How to Check Tire Pressure
If there was ever a car related question that people were afraid to ask, it involves tire pressure. Something as simple as tire pressure is supposed to be common knowledge, so many people are afraid that if they ask about it then they will look stupid. This is nothing to be ashamed about though, and it is something that over time you will not have a problem with. If you are unsure about what you are supposed to inflate your tires to, then the place to look is your owner’s manual. Luckily, now that the internet has all the answers, you can also look this up easily on the web.
The average psi, or pounds per square inch, for a car is 30 per tire. A truck’s will probably be closer to 45 psi. For safety reasons, you should never operate a motor vehicle with tires that have either 6 psi over or 6 psi under the recommended amount.
It is okay to have a little extra air in your tires, but not much. This way, as your tires naturally lose air pressure, you won’t lose functionality. If they are inflated too high, they can easily be damaged if you run over a large rock or pot holes in the road. Just make sure that they are not too inflated, over-inflated tires do help improve steering to some extent.
Likewise, it won’t hurt to drive with a little less psi in your tires than recommended; you will, however, lose on the gas mileage efficiency, so be sure to check your tires often. If your tire pressure is too low, it can drastically decrease the life of your tires. In fact, your tire’s tread life may be decreased as much as 25 percent. Lower inflation may also cause your tires to bend as they roll. This can increase rolling resistance that will cause you to lose at least 5 percent of your fuel efficiency.
You may be wondering just how air pressure goes down in your tires. This has to do with both time and temperature. Over time, the rubber of your tires stretches; this causes small amounts of air to escape. This can happen faster than you think; in fact, you may lose 6 psi every 6 months if you do not keep your tires inflated. Temperature also plays a big hand in this escaping air. This usually occurs at a rate of 1 psi per 10 degrees in temperature change.
It is recommended that you check the air pressure in your tires often. About once a week is good because it gives you a chance to discover potential leaks before they get to serious. To check your tire pressure, all you need to a cheap gauge that most auto parts stores or even grocery stores carry. Don’t be tricked into buying a costly digital gauge, because it is unnecessary. Checking tire pressure is not difficult at all, so a costly gauge is almost never needed.
