Maintaining correct air pressure in your tyres enhances their performance and reliability, leading to longer lasting tyres and better fuel economy which saves you money. That’s why it’s important for your safety and your wallet (not to mention the environment) to be checking tyre pressures regularly.
Correct tyre pressures are not actually determined by the tyre size or type as commonly thought, but rather by the driving application (such as speed) and the vehicle’s load.
Monitor tyre pressure
Through the process known as permeation, car tyres slow lose pressure everyday in varying amounts (kilopascals) depending on the weather conditions (the greater the temperature, the more pressure is lost).
The importance of tyres can often be overlooked by drivers, but they are the only part of a vehicle that makes contact with the road and as such can endure a lot of forces and flexing day to day which also diminishes tyre pressure.
Accordingly it is important to monitor the pressure of your tyres, and as a rule of thumb this should be done every other time you fill up with petrol from maximum performance.
You should also occasionally check the pressure of your spare tyre.
Recommended tyre pressures
The correct amount of tyre pressure (psi) for your vehicle can be found in the owner’s manual or the tyre placard (usually found on the inside of the door sill, glove box, under the bonnet or fuel filler cap). The placard shows the vehicle manufacturers recommended tyre pressure and tyre sizes.
How to check tyre pressure
Contrary to popular belief you cannot accurately gauge the pressure of your tyres by simple judging the sidewall appearance. To do this properly, you need an accurate air pressure gauge which you may need to buy as you may not necessarily find at your local petrol station as they are often inaccurate due to being misused and exposed to the elements.
Cold tyres
To properly check your tyre pressure, ensure that your vehicles tyres are cold. Generally, cold air pressure means you haven’t driven further than 1-2 kilometres and the vehicle hasn’t been sitting in direct sunlight for a long period of time prior to checking the air pressure.
Tyre pressure tips
- Tyre pressures when the tyres get hotter from driving. This means it’s important to not over inflate your tyres.
- Driving at high speeds (over 120km/h) doubles the rate at which your tyres were when compare to driving at 80 km/h.
- A tyre that is underinflated by 20% reduces the tyres life cycle by up to 30%
- A general rule of thumb is to add 28Kpa (4 PSI) on top of your Minimum Compliance Plate Pressure
- Under-inflated tyres are more harmful to the environment as they cause greater rolling resistance which in turn leads to greater fuel consumption.
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