When the cold winter weather arrives, your tire pressure is no longer an afterthought, but rather something you’ll need to keep a close eye on. Car maintenance doesn’t have to be difficult, and managing your tire pressure is an easy yet important step that keeps you safe on the road, especially during the cooler months.
Cooler weather will lower your tire pressure
Now that it’s starting to get cold, have you spotted the tire pressure warning light ( ! ) on your dash or noticed your tires look a little low on air lately? If so, you’re not alone. That’s because your tire PSI will fluctuate alongside the outside temperature, making it vital that you pay attention to it.
Maybe you’ve even heard someone mention this, but weren’t sure if it’s true. Well, it is, and it’s pretty important when it comes to safety, handling, improved winter traction in the snow, and even braking ability.
With the winter weather here, a sudden cold spell could reduce your tire pressure from 1–2 psi to nearly 10 psi less than usual, if not more. For every ten degrees drop in temperature, your tires will lose between 1 and 2 psi of air pressure. A change from 75°F to 35°F could reduce your tire pressure by up to 8 psi. Considering it’s already something that many people don’t check frequently, a drop that large is a big deal and definitely worth paying attention to.
For many around the country, temperatures have dropped significantly in recent months, making it essential to check your tires as soon as possible. Here’s how I take care of my truck, what you need to know, and a few tools to get the job done.
What does PSI mean?
The term “PSI” often refers to the amount of air in a vehicle’s tire, which is measured in Pounds per Square Inch (psi). This is a unit measuring air pressure, and the correct psi for your vehicle can be found on a sticker in the driver’s door jamb and your owner’s manual.
Operating a vehicle at the correct psi is important for safety, handling, braking, and even fuel economy.
Adjust your tire pressure in real-time
Now that you know how much your tire pressure can fluctuate when it’s cold outside, you’ll want to monitor and adjust it in real-time. By that, I mean you’ll need to check more than once as the cold weather arrives. Don’t just check your tires one time when it’s officially winter. Instead, you’ll want to monitor them periodically throughout the entire winter season.
Start by locating the sticker inside the driver’s door jamb, which displays the correct psi for your vehicle. This is a good starting point; however, if you have aftermarket or oversized tires, the amount may vary.
Personally, I take out my trusty digital tire gauge every time I stop for gas during the winter months, or about once a week. And if there’s a sudden drop in temperature, I’ll recheck them just to be sure.
You can check your tire pressure using machines at a nearby gas station, although I recommend that everyone pick up a cheap tire pressure gauge like the one below. That way, you can monitor things from home before you ever start driving.
As mentioned earlier, a significant drop in psi makes a big difference, so it’s vital to maintain the proper air pressure levels. If your vehicle recommends a pressure level of 32 or 35 psi in each tire, you’ll want to ensure all four tires are at the correct level. Get air at a gas station, or buy a convenient portable air compressor from Ryobi or a similar brand.
Checking your tire PSI and adding a little air to the proper level only takes a few minutes of your time, so don’t skip it. You’ll get better fuel economy, stay safe on the road, and it’ll even help prevent premature tire wear.
Warm weather increases tire pressure
When the sun starts shining, spring arrives, and temperatures begin to rise, the opposite happens: the air in your tires expands as it heats up. If you’ve maintained your vehicle and tires properly throughout the winter and recently added air when it was cold outside, a sudden temperature increase of 20-30 degrees could cause your tires to overinflate.
When a tire has too much air, it bulges and fails to maintain proper ground contact, which lowers handling and braking performance and also causes your tires to wear out faster.
As things start to heat up, you may need to remove some air from your tires. Just make sure you give yourself a little wiggle room of 2–3 psi as the temperatures continue to fluctuate.
Essentially, your tire pressure is closely tied to the ambient temperature outside, so be sure to check it regularly to ensure proper performance and safety.
Source: www.howtogeek.com
