How to Check and Add Air to Car Tires

[tomharrish]

Hello,

Air pressure should be measured only when the tires are cold, that is, when they have not been driven for at least three hours. If you want to fill your tires at the gas station, measure them at home (where they are cold) and note the difference from the recommended pressure.

For example, if 35 psi is recommended, but yours measure 31 psi when cold, the difference is 4 psi. After you've driven to the gas station, measure again -- since the tires are now warm, they will be more than the 31 psi you noted at home. Simply add your difference (4 psi in this example) to the pressure you initially measure at the gas station and pump away.

[Wouter]

Thanks for the usable "heads up"...

[kfxnando]

need to add that just driving gently to the garage will often not be sufficient to alter the tyre pressure by much!!

if one drives easy to the fuel station, the difference will be negligible!!

on my superbike, when I need to check the tyre pressure, I drive very easy to the fuel station, NO hard acceleration and NO hard breaking, till I get to the fuel station to check the tyre pressure!!

the most heat is generated under acceleration and breaking!! even better then swerving from side to side!!

yep BUT that is a bike!!

true, however the same applies!!
still the tyre that holds on for dear life during those harsh acceleration and braking sessions!!

however do agree, that if one has been driving for some distance then there will be a notable difference from what the reading should be!!

and the lower the tyre pressure the more heat a tyre will build up!!

well that is just my 2c zim$ worth!!

[Goosebeak]

The way I heard it (and it agrees with Nando's postulation) is that if you drive very gently to the service station, you can travel a maximum of 4km.

Me, I just fire up my compressor, and haul out my trusty dial-type tyre-gauge... works best...

[kfxnando]

[quote="Goosebeak"]

Me, I just fire up my compressor, and haul out my trusty dial-type tyre-gauge... works best...[/quote]

agree, sadly often to pull out the compressor, unless its flat flat!!

[Rian]

DIY.