In the past, it was necessary to keep a tire gauge handy, so that you could periodically check the pressure of your tires. Thanks to advances in technology, however, checking the pressure and keeping the tires filled to the proper pressure is now easier than ever before. Your vehicle can tell you when the tires need air, but that doesn’t mean that you should always rely on that technology. To give you a better idea of how often you should be checking and filling your car tires, let’s dive a bit deeper into tire air pressure.
The air pressure in your tires can change drastically depending on the temperature outside. They see the most fluctuation in winter, as the cold temperatures can cause the pressure to drop by as much as five pounds-per-square-inch (PSI). Considering that most tires recommend a PSI between 30 and 40, losing as much as five PSI can be pretty drastic, and if the pressure is not corrected, it can lead to some major issues.
As the seasons have such an effect on the pressure of your tires, how often you’re checking the pressure ultimately depends on the season. For that reason, let’s break things down into both winter and summer.
Tire Pressure: Your Questions Answered
How Often Should You Check Tire Pressure in Winter?
Given that tire pressure fluctuates so often in the winter, you should be checking the pressure of your tires at least once a month. If your car is equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), you can rest easy, as the warning light will turn on if one or more of the tires ever drop below the pressure that they should be at. Still, it’s important to check at least once a month, as the tires could be at an acceptable pressure, but one that is just slightly above the recommendation. It’s definitely best to check.
How Often Should You Check Tire Pressure in Summer?
The summer heat can cause the air in your tires to expand, but it does not have as much of an impact as the cold temperatures of winter. Still, the recommendation for checking tire pressure is still once a month. A good rule of thumb to remember is that your tires lose about one PSI every month after you fill them, so checking every month can help you to ensure that they are always inflated to the proper pressure. You won’t see quite as many tire pressure warning lights in summer, but you should still be checking often.
Where to Check and Fill Your Tires in Madison WI
Here at Zimbrick, we have several service centers in the Madison, Middleton and Sun Prairie areas, and if you have been looking for a place to check your tire pressure, and to have your tires filled, you can do so at any one of our locations. Even better is that you don’t ever need an appointment for the service. Just swing by any one of our service centers or body shops and let the team know what you’re looking for. They can get the pressure of each tire and top them off if at all necessary. We hope to see you in soon.
Connect with us
