How Much Air Should You Put in Your Tires?
How much air should be in a tire? The answer is: It depends!
Maintaining the tire pressure of the car is essential. The appropriate tire pressure of the car varies based on your tires.
Your tires’ recommended PSI (pressure per square inch) figure is in your owner’s manual. In some cars, you will find it on a sticker inside the driver’s side door. It tells you precisely how to get to the right tire pressure.
Underinflated tires perform less effectively and wear out more quickly. Overinflated tires are more rare, but come with their own hazards. That’s why it’s critical to have the ideal tire pressure for your car.
What’s the Recommended Tire Pressure for My Car?
The tire pressure of the car usually ranges between 32 and 40 PSI.
Tire pressure can vary between the front tires, the rear tires, and the spare tire. All these will be stated in your owner’s manual and on the sticker. If you ever get new tires, they will meet the same standards.
To verify whether your tires are fully inflated, you can check the tire pressure yourself. Tire pressure is one of the first things any mechanic will look at in the shop.
How to Check the Tire Pressure?
Checking the tire pressure will give you the tire pressure of the car down to a precise measurement.
If you want to check tire pressure yourself, you’ll need a tire pressure gauge and an air compressor.
Here are the steps to checking tire pressure:
1. Wait for the Right Temperature Conditions
Tire pressure is highly sensitive to atmospheric conditions, especially the air temperature. When manufacturers make their recommendations, they take readings during cold conditions. That doesn’t mean winter snow, however – just waiting overnight after driving and checking your air pressure in the morning.
2. Use a Gauge to Check the Tire Pressure
A digital gauge is both easier to use and more precise than a standard tire pressure gauge. Unscrew the valve cap and press your tire gauge onto the valve stem. When the connection is solid enough, you should see a reading in PSI within a few seconds. Do this for all four tires.
3. Make a Note of the Readings
Since you have to check all four tires at the same time, it’s useful to write down your readings as soon as you get them. It is not out of the ordinary for tires to vary by a few PSI between the front and rear set. You can check your readings against the recommendations afterwards.
4. Fill Tires to the Manufacturer Standard PSI
If you have any underinflated tires, fill them with the air compressor. If you do not have one at home, you can use one at almost any gas station. If you have to drive to inflate your tires, they will be hot, so inflate about 3-4 PSI over the recommended reading, then check the pressure again once they cool.
5. Check the Tire Pressure a Second Time
Once the tires are full, check each one with the tire pressure gauge. They should fall within a single PSI of the recommended readings. If you find any of them overinflated, you can easily release a small amount of air from the tire by exerting more pressure on the valve stem using the gauge.
How to Maintain Proper Tire Inflation?
Check your tire pressure when the following takes place:
- Any time you inflate a tire
- Any time the temperature outside rises by 10°F
- Every 30 days, preferably on the same day each month
If you are getting ready for a long road trip, check your tire pressure before you go. Inflating to the right level will reduce the wear and tear on your tires and make it easier for you to control your vehicle. That’s especially true if you encounter adverse conditions like rain or snow on your journey.
How Does Temperature Affect Tire Pressure?
Tire pressure is extremely sensitive to temperature.
As the temperature drops, tire pressure will gradually decrease. You can measure a loss of about one PSI for every 10°F reduction in outside temperature. Larger vehicles, such as commercial trucks, have tires that are inflated to a much higher PSI and can lose twice as much pressure when temperature declines.
Although there is a complex mathematical formula for understanding exactly how temperature and PSI relate, you don’t need to know it to figure out how much air should be in a tire. Just bear in mind that you’ll need to revisit your tires when seasons change, even if you haven’t been reinflating every 30 days.
How Does Tire Pressure Affect You and Your Vehicle:
1. The Right Tire Pressure Means Better Grip Under Diverse Road Conditions
Grip is largely determined by how the tire makes contact with the road. An over-inflated tire has a greatly decreased contact patch. Meanwhile, an underinflated tire improves contact, but it raises fuel consumption and prematurely ages tires. Only race car drivers benefit from underinflated tires!
In fact, the average car faces a much increased risk of hydroplaning if the tires are underinflated. Hydroplaning can occur when you cross through water and the pressure of the water pushing upward on the vehicle is equal to the tire pressure pushing downward on the road. You could lose control of the car in seconds!
2. The Right Tire Pressure Evens Out Contact Wear
Every tire is designed for a specific pattern of wear and tear. It is impossible to prevent wear, but by controlling it through the proper design, a set of tires can meet their designated service life with minimal risk of a blowout.
All of that goes away if your tire is overinflated or underinflated for a substantial period of time. Underinflation causes wear along the edges, while overinflation creates wear along the center instead of distributing it evenly.
3. The Right Tire Pressure Enhances Your Fuel Economy
The surface friction provided by the road as your tires roll along it is a key determinant of how much force is necessary to keep your vehicle in motion. The more friction, the harder your car needs to work and the more fuel must be burned to compensate.
Find out who has the best car insurance in your area by by comparing car insurance quotes right here at Cheap Insurance. You can get started right now to get the best car insurance deal around or contact us to learn more.
