How to Check Tire Pressure in 6 Easy Steps

To keep yourself and your passengers safe on the road, you need to know how to check tire pressure to keep your tires maintained according to the manufacturer’s recommendation. It’s important to check all four tires at least once a month to keep their psi (pounds per square inch) in a safe range.

 

Pick Your Place

You have the option of either checking your tires at home or at a gas station. While a gas station may be a bit quicker, and doing it yourself does require you to purchase and own your own pressure gauge, checking your tire pressure from home and going somewhere to fill them up later can be helpful.

Pick a Tire, Any Tire

Once you’ve chosen one of them to start with, read the label on the tire and look for the recommended psi. This will usually be located in parentheses at the end of the label. This number can also be found on the sticker inside the driver’s side door, or in the owner’s manual for the vehicle.

Unscrew the Valve Cap and Test Your Tires “Cold”

The main reason to consider checking your tire pressure at home first is that it’s better to check your pressure before you drive. Tires heat up from friction on the road, causing their pressure to increase, so driving to the gas station before checking them may cause you to get inaccurate readings.

Press the gauge into the valve stem and make sure the two are sealed to keep air from escaping.

Read the Gauge: Is the Pressure Within the Recommended Limits?

If the pressure is below the range displayed on the tire label, car manual, or driver’s side information sticker, then you’re going to need to inflate your tires. Also, be sure to check all four of them, especially your spare tire if it’s currently in use.

Get Where You Need to Go

If like most people you don’t have access to your own air compressor, it’s time for you to take a trip to a local gas station so you can fill up your tires.

Add and Remove Air Where Needed, Check, Repeat

Some gas stations may offer free compressed air, while other places may charge you for it. Top off the air in your tires and check their pressures one more time- with either your own gauge or with tools from the gas station- to see that their psi is in the appropriate range. If the pressure still isn’t high enough, add more air. If the pressure is higher than the appropriate range, you’re going to need to release some of the air.

Repeat this process until all of your tires are pressurized safely within the recommended pressure range. However, it’s important to remember not to fill them up to the max psi, as that can decrease the length of their life.

For the safety of both yourself and your fellow drivers, it’s important to keep up proper car maintenance. Things like oil and tire changes can be a bit more tricky, but knowing how to check your tire pressure and keeping track of their psi is an easy thing to stay on top of. Please visit Blue Ribbon Chrysler Dodge Jeep or call 580-364-7380 for more information on car services and car maintenance.

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