Tire Pressure Testing Tips: Easily Master Tire Safety
Check your tire pressure at least once a month to ensure your tires are performing optimally and are being maintained properly.
Check the Tire Pressure
Make sure the tires are “cold”. This means that the car has not been driven for more than 2 kilometers. Checking the tire pressure of cold tires can ensure that the air in the tire has not expanded due to heat, making the tire pressure index more accurate.
Check the owner’s manual or the driver’s side door for standard cold tire pressures. This is the minimum tire pressure recommended by the manufacturer (usually measured in Kpa or PSI). Read on to learn why your tire pressure can be set higher.
- For most vans, trucks, and even small pickup trucks, manufacturers typically recommend tire pressures ranging from 27 to 32 PSI (186 to 220 KPa), but this can be increased to 40 PSI (275 KPa).
- Larger vehicles that need to carry larger loads, such as trucks and SUVs, typically have tire pressures of 4 to 8 PSI (27 to 55 KPa) higher than smaller vehicles, which may be around 45 PSI (310 KPa).
- Please note that manufacturer-recommended tire pressures for front and rear tires may differ.
Unscrew the tire valve stem cap. The valve stem (valve) is a black pencil-sized extension near the hubcap, about 2 to 3 centimeters long.
Press the tire pressure gauge evenly against the valve stem and record the reading on the tire pressure gauge. If it makes a hissing sound, it means the tire pressure gauge is not pressing tightly enough or evenly to get a correct reading. At this time, the angle of the tire pressure gauge needs to be adjusted.
- If you use a digital tire pressure gauge, you may or may not need a button for the gauge to measure air pressure. If you use a traditional tire pressure gauge, the gauge attached to the wand should automatically display the tire pressure reading.
Note that if the readings are the same as the owner’s manual specifications, you are done after measuring all tires to get the same tire pressure. If there is not enough air pressure in the tire, you need to inflate it. Make sure you pump in the right amount of air pressure.
Put the stem cap back into place. The cap doesn’t keep the air in the tire, but it prevents dirt and moisture from entering the valve stem’s valve train (valve train), which keeps the air in the tire.
Performance Considerations
Be aware that the tire pressure recommended by the manufacturer does not represent the optimal performance of the tire. For all-out driving, the manufacturer’s specifications may be ideal, but filling the tires with more air means better fuel efficiency. Overall, adding more air to your tires may make your ride more bumpy or uncomfortable, so use it at your own discretion.
Understand the myths surrounding the “maximum air pressure” number in your car’s owner’s manual or driver’s side door. A common misconception is that the maximum tire pressure recommended by the manufacturer represents all the air pressures the tire can withstand, beyond which it will cause a puncture or failure. In fact, this maximum tire pressure is the pressure required for the tire to carry the maximum load.
- While this may not be good for the tire, you can inflate it beyond the maximum pressure for the tire’s performance, especially if the tire is new. Some sources even suggest that you can inflate your device several times over the manufacturer’s recommended pressure limit without issue.
- When you inflate beyond the maximum pressure limit, be prepared for possible malfunctions. If the tires are under high pressure, hitting a pothole while driving at high speeds could be a disaster.
If you’re carrying heavy loads or sharing a car with others, you can add more air pressure to the rear tires. If your car has to carry heavy loads, especially on long drives, don’t be afraid to add a little more air pressure to the rear wheels to make up for the extra load on the car. When removing heavy objects, remember to release some air pressure from the rear wheels and restore the standard air pressure specifications.
Check tire pressure when seasonal weather changes. Cold weather reduces air pressure, while hot weather increases air pressure. So it is very important to recheck the air pressure when the seasons change.
Never read the tire pressure gauge with your eyes alone. Don’t be lazy. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between 10 PSI and 20 PSI on a tire pressure gauge. Also, radial tires usually have a slight bulge in their sidewalls. If you inflate until the bulge disappears, you may have severely over-inflated it beyond the point of pushing the tire’s performance.
Tips
- Even if you are not driving, the sun will heat your tires. For more accurate tire pressure readings, be careful not to expose either side of your car to the sun.
- If you must drive your car to inflate, pay attention to your tire pressure before driving. After arriving at the inflation point, add the difference in the previous reading to the current reading. For example, if you want to inflate your tires to 35 PSI (241 KPa), and the tires are cold at 30 PSI (206 KPa). The tires are 5 PSI (34 KPa) less, so when you inflate them after driving they should be at 33 PSI (227 KPa) and you need to adjust the tire pressure to 38 PSI (262 KPa). In this way, the tire pressure will be 35 PSI after it cools down.
- The tire pressure marked on the sidewall of the tire is the maximum cold tire pressure required under the maximum load of the vehicle.
- Additional fuel economy and improved steering response (handling response) can be achieved by increasing tire pressure (above the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure) but at the expense of a smooth ride. So it is best not to exceed the maximum tire pressure marked on the sidewall of the tire. You can test your car to see if your driving experience improves.
- You can’t just rely on your eyes to read tire pressure when inflating, especially if you have the latest radial tires. Please use an accurate barometer.
- If the car must carry heavy loads or drive at high speed for a long time, the cold tire pressure must be increased.