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.

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Summer Time Car Maintenance

Summer is a great time to perform some simple maintenance on your vehicles. This is especially important if you plan on going on some long summer drives to the beach. The last thing you want is to be broke down in the sweltering heat. You will find that these procedures are not that difficult and can save you from some costly repair bills.

One good thing that you can do is perform a radiator flush. The coolant in your tank starts to break down over time; this can even begin to corrode your radiator. Radiator repair bills are not cheap, so this simple preventative measure is well worth your time. It is actually recommended that you perform a radiator flush once a year.

Next, you should probably replace your air filter. This is something that should be done about every 6 months. You will find that this task is simple enough to do and should only take about 5 minutes of your time.

The next thing you should do is check your tires. This involves checking the tread on your tires, as well as the air pressure. Summer can bring on some powerful rain storms, and if the tread on your tires has worn down you may end up skidding off of the road. The most common way of checking tire treads is to simply use a penny. Simply place the penny upside down in the tread of your tires. If the treads come up to Abe’s hairline, then you are fine.

When summer comes around, it is probably about time to replace your windshield wipers as well. If you have had a bad winter, it can really do a job on your wipers. If you get caught in a bad rain storm, poor wipers may make it impossible to drive. This can really put a hamper on your vacation plans. Wipers are easy to replace and it should only take a few minutes.

While you are at it, it is probably a good idea to check your brakes as well. Having poor brakes is never a good thing and could leave you hurt or injured. This is actually a simple task that you should do every 6 months. You should also check your brake fluid as well at this time.

You can also check your battery as well. Battery corrosion will often build up over the winter; this can easily cause you to end up with a dead battery. Check your battery posts and cables as well.

The final thing that you should check is your headlights. Sometimes it seems like you are the last person to find out that you have a headlight out, usually when a policeman gives you a ticket. Besides the fine, driving with one headlight is dangerous. Go ahead and make sure that all your lights are working just to be safe.

After you have performed these simple maintenance activities, you can go on your summer trips with a peace of mind.

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