What Tire Pressure Should My Tires Be to Perform Well?

Keeping your tire pressure at the right PSI is essential for staying safe on the road, getting the longest life out of your tires, and ensuring that you won’t lose control over your vehicle. But you’re probably asking, what tire pressure should my tires be?

The PSI (pound-force per square inch) is the air pressure in your tire that allows it to function the way it should. Let’s learn about tire PSI, including what PSI you need for your tires.

What PSI Should My Tires Be?

For most passenger cars, it is recommended that your tires be between 32 and 35 PSI when they are cold.

This will help ensure that they have the right pressure to keep you safe on the road, no matter how far you need to travel.

You should regularly measure your tire’s PSI.

To get the most accurate reading, you need to have the car parked for a few hours to stop friction and heat from driving from affecting the results.

It is best if you can let the car sit overnight, or at least a few hours, before you get a PSI reading on the tires.

How Do I Find the Best PSI for My Tires?

Each vehicle is going to have a different type of tire on it, which means that the exact PSI that should be found in your tires may be different than the PSI that someone else should be using.

Having the right PSI can be important for a smooth ride and keeping you safe on the road, so this is a number that you should know.

For a newer car, the recommended pressure is going to be listed on a sticker found inside the door on the driver’s side.

You can open up the door and you’ll find the recommended PSI. Follow that to ensure your tires will be safe.

However, if you have an older vehicle, there may not be a sticker in the door. This doesn’t mean you’re out of luck.

The owner’s manual should have this information. If you threw out the owner’s manual years ago or it did not come with the vehicle when you purchased it, you can take a look online.

Many car manufacturers will put this information on their websites. You just need the make, model, and year of your vehicle.

Most cars have the recommendation of 32 to 35 PSI for their tires.

Why Proper PSI Is Important for Tires?

There are several reasons why it is so important for your tires to be kept at the proper PSI. To start, the right PSI will give you the best gas mileage, which can save you money.

With the current state of gas prices, that is something that everyone will enjoy.

When the tires are kept at a PSI that is too low or high, handling the car is going to become more difficult, especially if the weather turns bad.

This can make it dangerous to drive the vehicle and you could end up on the side of the road rather than driving safely down it.

The wrong PSI can mean that your tires won’t last as long as they would otherwise.

This means that the tires will wear down or burst on you sooner than planned and you will have to purchase tires more often.

What Can Change the PSI of My Tires?

It is normal for the PSI in your tires to go up and down. There are environmental factors, routine stresses, and even driving conditions that will have an impact on this over time.

Here are some factors that may impact PSI.

The Weather

Your PSI is going to reduce by 1 for every 10 degrees the temperature goes down.

Permeation

Your tire will naturally lose pressure over time, usually 1 to 2 PSI per month.

Altitude

Seasonal and altitude changes can also cause the air pressure in the tire to fall.

Road Hazards

Things like screws and nails on the road can puncture and embed in the tire. While they are embedded, the pressure loss may be slow, but it is still there.

Load Weight

When the tires are underinflated, there is an additional risk related to the load that the vehicle can carry, so you will need to use some caution here.

Both underinflation and overinflation can cause problems to your tires and may make it unsafe for you to travel on the road.

Make sure that you don’t over-inflate the tires either, which is easy to do when you try to fill them up. You don’t want to go to the maximum number listed on the car door. If you do, you’ll end up over-inflating the tires.

How to Inflate Your Tires?

If you have checked the PSI of your tires and notice that they are underinflated, then it is time to inflate them properly before you get back out on the road.

The steps that you can use to help with this include:

1. Remove the valve stem caps.

Take the valve stem caps off your tires, keeping them in a safe spot.

2. Attach an air compressor or air pump.

Use an air compressor or air pump to attach to the valve stem and seal with the locking mechanism. You need these to be sealed properly.

Turn on the compressor and if you notice air escaping, then it is not on right.

3. Inflate the tire to the right PSI.

Turn on the pump or compressor and then inflate to the right PSI. you can use the gauge that came with the pump or compressor.

If it doesn’t have a gauge, fill for 5 to 10 seconds and then use your own gauge to check again.

4. Turn off the pump/compressor.

Once you reach the proper PSI, turn off the pump/compressor and remove the nozzle head. If you went too high, allow a small amount of air out, checking as you go.

5. Double-check the pressure.

Double-check the pressure before putting the stem caps back on.

The more times you do this process, the easier it will get and you can complete it within a few minutes.

Remember you do not want to go to the maximum PSI that is recommended because this allows extra room for the pressure to go up and down when the temperature changes.

Final Thoughts: What Tire Pressure Should My Tires Be?

Most vehicles will need their tires to stay between 32 and 35 PSI to keep you safe on the road and to improve your fuel efficiency.

There are a few exceptions to this rule, though, so it is a good idea for you to take a look at the driver’s door or in the owner’s manual to see what is recommended for your vehicle.

With a bit of monitoring and filling the tires up when they need it, you can make sure that your vehicle is always safe on the road.