Tyre Pressure Checks for My Car

Question

I know that checking tyre pressure is a very important thing before making long journeys. However, I have no idea how frequently I should check my tyre pressures. For example, If I travel round-trip 20 miles, do I really need to be panicky and check my tyre pressure or do I just leg it?

P.S. I know that modern cars have the tyre pressures indicated both in user handbook and the lower side of the driver door (where it touches the middle frame).

Also, any recommendation to what tyre inflator equipment I should keep for my personal use ( apart from relying on the Gas Station ones)?

Answer 1

I maybe know a better way for you. I saw it at some customer tyre and was very impressed.

TYRE VALVE CAPS WITH PRESSURE INDICATOR :D They exist for different pressure ranges. So everything you need to do, just go around your car sometimes and look that they are green. If they are yellow or red, you lost some pressure.

Answer 2

Actually checking your tire pressure should usually be a monthly maintenance item. If you make a habit of it, checking other items at the same time is a good idea as well, such as your coolant and oil levels (though, checking your oil a little more often is a good thing, say weekly). Something you can do is get used to where your tires sit (the "squish" if you will) normally. You can do a quick visual check every time you get in your car. If a tire looks as though it's low, it might be. Then you might do a check which isn't part of your monthly maintenance check. This should also alleviate any fears about running with a flat tire. Checking your tires every time you travel is OVERKILL.

All you need is the tire pressure checker ... something which looks like this:

It doesn't have to be anything expensive. You can leave it in your glove box (or whatever it's called across the pond ;-) and should only cost you a few Pounds at most (I would expect it to be in the £4-10 range). Something like this will last you for many years.

Answer 3

I think the usual advice is to check them as part of your 'weekly' checks (the ones that hardly anyone actually does every week, or even month!), along with the lights, tyre tread etc.

I certainly wouldn't bother for a 20 mile trip, unless I had a known slow puncture that I was monitoring. I usually just check them whenever I remember to do so - although I know someone who checks each time they fill up with fuel, on the basis that it was a good habit to get into, and works out (for them) to be roughly weekly

Answer 4

Before you rely on the TPMS on your vehicle, find out if it direct or indirect. If you have an indirect system be aware that the tyre has to deflate by a great deal before it registers with the signal light using the ABS wheel sensors. The direct system is much better as the tyre will have a sensor inside of which transmits its pressure to a reciever in the TPMS system and signals the light after losing a much lesser amount of pressure. Bear also in mind that tyres are destroyed from the inside to the outside when 'runflat'. This means that a tyre shredding internal is not visible from the outside. Any case of 'runflat' must have the tyre demounted and examined internally. On older cars, pre-2012 in the UK, TPMS is not mandatory, so a pressure check of once a month is about right, but if the tyre has been run under inflated, have it demounted and have it checked/repaired/or replaced as a matter of urgency.

Answer 5

Well it depends upon you and your car maintenance which will determine how long your tire pressure will remain. Most people check their car functions including the car pressure using home tools every week. So it is depends upon you to check the tire pressure. As my friend who is a mechanic in auto repair shop told me that there is no problem in checking tires regularly.

Answer 6

I usually check it weekly as you do lose 3 PSI or so

You can also go to your local tyre dealer and they may sell nitrogen which is a lot better then normal air, as the compounds are a lot thickers and cant easily escape

nitrogen check = 3-6 months normal air check = 1-4 weeks