If you are the owner of a car, and you use it as your only means of transport to commute to and from your workplace, it is quite likely that the tyres of your car will go through a lot of wear and tear. However, to make sure that your tyres last longer, you must maintain the correct tyre pressure and if it is not possible to check the pressure on a daily basis, you must definitely do it on a weekly basis.
This practice is important not only to extend the life of the tyre, but also to ensure the safety of the vehicle as well as to enhance its fuel efficiency. Your car manufacturer clearly specifies the correct pressure which has to be maintained in all the four tyres.
Why it is so critical to maintain a suitable tyre pressure?
The pressure in your tyre is normally measured in BAR pressure or PSI which is calculated by the amount of air pumped into the inner lining of the tyre. Many of us ignore this very important aspect of the maintenance of a car. Checking the pressure of a car tyre is important because of three primary reasons. The first and most important aspect is safety.
An under-inflated tyre can overheat and also it becomes very difficult for the driver to handle the vehicle on the road. Secondly, it also makes a huge difference when it comes to the fuel efficiency as even a minor change from the correct pressure can lead to more fuel consumption. Lastly, if your tyre is either over or underinflated, it can lead to quick deterioration of the tyres and you are likely to change them more often.
Measuring the tyre pressure
It is very easy to check your vehicle’s tyre pressure, once you know the correct pressure of the tyre and is a task that you can carry out without assistance, all you need is a working pressure gauge. No matter whether you buy cheap car tyres, or expensive treads, yu just need to remove the valve cap and fix the gauge to it and view the reading, if the tyre lacks enough air, inflate it with the pump till it reaches the correct pressure, on the other hand if your tyre is inflated more than the correct pressure, you need to let some air escape out of the system. Once your tyre is inflated to the right pressure take the gauge off of the valve and replace the cap make sure that there is no dirt in the valve before doing so.
Some pressure guidelines that you need to follow:
- When you check for the pressure, the tyres must be cold
- Use a reliable gauge to measure the pressure
- Change the pressure according to the number of persons in the car
- Do not forget to check the pressure of the spare tyre
- Increase your checking frequency in summer
So you can see how easy it is to check the pressure of your car tyres which is something any car owner must not ignore.