When it comes to keeping your tires healthy and happy, you can’t go wrong with making sure they’re properly inflated and pressurized on a regular basis. To learn more about why this is so important, as well as how to go about it, check out the following tips:
Why is Maintaining Proper Tire Pressure Important, Anyway?
If your tires are properly inflated, the weight of your vehicle will be evenly distributed across the tread patterns. In turn, this will help to keep your car more stable while on the road. More specifically, if your tires are underinflated (read: squishy), they will flex more when coming to a stop and while taking corners. Underinflated tires also tend to not respond as quickly.
On the flip side, overinflated tires (read: way too stiff) will lose traction over time, because the tire’s shape is deformed by too much air pressure. Moreover, an overinflated tire is more likely to be damaged while on the road. For instance, the excess stiffness means it will not deal well with common issues like potholes.
Additionally, overinflated tires can lead to noisy and harsh rides, which doesn’t exactly inspire a relaxing commute to work.
How Do I Know the Right Tire Pressure for My Car?
According to U.S. News & World Report, determining the proper tire pressure for your car is as easy as finding the placard on your driver-side door jamb behind the front seat. This sticker will list the correct pressure level for each tire, including the spare. More specifically, these numbers represent what your vehicle’s manufacturer suggests for your specific car.
If your car is on the older side, the placard might not be there, or it may have fallen off or become damaged in some way. If this is the case, no worries — you can usually also find this information in your owner’s manual or from the car dealer’s service department.
As a side note, the numbers on the placard represent the correct tire pressure when measured first thing in the morning, when the tires are cold. Of course, as you drive to school, work or the mall, it’s normal for the tire pressure to increase by a few pounds per square inch.
Okay, So How Do I Check My Tire Pressure?
Checking your tire pressure isn’t something you can merely eyeball. Instead, you’ll have to use a tire gauge to get the numbers — and you should strive to check your tires at least once a month. Not sure how to go about it? Consider buying a digital tire gauge for about $10 and keep it in your glove box, along with a notebook and pen to jot down this information.
If you need help picking one out, check online reviews or this recent survey conducted by Consumer Reports. After finding the correct pressure numbers, head out to your car before you run your errands and unscrew the valve caps on the tires and put them in your pocket so they don’t get lost before pressing the tire gauge onto the valve stem.
Read the pressure and jot down the numbers in your notebook. If you find your tires have a reading of 26 psi and your recommended level is 29 psi, experts recommend refilling your tires in a timely manner at a local gas station or another service provider.
If your tires measure high, press the gauge down far enough until you hear some air escaping from the tire, and then measure again until the reading is correct.
Tire Pressure Checks Don’t Take Long, but are Oh-So-Important
In the grand scheme of things, checking your tire pressure every 30 days or so won’t take a lot of effort or time, but the payoff will be oh-so-worth-it. After all, you spent your hard-earned money on these tires, so you definitely want to get the most bang for your buck and ensure they have a long lifespan, especially when it comes to keeping you and your family safe on the road.
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