Car Tyre Pressure Guide: Process & Importance Of Regularly Checking Tyre Pressure

Things To Learn In This Blog

• Importance of Checking Tyre Pressure Regularly
• Reasons Behind Low Tyre Pressure
• Process of Checking & Correcting Tyre Pressure
• Dangers of Incorrect Tyre Pressure
• Frequency of Checking Tyre Pressure
• Our Verdict
• FAQs

Tyres are the most essential part of any vehicle, whether a small hatchback or a big bus. The complete weight of the car sits on its tyres, therefore, making it crucial to choose the best quality of rubber and keep them properly inflated. Monitoring the tyre pressure of a car is one of the important parts of regular maintenance. Read our complete guide on car tyre pressure, maintenance, benefits, importance, and more below.

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Importance of Checking Tyre Pressure Regularly

Regularly checking the tyre pressure of your car is very important to ensure the best health of it. Regular maintenance of your car's tyre pressure has the following positive impacts:

1. Ensures Safety

Correctly inflated tyres, as per the manufacturer's recommendation, help in improving the control of the vehicle. Correct tyre pressure ensures the best grip levels and braking performance, thus, increasing the safety of the passengers.

2. Increases Fuel Economy

Correct tyre pressure will increase the fuel economy of your car. If tyres are underinflated, the overall drag will increase and result in less fuel economy.

3. Tyre Wear

Underinflated tyres or overly inflated tyres result in irregular wear and tear. Therefore, it is mandatory to keep the tyre pressure in check so that all the tyres get worn out symmetrically. Studies showcase that an under-inflated tyre with 5 PSI (pound square inch) less than the recommended pressure, can lead up to a 25% reduction in the life of a tyre.

4. Increases Comfort

Every car manufacturer mandates the correct tyre pressure for the front and rear wheels, depending on various factors including comfort. Incorrectly inflated tyres may lead to firm ride quality, thus, leading to discomfort for the passengers. Correct tyre pressure also ensures less vibrations and overall NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) level.

5. Reduced Cost of Ownership

As simple as it appears, the incorrectly inflated tyres will wear out early. It means that in such cases tyres will require replacement frequently. Therefore, the overall cost of ownership of a car will be increased. Similarly, the correct tyre pressure will increase the life span of tyres, hence, saving money in the long term.

6. RTA Compliance

As per the UAE's RTA rules and regulations, a vehicle with incorrect tyre pressure is a threat to other vehicles and road users. Improperly inflated tyres can burst in extreme driving conditions and the results of this can be fatal.

7. Reduced Carbon Footprint

With fewer tyre sets changing, you can reduce the overall carbon footprint or emissions generated by your vehicle in the long run. Additionally, the correctly inflated tyres are easy to maintain as they are less prone to bending or cracking the rims while hitting potholes.

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Why Does the Tyre Pressure Reduce Over Time?

While there can be multiple factors which affect the tyre pressure in your car, it is the tyre health that is primarily responsible for keeping the correct tyre pressure. Over time, with the use, the heating and centrifugal force impacting the tyre pressure may lead to a reduction in the pressure. Also, any sort of leakage or cut in a tyre can lead to pressure reduction. Moreover, if your vehicle is running underinflated, then it is prone to punctures and cuts easily.

Process of Checking & Correcting Tyre Pressure

Checking the tyre pressure of your car is a simple process. All you need to have is a working tyre pressure monitoring machine or tyre pressure filling machine. Usually, there are two types of tyre pressure machines - analogue and digital. The process of checking and inflating the tyre pressure is as follows:

Step 1 - Find the Correct Tyre Pressure for Your Vehicle

Before adjusting the tyre pressure, you must locate the correct tyre pressure chart for your vehicle. It is usually printed over the driver's side B-pillar. A vinyl representing the required amount of air pressure in the front and rear tyres, depending on the varying load, is usually found on the driver's side. However, if in case your car doesn't have it, you may refer to the owner's manual for the correct details.

Step 2 - Open the Tyre Filling Nozzle

Now, locate the tyre filling nozzle on each tyre and open it to fix the tyre pressure gauge or tyre pressure filling machine.

