Many drivers pay incredible attention to the appearance of their car – they regularly wash and vacuum it, tint the windows, buy attractive alloy wheels, install xenon lights, etc. However, they pay little attention to tire pressure; several times a year. Usually when they change winter/summer tires or before a long trip. In doing so, they forget that tire pressure is incomparably more important than all the things listed above.
Many drivers pay incredible attention to the appearance of their car – they regularly wash and vacuum it, tint the windows, buy attractive alloy wheels, install xenon lights, etc.
However, they pay little attention to tire pressure; several times a year. Usually when they change winter/summer tires or before a long trip. In doing so, they forget that tire pressure is incomparably more important than all the things mentioned above.
Let's take a look at all the negative effects of insufficient, but also excessive tire pressure.
Higher fuel consumption
Tires that are not inflated enough provide greater rolling resistance and therefore the car consumes more fuel. Surprisingly, for many drivers, this fact is not enough of a motivation to regularly check tire pressure, even though they save on many other things that they absolutely should not save on.
Tires wear out faster
Since an underinflated tire “sags” more, it means that with each rotation of the wheel it will deform more, and its internal structure will also suffer more stress (material fatigue is accelerated). This phenomenon leads to several negative effects – among other things, to easier damage during an impact or, for example, climbing a curb.
Also, the tire heats up more, especially at higher speeds, which contributes to faster wear of the tread, especially the outer parts, and can even damage the tire sidewalls if the pressure is very low.
Tires wear out unevenly
Due to insufficient pressure, the tire’s tread does not lie properly, which leads to uneven wear.
This will especially occur when driving fast on curves, hard starts, and braking.
If the tire has already suffered more serious consequences, and you then inflate it to the correct pressure, we have a problem again because the tread is not worn evenly, which can be manifested, for example, by the car's inadequate behavior, especially during sharp maneuvers.
There may be various other consequences, more or less noticeable.
The same applies to tires inflated to a pressure higher than the prescribed one - then the middle of the tread will wear out more.
Damage to both the tire and the rim is easier
An underinflated tire bends more when it encounters an obstacle, so it is easier to damage it. This phenomenon is present both at very low speeds, for example when climbing a curb, and especially when you drive over a pothole with sharp edges at high speed, drive over a large stone, etc.
In such situations, damage to the rim can also occur more easily, but also a combination of damage to the rim and a cut tire that the tire repairer can no longer repair.
Even if there is no immediate visible damage, the internal structure can suffer consequences, so the so-called caps on the sides appear more easily, shaking at certain speeds, etc.
Heavier steering wheel
The lower the pressure than recommended, the harder the steering wheel will be to turn. This phenomenon is a problem both when turning at low speeds and parking, and when driving faster around curves, when it can even be dangerous.
Risk in curves
When turning, an under-inflated tire does not provide sufficient stability and proper "grip" on the asphalt, so risky situations can occur. Also, if you are forced to suddenly change lanes to avoid an obstacle, the risk becomes incomparably greater due to the unpredictable behavior of the car.
Negative effects of too high pressure
Uneven wear of the tread (the central part wears more), poorer braking, poorer cornering (smaller contact surface between the tire and the asphalt), easier slipping of the drive wheels when driving on slippery asphalt, more uncomfortable driving, negative impact on various suspension elements...
Different tire pressure
Various safety systems are calibrated according to the dimensions of the tires. If there is a greater difference between the tire pressures, this can mislead some of the systems such as the traction control system, ESP or ABS, since they use, among other data, data sent by the ABS sensors (they measure the speed of the wheels).
Therefore, some of these systems may be activated unnecessarily or react inadequately when necessary.
How often should tire pressure be measured?
It is recommended once a month. This seems paranoid to most drivers, but there are many reasons to check the only contact our car has with the asphalt at least once every 30 days. The thing is that tires are made of such a material that allows air to pass through.
Yes, you read that right - tires are porous and gradually let air through, regardless of the type, quality, age or season they are intended for.
Therefore, even if you buy the highest quality tires manufactured a month ago - they will lose pressure over time. Arguments like how someone drove for two years without measuring tire pressure and never had any problems absolutely do not change this fact.
So, this is not a conspiracy of the "tire mafia" - you can measure the tire pressure yourself for free.
The pressure is measured when the tires are e cold
The reason why tire pressure is measured when the tires are cold, or when the car has not been driven for at least an hour, is that they heat up during driving, and the higher air temperature in the tires leads to an increase in pressure.
Don't forget the spare tire
Since the spare tire is usually "hidden" under the trunk floor, many drivers simply forget about it. It is only when a flat tire occurs and the tire needs to be changed that they realize that the tire on the spare tire has lost a lot of air over the years.
So put in a little effort and check it too. If you have a so-called "spare tire", or a smaller spare tire, check the pressure prescribed for it.
How do I know what pressure is prescribed for my tires?
Look at the sticker that is usually located on the driver's door frame or on the inside of the fuel tank cap. If you can't find it, look in the car's owner's manual.
Don't forget that many cars have different pressures for the front and rear tires.
Additional reasons to check your tires more often
Here are just a few additional reasons:
You may notice some damage (e.g. a cap on the sidewall) that you would not otherwise pay attention to
Maybe a tire is losing pressure very slowly, but faster than normal. By checking regularly, you will notice this in time.
In this case, do not delay going to the tire repair shop to determine what the problem is.
There may be some extremely minor damage, maybe the problem is in the valve, maybe in the rim... In any case, it is better to solve it as soon as possible than to set off on a long trip and only notice that the tire has seriously lost pressure after many hundreds of kilometers. Moreover, the defect that causes the pressure to lose can suddenly become much more serious during the trip at higher speeds.
Higher pressure when the car is under load
You need to adjust the tire pressure when the car is under a greater load. For example, you are going to the seaside, the whole family is in the car, plus a bunch of things. So check the correct pressure when the car is loaded.
The negative effects of driving a car that is fully loaded are similar to driving an unloaded car with flat tires. Simply put - the tires will "sag" due to too much weight.
How accurate are the pressure gauges at gas stations and tire repair shops?
Unfortunately, the situation here is not so great. Tire repair shops are usually trusted more, although they are not required to officially check the accuracy of their pressure gauges.
On the other hand, gas stations are required to call someone authorized to perform a check once a year. However, in practice, this is not observed at all stations. Therefore, we will deal with this issue soon.
In 2016, the SAT Plus magazine conducted a check in cooperation with AMSS - it was found that a worryingly high percentage of pumps have uncertified (they have not passed regular checks), illegal (not allowed for use), faulty or damaged pressure gauges, so it is not possible to determine when they were certified.
Of course, you can buy your own pressure gauge, but the same problem arises there. How do you know how accurate it is?
Pressure gauge prices start at just 300 dinars. If you decide to go for that option, we advise you to buy one of slightly higher quality, although no one can guarantee it either - unless you take it to a laboratory to have it checked...
We are aware that we have not been of much help in deciding whether it is most reliable to check the pressure at the pump, at a tire repair shop or with your own pressure gauge, but the situation is simply that - and we would like this area to be more regulated.
Conclusion
So, tires should be checked for financial reasons (fuel consumption, tires last longer, protect both tires and rims from damage...), as well as for safety.
As for the accuracy of the pressure gauge, this should not be used to neglect checking the pressure. We will soon try to find out what the situation is in practice on this issue.
