How Often Should You Check Your Tire Pressure [Answered]

Driving with tires inflated properly is quite important. The last thing you want is to unevenly wear the tires of your car. That is why you have to check tire pressure more often.

Consider checking the tire pressure once a month. This is mostly if you are going to be driving around your city or town. This should be enough time to know if one of the tires has an issue or not.

It is recommended that you check the tires when they are still cold. Do not check when you have been driving for several hours. At least now you can get the accurate reading.

When the tires heat up, it means that the air increases in volume. As a result, you will not have an accurate reading. You may even think the tires are correctly inflated, but it is actually not true.

Another scenario where you might have to check your tire pressure is if you plan on driving long distances. If you are going for a trip that covers over 300 miles, it might be wise to consider checking tire pressure.

You could also check after driving a long distance and compare the difference in tire pressure. Always wait a couple of hours before checking the tire pressure after driving a long distance.

How Do You Check the Tire Pressure

Here are the steps you can follow for checking the tire pressure;

1. Start by removing the valve dust cap from the tire valve then attach the tire pressure gauge. Make sure you are using a suitable gauge that works with car tires.
2. Proceed to press the gauge down into the valve to get the correct reading
3. Check the tire pressure reading on the gauge to see if you have to inflate or deflate the tire.
4. In case you have to deflate the tires, use a flat-head screwdriver by inserting its tip into the valve metal pin. It should release the air. Check again to see if it is now the correct reading.
5. The other option is to inflate. For this case, use a suitable pump with an accurate scale to avoid over-inflating.

At this point, your tires should have the right amount of pressure to drive around.

This video has more details on checking tire pressure

The Correct Tire Pressure

It is a common question that people might have when they need to inflate or deflate their tires.

The correct tire pressure will largely depend on the type of car and tire.

Look at your car’s manual to learn more about how much tire pressure you should add to the tires. The other option is to check the stickers on the doors of the car as they tend to have such information too.

The other spot to check for tire pressure is the tire itself or an online tire pressure tool. It will give you the recommended tire pressure you should be using.

The tire pressure will be indicated in terms of PSI. It can be 35 to 40 PSI for most passenger vehicles. Expect the trucks to require more PSI because of their weight.

One thing you should know is that checking tire pressure is often free. Simply get into any petrol station and you should find the tire pressure pump for checking the tire pressure levels.

Also, a tire shop can also offer such a service. Well, some might charge you a few bucks, but it is mostly free to check and inflate or deflate the tires.

Driving with the Wrong Tire Pressure

You may sometimes assume that driving with the wrong tire pressure is okay. However, it is not always the case. There are still several downsides to driving with under-inflated or over-inflated tires.

Driving with under-inflated tires can easily make the tires flex more, get hotter, and potentially lead to blowouts. Also, such tires will lead to increased stopping distances. Expect your car’s handling to be also affected.

Under-inflating the tires can also make the tires wear around the edges. You do not want to start replacing the tires too soon.

Over-inflating the tires is also not good. This would lead to increased wear in the center of the tire tread. You are likely to have a lesser contact area with the road thus leading to traction loss.

So, always have the tire pressure-filled to the recommended pressure amount.

FAQs

How often to check the tire pressure in winter?

Considering not many people drive in winter, it is best to check once a month. Those with a TPMS system should not have a problem checking the tire pressure without having to be in the cold.

How often to check the tire pressure in summer?

It can be interesting to check the tire pressure in summer considering it can get quite hot. The rule of thumb still remains the same whether it is summer or winter. Checking once a month should still be enough even for the summer months.

How do you keep the tires properly inflated?

It is best to check the tires and your car manual to know more about the correct tire pressure to use. If you can check once a month, it would help to know if you should inflate or deflate the tires where necessary.