Why Should You Check Your Tire Pressure Regularly?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Since most tire damage and wear is a result of driving on tires that are improperly inflated, tire experts suggest checking your air pressure once a month. … According to the Department of Energy, keeping

tires inflated properly improves fuel economy by approximately 3.3 percent

.

Why is it important to maintain tire pressure?

Keeping your

car’s tires properly inflated to the automaker’s recommended pressures

is a critical element of tire maintenance. Tires that contain the specified amount of air pressure last longer and contribute to vehicle safety. … Underinflated tires also have higher rolling resistance, which reduces fuel economy.

Why is it important to check your tire pressure?

So it’s no surprise that tire pressure influences many important characteristics of vehicle performance, such as: driving comfort, directional stability, cornering and braking grip, plus the general handling behavior. … So it’s important to

monitor tire pressure with frequency

to ensure optimal performance.

How does tire pressure affect handling?

Proper air pressure in a tire helps to distribute the weight of a vehicle evenly across the tire’s tread pattern, so the tire (and the vehicle) is at its most stable. When a tire is under-inflated or over-inflated, it loses stability,

negatively

affecting handling, cornering, and stopping.

Why you should check your tires?

When checking your tires, it is important to

take a look at their tread

. If the tread is beginning to wear down, then your tires will lose traction and won’t grip the road as well when driving through bad weather.

Is 40 psi good tire pressure?


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.

How do you reduce tire pressure?

  1. Go to the tire that is overinflated and locate your valve stem. …
  2. Check your pressure with a tire air pressure gauge and take note. …
  3. Using the back end of the air gauge push the metal pin in the center of the valve stem down to release some of the air in the tire.

What is the correct tire pressure?

Most passenger cars will recommend

32 to 35 psi

in the tires when they’re cold. The reason you check them cold is that as tires roll along the road, friction between them and the road generates heat, increasing tire pressure.

Does driving increase tire pressure?

The inflation pressure in tires generally drops by 1 to 2 psi for every 10 degrees the temperature lowers. Also, when you drive your car, and the tires warm up,

the pressure in the tires will increase one psi during each five-minute interval in the first 15 to 20 minutes you drive

.

How often should I check my tire pressure?

Tire air pressure should be checked

once a month

using the same tire gauge, says The Family Handyman.

What happens if you overinflate tires?

Tire Damage and Wear

Excessive air pressure can also distort the shape of the tire, leading to decreased traction and

increased wear and tear down the center of the tire

. Depending on the circumstances, repeatedly overinflated tires could wear out more quickly.

Should all 4 tires be the same PSI?

Air pressure in tires is measured in pounds per square inch, or PSI; usually, the recommended pressure ranges

between 30 and 35 PSI

. … It loses air pressure over time.) Even after you’ve replaced your tires, the same pressure guidelines on your car’s label apply to new tires of the same size.

Does tire pressure make a difference?

I’ve been told that most tire-pressure monitoring systems warn you when your

tire pressure drops by about 10 percent

. For you, 10 percent would be a little less than 30 psi. Low tire pressure always is more dangerous than high tire pressure. … You won’t notice any difference in tire wear, handling or braking.

How do I know if my tires are healthy?

Insert a penny into a tread groove with Lincoln’s head upside down. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, then your tread is less than 2/32” and your tires have to be replaced. Another way to check is to

look at the tread wear indicator bars located in the grooves around the tire

.

What must be checked on every tire?

  • the tire tread depth.
  • the tire pressure.
  • the age of the tire.
  • bulges or bumps in the tire that indicate over-inflation.
  • review how you’ve been driving and if it aligns with the design of your tire.
  • cracking between the tread blocks and on the sidewalls.
  • tread separation.

How do you tell if my tires will pass inspection?

Most states also require tires

to have a tread depth of at least 1/16 inch

before they can pass inspection. Inspectors measure the tread depth on truck tires at about 15-inch intervals and usually measure more than one tread.

David Evans
Author
David Evans
David is a seasoned automotive enthusiast. He is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering and has a passion for all things related to cars and vehicles. With his extensive knowledge of cars and other vehicles, David is an authority in the industry.