How do you check car tyre pressure?

June 6, 2019 3 Min Read

Regularly checking the pressure of the car’s tyres is very important to ensure the safety of the vehicle.If your car doesn’t have an indicator that alerts you when the tyre pressure is below the recommended values, you should check the status every 15 days at the most.

This is fundamental,as the tyres are the only part of your car that is in direct contact with the asphalt of the road.For that reason, we are going to tell you below, the main reasons why you should check the pressure, how to measure it and the correct pressure itself.

Why should we monitor the car wheels pressure?

The tyres are one of the most important parts of the car, as they are the part responsible for having direct contact with the asphalt.The safety of the car will greatly depend on the quality and the state that they are in.Therefore if you have a worn tyre, you can suffer problems such as unwanted skidding due to lack of tread.But focusing on air pressure, let’s see what factors can affect a poorly inflated tyres.

Wear

When the tires are deflated or, by contrast, over-inflated, the wear occurs irregularly.In this manner, tyres without enough air, wear more by the edges; while overinflated tyres will have an irregular wear that will mainly affect the centre.This severely affects the tread of the tyre.

Tire blowout

Tyres are more susceptible to a blowout due to both a lack of air and also excess air.This can be very dangerous, as it can cause you to lose control of the vehicle and have an accident.

Braking distance

The braking distance of a vehicle is higher when the tyres do not have the correct pressure. Obviously, this can also be very dangerous.Think about what could happen if you are on the motorway traveling at 120 kilometers per hour and, suddenly you have to brake abruptly.If your car’s braking distance is not optimal, you could have an accident.

Grip and aquaplaning

The grip on an under-inflated tyre will not be suitable.That’s why, when driving in wet conditions, you could lose control of the vehicle because of aquaplaning.

Consumption

Fuel consumption of a car will be increased when the tyres are deflated. This is due to the fact that when they are without air, the rubber sticks more to the asphalt and they don’t circulate as lightly as they should.

How and where is the tyre pressure measured?

First of all, keep in mind that tyres should be checked when it is cold. If you can not measure them at home, you should not travel far before checking them.Going to the nearest petrol station or service station can be a good option.

With the car stopped and the engine off, you must remove the plug that each wheel has.Take the air pressure hose and hook the nozzle where you removed the plug.

In the air machine, you can now see the tyre pressure.If these figures are below the recommended tyre pressure of your car, you should increase the pressure by pressing the inflation button until the needle indicates the correct pressure.On the other hand, if the figure is too high, press the drain air button.The tire pressure index is called the BAR.

As you can see, it is a very easy task that you can do at any time.

What is the correct pressure that the tyres should have?

The recommended pressure of your tyres will vary depending on the model and manufacturer of the vehicle, the weight, the loading conditions, whether or not you are towing, and fundamentally, the type of tyres you have.

Neverthless, you should find a simple table that will tell you the correct pressure for your tyres on the inside of the driver’s door, in the instruction manual or inside the gas cap.

As you have seen, maintaining optimum car tyre pressure is very important for your safety and that of the people around you.Doing so avoids problems such as lack of grip, an extended braking distance or the aquaplaning effect.Remember to regularly check your tyre pressure.