Things You Need to Know about Tire Pressure and Tire Inflator

When it comes to driving safety, tire pressure is always one of the hottest topics. Why does tire pressure matter? What the heck is that little annoying symbol on my dashboard? Should I under-inflate my tire during the winter? How often should I check my tire pressure?

We got tons of questions like this from our community, so for today, let’s dive deep into the world of tire pressure, put our geeky glasses on and figure out everything you need to know about your tires.
 
1. What’s The Recommended Tire Pressure For My Car?


The recommended tire pressure varies based on the vehicle makes determined by the manufacturer after thousands of tests and calculations. For most vehicles, you can find the ideal tire pressure on the sticker/card inside the driver’s door for newer cars. If there’s no sticker, you can usually find the info in the owner’s manual. 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.

 My Car

2. How To Check The Tire Pressure?


After knowing the proper tire pressure of your vehicle recommended by the manufacturer, you should check your tire pressure regularly to make sure that you are in good shape.
You can check your tire pressure in auto part stores, the mechanics, gas stations, and at home. To check tire pressure at home, you need:
A Tire Pressure compressor (Digital or Regular)
Air Compressor
Pen and paper / your phone

Step 1: Test with cold tires

As tire pressure changes with the temperature a lot, and recommended tire pressures are cold inflation pressure, you should start with cold tires if possible. We mostly check the tire pressure after one night’s rest to avoid the heat from the friction of the last drive, and before the temperature goes up.

Step 2: Check the tire pressure with the tire pump

Unscrew the valve cap and press the tire gauge onto the valve stem hard enough until the hissing sound disappears. There should be a reading as long as the gauge is well connected to the tire.

Step 3: Note down the readings

You can then note down the tire pressure of each tire, and compare them with the ideal psi you read from inside your driver’s door or in the owner’s manual. Make sure you read in detail, as for some vehicles, front and rear tires have different recommended psi.

Step 4: Fill your tires to the recommended psi

If you find a tire underinflated, use the air compressor to fill your tires. You can either buy an air compressor in the auto parts store or use one in a gas station. Remember to rest your tires for at least half an hour to make sure they’re cold and the reading is accurate. If you have to fill your tires when the tires are hot, inflate them 3~4 psi above the recommended psi, and check again with your gauge when they are cold. It’s ok to overinflate a bit when filling the tires, as you can let the air out with the gauge.

Step 5: Check the tire pressure again

After filling the tires, use your tire pressure gauge to check the tire pressure again and make sure they are in a good range. Let the air out a bit if they are over-inflated by pressing the gauge harder on the valve stem.

valve stem


Post time: Dec-17-2022