Tyre pressures for your particular vehicle will be specified in the vehicle's handbook and they may also be shown on a sticker on the inside of the driver's door. The tyre pressures quoted will be for cold tyres only. Normally two numbers will be quoted; one for normal everyday use and a higher figure for when the vehicle carries load. You must therefore ensure that the tyre pressures are adjusted accordingly. If you have lost your handbook or are unable to find out the correct tyre pressures for your vehicle, you should refer to your vehicle manufacturer.
Important reasons why you should have the correct tyre pressure:
- Safety – under inflation or over inflation will affect the grip and control and increase braking distances
- Life of the tyre – under or over inflation increases wear
- Fuel economy – under inflation increases fuel consumption
You should only check tyre pressures when the tyres are cold so if they have been driven on, you should wait at least one hour before checking the pressures. You should also check your tyre pressures regularly and at least every two weeks.
When checking tyre pressures, its always a good time to have a look at the tyres to make sure they aren't damaged and that no bulges or deep cuts are apparent. A bulge in a tyre indicates internal structure damage and the tyre must be replaced immediately. Similarly if a deep cut is found and enough to show the internal structure of the tyre, then this also means that the tyre should be replaced.
The common methods of checking tyre pressures is of course to use a good tyre pressure gauge but did you know that you can monitor both tyre pressures and temperatures constantly by using a tyre pressure monitoring system. Its very easy to install and will alert you when either pressures or temperatures are abnormal giving you piece of mind.
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