The Importance of Proper Tire Pressure

Tire pressure aka the pound per square inch aka pound-force per square inch (psi or lbf/in 2 ) is the pressure that happens as a result of one pound-force applied to a one square inch area. Pressure checks on tires are recommended every new month and also before every long journey.

Tire Pressure Monitoring System aka TPMS monitors the psi for tires in all brand new cars and issues a low-pressure alert in the wake of a 25% pressure drop in your tires. For old cars, you just have to rely on good old guesswork if you do not properly take care of your tires.

Notwithstanding, for new cars, the TPMS (direct or indirect) is still not adequate enough to keep you in the know about slight tire pressure change which could cause safety problems for the individual(s) in the vehicle or lead to an increase in fuel consumption.

Why Should You Check Your Tire Pressure?

The absence of proper tire pressure leads to problems for your vehicle and for you as well. Problems such as:

• Instability in direction while driving.
• Irregular wear of tires.
• Lack of safety while driving because tires can be displaced from their rims while turning a corner.
• Fractured steering response.
• Discomfort while driving.
• High fuel consumption.
• Reduced miles per gallon consumption and irregular vehicle handling behavior.

To forestall any of these, you should know what the recommended tire pressure for your vehicle is. This recommendation has been agreed upon by the manufacturer of your car and the tire manufacturers based on certain factors like the towing capacity of your car, total weight and size of your vehicle and suggested tire size.

Knowing Your Tire Pressure

To know your tire pressure before any trip/journey, Car Care Connection recommends doing the following:

• Know the recommended psi for your vehicle.
• Have an efficient tire pressure gauge handy.
• Uncork your tires’ valve stems end caps.
• Place the tire pressure gauge on your tires’ valve stems.
• Apply downward pressure on your tire pressure gauge.
• Check the reading.
• Compare the reading with the recommended tire pressure for your
  vehicle.
• If the reading is more than or less than the recommended tire
  pressure for your vehicle, take out some air by pushing in the tires’
  valve stems or pump air into the tires respectively.

The cold inflation pressure is the best rule of thumb to know the psi of your tires because heat increases the pressure of tires and feeds back inaccurate psi reading. Also, it is crucial to know that tire pressures vacillate between a 1 psi increase per 10° Fahrenheit temperature increase/decrease and also during winter and fall, tire pressures could drop 5 psi.

If this is not what you would rather be doing with your time or you prefer an expert running the recommended tire pressure checks for you, call the experts at Car Care Connection at 941-924-6199 or visit us at 6503 Gateway Avenue in Gulf Gate to book scheduled checks.