How Often Should You Check Your Car’s Tire Pressure?

Checking your vehicle’s tire pressure is a task you need to do to ensure a safe ride. Not all car owners know when and how much they should check it, though. Here’s some help to understand tire pressure and how frequently you should check it:

Why Tire Pressure Is Important

Having the appropriate tire pressure is helpful in many ways. For one, it can prevent accidents and uneven tire wear. Secondly, it can give your vehicle the stability it needs. Your wheels make up part of your car’s foundation. As such, you should try your best to ensure your tires have as much air as they need. 

How Often Should I Check the Tire Pressure?

Some experts say you should check your tire pressure once a month, and others say every two weeks. An alternative viewpoint is that vehicle owners should check their tire pressure once a week or every time they intend to take a significant trip. Checking the pressure doesn’t take long; thus, you can do it more frequently than some recommend. 

How Much Air Should Be in the Tires?

You must identify the manufacturer’s recommended pressure to know how much air you should have in your tires. You can find the information in your owner’s manual, online service information, or inside your driver’s side door jamb.

You will see a label that tells you how many PSIs of air should be in each tire. Pay close attention to that because it doesn’t always match what’s on your used tires when you buy a car. PSIs are also different on the front and rear tires in some rare instances and for certain car models. 

How Do I Check the Tire Pressure?

To check your car’s tire pressure, you will need to buy a pressure gauge. You can purchase an inexpensive gauge from your local auto parts store. Alternatively, you can invest in a digital one. 

The best time to check your tire pressure is when your tires are cold. You’ll need to unscrew the cover off your valve stem and place your tire pressure gauge on it. The white reader will stick out if you have a non-digital one. You can then read the pressure according to the hash marks on the gauge.

A digital gauge will give you a more straightforward reading, but remember that the best time to take a pressure reading is when your tires are cold. 

What To Do if Air Pressure Isn’t Correct

If your pressure is incorrect, you’ll need to fill your tires to specification with air. You might want to investigate if only one of your tires is low on air. The low reading is most likely a sign that your tire is punctured. You can get it fixed inexpensively if the puncture is small and in a repairable location. 

You now have the information you need to start keeping track of your tire pressure. Get into the practice of going through the process frequently starting today. 

Categorised in: Vehicle Repairs

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