Community
28 July, 2023
Check your tyre pressure
Despite what many may believe, tyre pressure is not determined by the type or size of the tyre.
Instead, it’s dependent upon your vehicle’s load and driving application (including speed).
To find out what your car’s tyre pressure should be, look at the car manufacturers’ tyre placard.
This is usually found in the glove box, fuel filler cap, inside the driver’s door sill or under the bonnet.
The placard should also display the manufacturers’ recommended tyre sizes. When checking your tyre pressure, it is best to do it when the tyre is cold because pressure increases as the tyre warms.
Take the ‘cold’ reading and check it against the recommendations on the placard.
Heavy loads or towing puts extra strain on your tyres.
If your vehicle is fully loaded with passengers and luggage, the general rule is to add 28kpa (4 psi or 4lbs).
Travelling at high speed – 120km/h or more – for over an hour will cause your tyres to wear out twice as fast as when you drive at 70-80 km/h.
And if your tyres are under-inflated by 20 per cent, the life of your tyres can be reduced by around 30 per cent.
Don't inflate your tyres above 40 psi or 280 kPa. When the tyres get hot from driving, the pressure will increase even more.
Checking your tyre pressure not only helps maintain the life of the tyre (which, in turn, will save you money), it can also help with fuel consumption.
By keeping your tyres inflated to their proper levels, you can help maximise your car's fuel economy. And if your tread is getting low call into The Tyre Factory and get them checked.
