a quick once over. So, check your PSI levels with a gauge each month and after extreme temperature changes. You'll also want to check your pressure levels when your tires have had time to cool down since air expands within your tires while driving.
Filling your tires with air at a gas station is relatively simple. Bring your tire gauge and some spare change since some are coin-operated and are not always accurate in their pressure readings. Try to make this the first stop if you are running errands so that your tires are still relatively cool from sitting for a few hours.
Then, follow these steps:
Can't find an air filling station near you or just want some help? Head to your local Firestone Complete Auto Care. We'll give you a free tire inspection and refill your tires free of charge. And if you need new tires, we've got you covered there too!
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.
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:
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:
If your local gas station’s air pump doesn’t have this capability, then you will need to fill up the tire, check the pressure with your gauge, and then add or release air as necessary. Some air pumps will have a built-in tire pressure gauge. Once the PSI level is set, feed coins into the machine until you hear the air coming through. It will be pretty noisy.
Check the air pressure as you go and refill or release air as necessary.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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The benefits of using nitrogen to inflate (refill) wheels and tires are as follows:
In addition, it is important to elaborate on the advantages that filling a tire with nitrogen will give you compared to filling a wheel with air.
Advantages of filling a tire with nitrogen compared to filling a wheel with air:
All these factors contribute not only to improving the performance of the tire, but also ensures the safety of the car on any road.
As a result, each car owner must clearly understand for himself that inflation (filling) of a tire with nitrogen has a number of advantages that not only help prolong the tire's performance, but also ensure comfort and safety on the road.
In summary, let's once again name the main advantages of pumping (filling) wheels with nitrogen:
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One of the latest trends in our automotive services market is the use of nitrogen in tires. Fans of this method assure a significant reduction in fuel consumption. It is also believed that the wheels practically do not go down due to the larger size of the gas molecule compared to air. Many tire fitting stations and service centers offer refueling of tires with this gas.
There are also opponents of the method who completely dismiss all the arguments of the supporters. Their main argument is the well-known fact that air is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and other gases.
Question: why inject another 15% nitrogen? It is unlikely that an additional volume of gas can dramatically improve the performance of a car tire. Moreover, this service costs more.
Let's look into the situation, consider all the pros and cons of nitrogen in tires.
In the automotive world, pumping nitrogen into tires has been around for a long time. True, this method was first used in the "royal" class of racing - Formula 1. However, like most other technologies that have been tested on cars before manufacturers start using them on production cars. In this case, an air-nitrogen mixture was used, and not pure gas. The method was first used in the middle of the last century.
In the case of Formula 1, the use of this method provides at least one big plus - increased safety. The fact is that in the event of a car igniting, the air from the burst tire is an oxygen blower, igniting the flame even more. In the case of nitrogen injection into tires, this effect will no longer be, that is, the risk of fire is reduced.
In the US, nitrogen is used instead of air in tires in commercial vehicles. This is not a mandatory rule, but many truck owners and carriers use alternatives.
In ordinary life, cars are not often used to the limit of their capabilities, fires occur very rarely. Therefore, pumping gas instead of air just for the sake of greater safety is impractical, but there are other advantages.
Nitrogen tire inflation has both supporters and opponents. Moreover, they are present among professionals, including owners of tire stations and service stations, and among amateurs. The advantages of the method include:
This is one of the most common arguments for nitrogen instead of air.
Its essence boils down to the fact that the specified gas is lighter than air, respectively, the lower weight of the wheel will lead to a decrease in fuel consumption.
To do this, you need to deal with real numbers. A cubic meter of air, which is pumped into tires, has a weight of 1.29 kg, and a cubic meter of gas - 1.25 kg. A standard passenger car wheel holds about 75 grams of pure gas and 77 grams of air mixture. Therefore, the difference in fully inflated wheels will be a few grams, which is negligible for significant fuel savings.
The difference is almost imperceptible - much more weight on the wheel adds dirt between the treads or pebbles.
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Stable pressure is another argument for fans to pump nitrogen into the wheel instead of regular air. In this case, the argument is the larger size of the gas molecule compared to the size of the oxygen molecule.
Accordingly, oxygen seeps through microscopic cracks and holes in the tire faster. As a result, the pressure drops and the wheel lowers.
Yes, it is. But do not forget that ordinary atmospheric air is 78% nitrogen, and only 21% oxygen. Therefore, when the pressure drops in the wheel, it is pumped up, thus adding even more nitrogen from ordinary air. For several years of operation, the wheel is almost completely inflated with gas alone.
Nitrogen practically does not expand when heated, so the pressure in the tire will remain the same as the temperature changes. In contrast to this statement, it is worth noting that more than three-quarters of the air is occupied by nitrogen. Other gases also do not expand much, so the pressure difference in tires filled with air or nitrogen when heated is not too great to take into account.
Proponents of the method claim that the absence of oxygen provides additional protection for the material from aging.
Yes, this is a fair remark, but does it make any practical sense? Rubber is exposed to other factors - aggressive environment, moisture, sunlight, and so on. All this does not contribute to the extension of service life, but no one is going to use tires forever. There are certain operating times that are not significantly affected by the gas used.
A lower noise level indicates a tire filled with clean gas rather than atmospheric air. Yes, by simple measurements at a speed of 100 km / h, the noise level in the first case is 65 dB versus 68 dB in the second. Is it good or bad? Just imperceptibly - a difference of 3 dB is absolutely negligible.
A wheel filled with nitrogen is less likely to explode. In fact, the wheel will explode only in the case of ruthless operation of the car, which is very rare in ordinary life. Moreover, in fact, the wheel does not explode, but bursts - there is a sharp loss of pressure when the tire structure is destroyed. And this can happen when hitting an object or obstacle.
Also, do not pay serious attention to the advice of those who recommend less checking the tire pressure with nitrogen. Checking should be done as often as the manufacturer recommends, and the number of checks does not depend on the type of mixture. How much the wheel “holds” is largely influenced by the composition of the rubber, its condition. A normal tire without damage is able to hold pressure for years
But metal corrosion is more pronounced when air is used. The oxygen contained in it is an oxidizing agent. It enters into a chemical oxidation reaction even at low temperatures, affecting the wheel and rubber. This statement can be attributed to the really positive aspects of nitrogen injection.
The downside of using nitrogen instead of air in your car tire can be the price. After all, the technology provides for the removal of air from the wheel and then the injection of clean gas instead. Naturally, you need to think carefully about whether it is necessary to pump in nitrogen, or whether it is better to use the traditional method.
We did not find significant advantages, representatives of the main tire brands have a similar opinion. To determine why to do this, you need to think carefully, because there are no pronounced advantages.
Another disadvantage is the need to use special equipment, gas cylinders are also needed. This can only be afforded by special service centers for car maintenance, tire shops. Any car owner can inflate a tire with a compressor or even a simple pump, for this it is not necessary to be a professional. With nitrogen, this will not work - in a garage or in the middle of a highway you will not be able to pump gas, at least without the appropriate equipment.
The following shortcoming cannot be called a pure disadvantage of the method, but still its opponents often talk about it. The essence of their refutation boils down to the fact that in simple air the nitrogen content is at least 78%, so it makes no sense to pump in an additional 15%.
The argument for using nitrogen in tires is the smooth running of the vehicle.
