Driving with improper tire pressure can cause an array of problems. First of all, you may experience a drop in your fuel efficiency. And your tires won’t get proper traction. When you neglect your tire pressure altogether, you can cause them to wear unevenly or blow out completely. If you don’t want to blow through buying new tires quickly, we recommend checking your pressure as often as once a month.
Before you start unscrewing the caps on your wheels, think twice about how much pressure your tires actually need. In the US, pressure is measured in PSI or pounds per square inch. You can typically find the safe range for your vehicle’s tires by looking at the driver’s door jamb. There should be a sticker with the PSI range listed. If you can’t find it, the owner’s manual will always have the information available.
Steps on How to Check Tire Pressure
You should try to always measure your pressure when the tires are cold for a more accurate reading. Gather your tire gauge, preferably a digital one, and follow up with these steps:
- Loosen the screw on top on the air valve on the tire,
- Press the gauge on the valve stem. You might hear a hissing noise.
- Read the gauge and compare the psi measured to the recommended psi. If your tires are underinflated, they will need to be topped off with air using an air compressor.
- Twist the cap back on the air valve.
- Repeat the above steps for all tires.
Checking your tire pressure doesn’t seem so scary, right? However, if you need help with tire pressure checks or any other tire maintenance, feel free to bring your vehicle to the experts at Autoworks of Issaquah.