Tire Pressure

Tire information placards & vehicle certification labels contain information on tires & load limits. These labels indicate the vehicle manufacturer's information including:

• Recommended tire size
• Recommended tire inflation pressure (usually given in PSI cold)
• Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR):
  • the maximum occupant & cargo weight a vehicle is designed to carry
• Gross axle weight ratings (GAWR) for front & rear axles:
  • the maximum weight the axle systems are designed to carry

Both placards & certification labels are permanently attached to the vehicle door edge, door post, glove-box door, or inside of the trunk lid. You can also find the recommended tire pressure & load limit for your vehicle in the vehicle owner's manual.

Tire Pressure & Load Limits

Tire inflation pressure is the level of air in the tire that provides it with load-carrying capacity & affects the overall performance of the vehicle. The tire inflation pressure is a number that indicates the amount of air pressure– measured in pounds per square inch (psi)–a tire requires to be properly inflated. (You will also find this number on the vehicle information placard expressed in kilopascals (kPa), which is the metric measure used internationally.)

Manufacturers of passenger vehicles & light trucks determine this number based on he vehicle's design load limit, that is, the greatest amount of weight a vehicle can safely carry & the vehicle's tire size. The proper tire pressure for your vehicle is referred to as the "recommended cold inflation pressure."

Remember, the correct pressure for your tire is what the vehicle manufacturer has listed on the placard, NOT what is listed on the tire itself.

Because tires are designed to be used on more than one type of vehicle, tire manufacturers list the "maximum permissible inflation pressure" on the tire sidewall. This number is the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever be put in the tire under normal driving conditions.

Checking Tire Pressure

 Accutire Digital Tire Air Gauges

It is important to check your vehicle's tire pressure at least once a month for the following reasons:

• Most tires may naturally lose air over time.
• Tires can lose air suddenly if you drive over a pothole or other object or if you strike the curb when parking.
• With radial tires, it is usually not possible to determine under inflation by visual inspection.

Purchase a tire pressure gauge to keep in your vehicle. Gauges can be purchased at tire dealerships, auto supply stores, & other retail outlets.

The vehicle manufacturer's recommended tire inflation pressure is the proper psi when a tire is cold. The term cold does not relate to the outside temperature. Rather, a cold tire is one that has not been driven on for at least three hours. When you drive, your tires get warmer, causing the air pressure within them to increase. Your tires can get warm after just 1 mile of driving.

Therefore, to get an accurate tire pressure reading, you must measure tire pressure when the tires are cold or compensate for the extra pressure in warm tires.

Maintaining Proper Tire Pressure

• Step 1: Locate the recommended tire pressure on the vehicle's tire information placard, certification label, or in the owner's manual.
• Step 2: Record the tire pressure of all tires.
• Step 3: If the tire pressure is too high in any of the tires, slowly release air by gently pressing on the tire valve stem with the edge of your tire gauge until you get to the correct pressure.
• Step 4: If the tire pressure is too low, note the difference between the measured tire pressure & the correct tire pressure. These "missing" pounds of pressure are what you will need to add.
• Step 5: At a service station, add the missing pounds of air pressure to each tire that is under inflated.
• Step 6: Check all the tires to make sure they have the same air pressure (except in cases in which the front & rear tires are supposed to have different amounts of pressure).

If you have been driving your vehicle & think that a tire is under inflated, fill it to the recommended cold inflation pressure indicated on your vehicle's tire information placard or certification label. While your tire may still be slightly under inflated due to the extra pressure of a warm tire, it is safer to drive with air pressure that is slightly lower than the vehicle manufacturer's recommended cold inflation pressure than to drive with a significantly under inflated tire. Since this is a temporary fix, don't forget to recheck & adjust the tire's pressure when you can obtain a cold reading.