Remember when President Obama said that one way people can decrease the gas they use is by properly inflating their tires? Whatever you think of the dude’s politics, the tire pressure thing is spot on.
Keep these inflated properly and they won’t do you wrong
Not only does having your tires properly inflated increase your fuel efficiency, it also will extend the life of your tires (and both these things will save you hard-earned cash).
Your tire treads will wear unevenly if one or multiple tires are half flat or too full. Uneven treads mean you’ll need to rotate the tires more often, and you’ll need to replace them sooner than if you’d just had them properly inflated.
Most people don’t realize that there’s about 2 inches on each tire that’s actually touching the ground when you drive. This makes your tires the first defense you have against everything on the road. They’re the most important things on your car because they’re literally the things that everything is riding on.
How much should your tires be inflated?
Check your owner’s manual or do a google search to figure that out. Most tires are around 32 to 35 psi. Gas stations that have pumps where you can fill your tires usually have tire pressure gauges attached, so you don’t even need to own one!
Check tire pressures often (more often than when you get your oil changed) to get fuel efficiency and to keep those treads from wearing unevenly!
I would also say make sure the tire guage is properly working–it takes awhile to deflate the tires if it isn’t working. (the one one the air hose was wrong and thankfully I didn’t make my tires explode)
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That’s an excellent addition to the list, thanks. If the tire gauge isn’t working properly, then you’d have no idea what you’re doing and there’s almost no point! I know some oil change places also check/fill tires, which is great, and I think you can generally trust their tire gauges, but again, tires should be checked more often than that. When in doubt, buy a new tire gauge, they’re cheap!
very true, my wife and a friend ruined a brand new set of tires that way (had perhaps 10,000K on them) but running them under inflated did them in. I am religious about checking tire pressure now.
Another tip from Mr Mustache Man, you can inflate your tires higher than you realize, I checked mine (2001 Peugeot 308) and discovered I can go up to 50 psi!!!!!! That was a bit out of my comfort zone so went to 48psi
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Yes, definitely check your manual! It’s great that you can get them up to 50psi — you’ll save more money that way on gas! Sucks about your wife a friend ruining their tires that way… it’s such an easy thing to prevent. But if people don’t know about it, then they just don’t know and have to learn the hard way. Which sucks.
That’s the problem with the new (is my age showing I remember basis ply tires) radial tires, you can’t tell if they are inflated or not
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Which is why a good tire gauge is really important. And they’re so cheap, there’s really no reason not to get one.
I did online marketing for a tire shop for a while. So I definitely agree with the importance of properly inflating your tires. I’d be wary of the tip above about filling them up to 50psi. Sure the tire may be able to fill up that much, but there are reasons for the specific recommendations. Those levels are where you will get the optimal balance of treadlife, fuel economy and traction.
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Thanks, man — good points!
Hi TB, this is an excellent post. I can tell you that failure to rotate your tires on time will cause uneven wear and causing you to have to replace all 4. I agree with the tire pressure info as well. You can get better gas mileage and make your tires last longer. And A LOT of people overlook this.
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Tire rotation, that’s a great one to remember for sure! It is overlooked but does make a huge difference, thanks man!
Here’s a question for you: My front tires always look a little low to me, so I ask the JL guys to check it for me. Last time they said they took air OUT of the tires! Here’s the question: I was going by the tire’s specifications, but I read that if you bought the right size tire that the car’s manual said you should (and I did) you should inflate them to what the manual says, not what a tire website says. It has to do with the curb weight of the car, etc. Is this true? Should I stick with what the car manual says? (look it up for me, if you want: Suzuki GL 1.8 wagon, 1999.)
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We always try to keep our tires inflated properly, especially before any road trips.
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That’s a great time to check — your tires thank you!
GREAT tip, TB… I do check our tires regularly, and notice that the inflation seems to vary and need to be adjusted from time to time.. Also, the older the tires get, the more rapidly they seem to lose air.
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Yeah, as weather changes through the seasons and daily, that can really affect tire inflation, which is why it’s good to check tire pressure often! It’s great to see that you do!
Very true, and hits close to home. “Yours truly” ruined a set of tires about 10,000 miles early because they were not properly inflated and out of alignment. Its not cheap buying new tires, but keeping them aligned and inflated properly also saves gas… I calculated about 2 mpg increase when properly inflated.
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Right on man, it’s really amazing what something so simple can do for mpg!
This is something I’m guilty of ignoring. Thanks for the reminder to keep my tires in good shape!
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Hey, that’s what I’m here for
I have been pretty lax when it comes to checking our tire pressure. I definitely need to do it more often because it really does save you money. While it may be a little bit here-and-there, it adds up over the years!
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It sure does save money over the years, and also it makes your tires wear better so that you don’t need to buy new tires as often!
Totally agree – I was paranoid about checking mine whenever I took drives across Alligator Alley. I’m not as good about it now that I’m not driving long distances nearly as much.
Do you know anything about nitrogen in tires? Last time I got new tires, I totally let myself get upsold on that and I really have no clue if it’s complete BS or not.
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My stance on nitrogen in tires is that it’s a rip off! Scam. Side note: nitrogen makes you vehicle more bouncy on the highway, have you noticed that? With or without nitrogen, you should check that tire pressure often, but I think next time you go in, you should tell the salesman to stuff it when he asks if you want nitrogen!
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I usually check the sidewall for the recommended pressure and inflate it close to that number just to be safe.
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This is so important and most people don’t pay attention to proper tire inflation. I use to sell tire sealant to OTR trucking companies just to keep more air in their tires and balance out the ride. It was amazing how much money they saved. It is so important to everyone that drives if they want to save money on fuel costs to keep those tired inflated. Thanks for making more people aware of one of the biggest issues on the road!
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