In winter, your vehicle’s tire pressure could drop as the air gets colder. Underinflated tires can make controlling your car on slippery roads difficult. If your car has a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), the warning light on the dashboard could come on. Here’s some more information about why winter tire pressure matters and how you can keep your vehicle working well.
The Effects of Cold Weather on Tire Pressure
The air inside your tires contracts as it cools, lowering your tire pressure. In most situations, your tires will lose about one psi of air pressure for every 10 degrees that the temperature drops. A sudden temperature swing could cause a major change in your tire pressure. If there’s a big change in the weather, you should check your tire pressure. You should also take a look at your tire pressure at least once a month in the winter. Even if your car’s TPMS light isn’t on, your tire pressure could be low.
The Hazards of Underinflated Tires
Low tire pressure makes stopping distances longer, no matter how fast you drive. It also makes steering and handling your car more difficult. Underinflation often leads to irregular wear, shortening your tires’ lives, and costing you money. It can even lead to a flat tire or a dangerous blowout on the road.
How to Maintain Your Tire Pressure
Making sure your air pressure is corect can extend your tires’ lives and make you and your passengers safer. It can also improve your gas mileage. Using a tire gauge is important because it’s difficult to spot low tires quickly just by looking at them or relying on your TPMS. Fortunately, tire gauges are inexpensive, compact, and easy to use. Before you check your tire pressure, don’t drive your car for a few hours. This ensures that the air inside the tires will be the same temperature as the air outside, giving you a more accurate reading.
You can get started by removing the cap from one of your tires’ valve stems. Press the end of your tire gauge into it to read your tire pressure, then replace the cap for the valve stem when you have finished. You can find the best tire pressure for your vehicle in your owner’s manual or on a small sticker on the inside of the driver’s side door.
If needed, you can inflate your tires with a portable air compressor or you can use the compressor at a gas station. Some gas stations have devices that let you set the desired psi. They stop automatically when your tire reaches that air pressure, making adding air without a separate tire gauge much easier. You can also keep your tires in good condition by having them checked by a professional and rotated regularly.
Having the right tire pressure could prevent an accident on icy winter roads. Spending just a few dollars on a tire gauge now could help you avoid thousands in repair costs later. You should also keep your vehicle in great shape and drive slowly.
Photo by Radu Andrei Razvan from Pexels
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