Is kicking your tire enough to determine if there’s adequate pressure? Nope. There’s no comparison to the accuracy provided by using a
tire pressure gauge
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.
Your tires are the only thing standing between your vehicle and the road, so the pressure means everything. Proper tire inflation ensures your safety and that your tires wear evenly. It also keeps you from spending more money than needed on
new tires
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. It even improves fuel economy, so you are spending less money overall.
A tire pressure gauge is essential, but that’s not all. You need to know how often to check your tires and how to spot signs of low pressure.
What Happens If You Drive With Low Tire Pressure
The center tire in this stack shows evidence of underinflation. There’s dangerous excess wear on the inside and outside edges.
Accelerated tire wear:
Underinflated tires wear out unevenly and faster, creating a shorter lifespan.
Higher chance of a blowout:
With more stress on the tires, there’s a higher chance of a blowout. It could cause damage to the car and serious injuries.
Poor handling:
Low pressure reduces the amount of grip on the road. It’s more difficult to steer, stop, and maintain control, especially when the road surface becomes wet.
Reduced fuel economy:
Rolling resistance increases with lower pressure. With underinflated tires, your vehicle has to work harder and use more fuel.
Tire/rim damage:
In severe cases, the tire could come off of the rim, and wheel damage could occur.
You can avoid all these situations by simply checking the tire pressures and inflating when necessary.
How Often to Check Tire Pressure
A high-quality analog tire pressure gauge with a bleeder valve allows you to check and adjust tire pressure with precision.
We recommend checking your tire pressure
at least once a month or whenever the weather drastically changes. Check for low tire pressure when the tires are cold. Air expands as it heats up. After a few miles of driving, your tires heat up, and the pressure naturally rises.
In fact, the recommended pressure listed by the manufacturer is based on what the tires should be when cold. If you must check the tire pressure when tires are hot, such as while traveling, you will want to recheck it once they’ve cooled off and adjust as needed.
Do you need to check tire pressure if you have TPMS?
Tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS)
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are a wonderful innovation on today’s cars. They help drivers know when tire pressures are getting low before larger problems occur.
While it’s critical to
pay attention to the TPMS light
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and take action when required, this system shouldn’t be completely relied upon. It’s an electronic system. Malfunctions can occur. To ensure your safety, check your tire pressure manually every month.
Signs of Low Tire Pressure
If your car’s tire pressure light is illuminated, check the tire pressure ASAP.
An underinflated tire sags. It bulges out at the sides and looks oddly flat at the bottom. It’s easy to spot if your tire is very underinflated. Minor discrepancies can be harder to catch with your eye.
Other low tire pressure signs can prevent an accident. If you notice any of these symptoms, take action.
Dashboard warning light:
If the TPMS light comes on, you should check the tire pressure. What does it mean when the tire pressure light is blinking? Typically, this means there’s a problem with the TPMS itself and not just a low tire.
Faster/uneven tire wear:
If the tires don’t look normal or have uneven tire tread, the pressure may be low. With low tire pressure, there’s typically more wear on the outer edges.
Poor handling:
If the steering response is sluggish or slower than normal, it might be time for more tire pressure.
Vibration/rough ride:
Underinflated tires can cause a shaking feeling, especially when driving at higher speeds.
Many of these symptoms also occur with suspension malfunctions. A complete inspection is needed to determine the cause.
Eliminating tire pressure from the possible causes is easy. Inflate to the proper pressure and check them again. If problems persist, they’re not from the tire pressure alone.
Checking Your Pressure and Changing Your Tire
If you have a portable air compressor, you can add air to your tires anywhere you go.
It’s not difficult to check the tire pressure, especially with a high-quality gauge. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It doesn’t need to be digital. Any tire pressure tester can tell you how much air is in the tires so you can add or remove it as needed. Make sure to match the manufacturer’s specs for tire pressure.
How do you determine proper tire pressure?
Don’t only go by the pressure that’s stated on the tire. To get the proper tire pressure, it’s best to look at the placard on the driver’s side door. That’s there the manufacturer lists the proper air pressure for tires and the right size. On most modern vehicles, it’s probably a number in the mid-30s range in psi.
The tire pressure chalk test is also a way to examine pressures, although it takes a little longer and isn’t nearly as accurate as using a gauge.
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Chalk the tire tread. Draw a thick line across the tread, reaching from one side to the other.
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Drive in a straight line for about 100 feet. Make sure the surface is flat.
Inspect the chalk line again. If the chalk has worn evenly across the tire, the pressures are perfect or close. If the wear occurs in the center, the tire may be overinflated, while wear on the edges signifies low pressure.
Should you know how to change a tire?
Yes. Maybe you go to check your tire pressure, and you find a huge nail. Maybe you inflate your tire, and it’s not holding air. Well, it’s time to put on your spare.
Changing your tire is going to be a much more complicated job. Loosen the lug nuts before you jack up the vehicle, and put the spare wheel under the car if you don’t have a jack stand. From there you just take off the lug nuts, swap the old wheel for the spare, and get those lug nuts back on. Lower the car and tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern.
If this isn’t a job you are comfortable with doing, or if you’re in a sketchy part of the road, don’t put yourself in a dangerous situation. Most roadside assistance plans offer free flat service.
How do you add air to your tires?
Using a high-quality air compressor, you can
put air in the tires
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in a few minutes. Take off the valve stem cap and connect the nozzle. Press firmly on the tip while the air fills. Continue to check the air pressure and stop adding before it becomes overinflated. Screw the cap back on and continue the same procedure with the other tires, including the spare.
If you don’t have an air compressor, most gas stations do. (Bring a couple of quarters with you when you go.) These often cost a buck or a buck and a half these days. It’s worth the expense for the peace of mind alone.
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This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.
