Car Maintenance: How to Check Your Tires and Inflate a Tire

Care of your car’s tires is an important part of maintenance. You should inspect your tires monthly. Look for unusual wear on any part of the tire, bubbles on the tire, and proper inflation of your tires.

Checking the Air in Your Tires

All tires have the amount of air required stamped into the side of the tire. Air is measured in psi or pounds per square inch. The standard sedan is requires 35psi. Many trucks and SUVs require 45psi. You can find the pressure rating on the side of the tires. There are a few numbers on the side of the tires (DOT rating, tire size, etc). You are looking for the number that says xx psi.

Air expands as it gets hot, and driving does expand the air in your tires. Therefore, you should inflate your tires to approximately 2 pounds less than the required rating. For purposes of this article, we will assume standard tires on a sedan. Inflate your tires to 32psi. You can inflate your tires at many of the air tanks at service stations, but the ideal thing would be to carry a portable air tank with you. They are small and will fit in your trunk. Once used, you can recharge them from any service station air pump.

Remove the valve stem cap and set it aside. A good place is on top of the tire, so you don’t accidentally kick it. Push the air nozzle onto the valve stem. The gauge should automatically pop out and tell you how much air pressure you have. If it’s lower than 32psi, press the handle for a few seconds. Release the handle, and the gauge will pop out again. Repeat until you have 32psi. Repeat for all tires. Tires should be checked once a month.

If there is too much air in your tires, you can release the air by partially pushing the valve stem in with the air gauge tool. You will hear the air release. Check by pressing harder on the tool, and the gauge should pop out.

Checking for Wear and Tear

Your tires can wear in many different ways. Learning to read your tires can tell you if the pressure is too low, too high, or if you need an alignment.

If your tires are wearing out evenly on the outsides, your air pressure is too low. Add more air to the proper pressure. If your tires are wearing out in the center of the tread only, the air pressure is too high. Release some air.

If your tires are wearing on only one side of the tread, this could be a sign that you need an alignment. Take your car to a reputable tire shop, or to your mechanic, if he has an alignment machine. Show him the wear pattern on the tread.

You will also need to check your tires for normal wear and tear. If the tires are worn down evenly all over, it is simply time for new tires. If you look closely at the tread on your tires, you will see little “bumps” in the recessed part of the tread. If they sit below the top of the tread, you still have some time on your tires. If they are even with the top of the tread, it is time to replace your tires. You do not need to wait – and you probably should not wait – until the bump is even with the top of the tread. If it is getting close, you should start thinking about changing the tires.

Also look for pieces of metal on the tread. If you can see metal or pieces of metal sticking out, you should immediately (do not pass go, do not collect $200.00) change your tire.

One other thing to check for is a separated tire. This is when the top layer of tread is starting to separate from the rest of the tire. Sometimes you will see a bubble where this is happening. Sometimes, you will not be able to see it, but if you run the palm of your hand over the side wall of the tire, you can feel it. You will be able to feel a separated tire in the steering wheel. As you are driving, if you get any vibration in the steering wheel (especially at low speeds), you most likely have a separated tire.

Do not confuse this with an unbalanced tire. If a tire is unbalanced, it will vibrate the steering wheel at a certain speed, then will smooth out when you pass that speed, or slow down.

Check all of your tires monthly. A blowout on the highway is dangerous and can be minimized by proper tire care and maintenance. Make sure your tires are aired properly. This helps in the longevity of your tires.

~Cheryl Bowman

Cheryl and her husband owned an auto repair shop / engine building shop in Tampa, Florida for over 20 years. Cheryl learned by starting with the older cars, and then learned to use the computer equipment to diagnose the newer cars.