Step 3 - Check the Correct Pressure Value

Once the gauge is fixed, make sure to tighten the nozzle and gauge linkage. Now, the amount of air pressure inside the tyre will be displayed on the screen (in case of a digital machine) or the needle will indicate the correct/existing tyre pressure (in case of an analogue machine).

Step 4 - Fill Air

If the shown tyre pressure reading is below the recommended pressure value, top up the air pressure by using a machine. Do not overly inflate the tyre or under-inflate than the required pressure value.

Step 5 - Repeat the Process for All Tyres

Now repeat the same procedure for all the remaining tyres. Also, do note that the tyre pressure is affected by the temperature directly. If you are checking the tyre pressure just after a long drive, it will be higher than the actual tyre pressure. Make sure to let the tyres cool down before inflating the tyres.

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Dangers of Incorrect Tyre Pressure

As incorrect tyre pressure is not suitable for the driving safety of a vehicle, it has its own set of dangers attached. The over-inflated or under-inflated tyre pressures have different dangerous results associated with them, as described below.

1. Under-inflated Tyre Pressure

Due to less air pressure inside the tyre, its surface area of contact with the road expands. Hence, the drag on the vehicle is increased, affecting its performance directly. An under-inflated tyre pressure will lead to sluggish movement, affected steering inputs, and also an increased risk of aquaplaning in wet conditions. Moreover, an under-inflated tyre pressure results in high wear-tear, thus, posing a threat to other motorists. It is also illegal to drive a vehicle with under-inflated tyres.

2. Over-inflated Tyre Pressure

If the tyres are over-inflated, the surface area of contact is reduced, thus, reducing the grip and traction of the vehicle. Additionally, high tyre pressure leads to overheating of tyre rapidly. If you are driving a car with over-inflated tyres in heat conditions, it is likely to face an explosion, if not cooled down frequently. The less traction or grip also leads to ineffective braking by increasing the braking distance.

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Frequency of Checking Tyre Pressure

It is very important to regularly check the tyre pressure of your vehicle. While there is no fixed frequency of doing it, we suggest checking tyre pressure every fortnight or monthly once. If your vehicle is not in regular use, and it remains parked for days or weeks, make sure to check the tyre pressure before taking the vehicle out for a spin. Multiple factors can affect tyre pressure, including leaks, cuts, or even small punctures. A regular check-up of tyres and pressure will also help in spotting any such issues at the earliest, thus saving mishaps.

Our Verdict

Tyres are the most important aspect of a vehicle. To maintain the best health of tyres, it is crucial to keep them inflated with the correct and recommended tyre pressures by the manufacturer. Also, the associated risks with the under-inflated or over-inflated tyres should not be ignored for the safety of passengers. Regular check-up of tyre pressure also helps in saving money spent on the maintenance of tyres as well as it also helps in increasing the life span of tyres.

FAQs

1. Why is it important to check tyre pressure?

To maintain safety standards as well as to keep the vehicle's health intact, it is important to regularly check the tyre pressure of your vehicle. Over-inflated or under-inflated tyres pose a threat to the passengers and other users on the road. It is also illegal to drive a vehicle with incorrect tyre pressure in the UAE.

2. What are the benefits of properly inflated tyres?

The correct tyre pressure of your vehicle helps in increasing the fuel economy, reduces the wear & tear of tyres, and ensures better ride & handling.

3. Where to find the correct tyre pressure for my car?

Each vehicle has a tyre pressure chart embedded onto the B-pillar, towards the driver's side. You can find it placed on the lower-bottom end of the B-pillar after opening the driver's side door. If not found there, then refer to the owner's manual of your vehicle, and look for the tyre pressure chart in the index.

4. What is the correct tyre pressure for cars?

The recommended tyre pressure for every car is different due to its design and weight distribution. However, the usual range of the recommended tyre pressure for cars is between 30-35 PSI.

5. What is unsafe tyre pressure for cars?

If the tyre pressure is below 20 PSI, it is considered an under-inflated tyre. Similarly, a tyre pressure above 40 PSI means it is over-inflated & is on the verge of expansion.