Tire Pressure and Your Car

One of the most important parts of your car to take good care of are the tires because they are what keep you connected to the road; under-inflated tires and over-inflated tires can both be dangerous to drive on. For this reason, it’s important that you know what the recommended tire pressure is for your particular make and model of vehicle.

Recommended tire pressure varies for virtually every type of vehicle, and the best way to know what the recommended tire pressure for your car is to consult the owner’s manual. Or, you can check with the service Toyota team at Berlin City Toyota in Portland, Maine, and our highly trained automotive experts will let you know what the tire pressure for you car should be. Here is some information about tire pressure that you may find useful when you’re unable to make it to a service department like Berlin City Toyota’s service department in Portland.

Why Check Tire Pressure?

There are a number of reasons why it’s so important to keep your tires properly inflated, and there are many factors that will affect tire pressure including:

• Air slowly leaks out of even the newest, most expensive tires.
• Keeping the proper air pressure in your tires provides a comfortable ride.
• Properly inflated tires typically get better fuel efficiency compared to poorly inflated tires.
• Changing temperatures can affect the inflation of your tires.

According to Edmunds.com, the U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that about “5 million gallons of gas per day, 2 billion gallons a year are wasted because of low tire pressure.” And because you cannot tell if a radial tire needs air just by looking at it, so you need to actually check the air pressure using a tire pressure gauge. Even with the latest models having tire pressure monitoring systems, it can’t hurt to learn how to check your tire pressure.

How to Check Tire Pressure

You should purchase a good quality tire gauge and store it in your glove box for easy accessibility. Once you check what the manufacturer recommends for your particular vehicle, remove the air valve caps from your tires and place them somewhere you will not lose them or somewhere they will not roll away. Then, press the tire gauge against the open valve system; you will hear a hiss of air as you press it down and this is normal. Finally, read the tire pressure gauge. The tire pressure number will appear on the dial or digital screen on the tire gauge, and then compare this number with the recommended tire pressure for the tire. If it’s too low, you can add air. If the pressure is too high, you can let air out of the tire.