Lots of car drivers have fun looking after their vehicles to make sure that mud and road film are cleaned off regularly. They are the sort of individuals who consult the owner’s handbook to see when a service is due and make sure it’s booked into the workshop at the correct time. And plenty of people will even spend the whole Saturday detailing the inside of their cars to try and have them looking new. But one thing that generally seems to always get forgotten about is examining the tire pressure. The proper inflation of car tires is essential knowledge for anyone about to take to the road and we will focus on it in this article.
Tire pressure troubles arise from two main reasons: too much pressure in the tire or too little pressure in the tire. One more thing you should do is to examine the owners manual on the car to discover the right tire pressure. Never confuse the tire pressure stamped onto the tire itself with the correct on-the-road tire pressure as they are very different. Pressure marked on the tire is the maximum safe inflation for that particular type of tire. So make sure to check your users manual to discover exactly the amount of pressure your tires should have.
In case you have far too much air pressure in your tires, the amount of the tire that is making contact with the ground is much less. For that reason, your car becomes less controllable which can be particularly hazardous when driving in the rain or on snow and ice making a serious accident much more likely. Driving a car on over inflated tires risks significant injury and even a reduced speed impact, just into a shallow ditch for example, can lead to a surprisingly large recovery and repair bill nowadays.
A tire with pressure below the appropriate level is likely to spread outward so your sidewall starts to come into contact with the ground. A tire with low pressure within it will not last as long if you always drive with it in this state. Moreover, excess heat grows in the tire because of the continual flexing of the side walls and may cause a blow out. You could find it difficult to prevent your car in a straight line after a blow out and in the absence of a spare wheel, you’ll have to pay a tow charge.
In addition to the safety aspect, maintaining your tires at the correct pressure can enhance the miles per gallon performance of your car. As mentioned previously, lower pressure tires put a larger area of rubber onto the asphalt and it makes your engine work tougher to push against the increased resistance. The result is that you start using a lot more gasoline per mile travelled. By keeping your tires inflated properly you can end up saving up to 10% off your gas costs.
The normal readings for the right tire pressures are usually measured from ‘cold’ or more strictly at the ambient temperature. Look for your tire pressures after your car has been standing for some hours after a period of driving. This can give time for the tires to cool down and allow you to take a more correct measurement. Following these straightforward tips you can end up saving some dollars.