How to inflate car tires

Taking good care of your tires is indeed a must. Achieving this does make your ride safer be it during short distance or long distance trips. On top of that, your car’s fuel economy figures are also affected by this, as underinflated tires have a higher rolling resistance which then reduces the fuel efficiency of your vehicle. Overinflated tires, on the other hand, could affect your car’s ride and comfort, not to mention, it’ll wear quicker and requires a replacement sooner. Underinflated tires are also prone to damage because you can bend and mangle the sidewall, which constitutes a replacement right away. 

While modern cars nowadays come with different types of spare tires which should keep you covered during unexpected situations, it’s still best to maintain the proper tire pressure in order to avoid any of the following circumstances. With that, we shall give you some tips and tricks on how to properly inflate car tires.

There are three ways to check your car’s required tire pressure, first is by browsing the owner’s manual, next is through the tire-pressure monitoring system which is found on most modern cars nowadays, and last is consulting the tire specification decal that could be located on the glove box cover, fuel filler flap, on the trunk lid, and commonly on the driver-side door frame. 

Do take note that your car's tire pressure would usually depend on the tire’s full load-carrying capacity, so if say you’re going to carry more load or passengers than the usual, then you’re going to have to follow the required tire pressure according to your car’s inflation guidelines.

After knowing the required pressure, you must then check the current pressure of your tires. Other vehicles come standard with a tire pressure monitoring system which is a safety feature that allows you to check your tires’ pressure from time to time, plus, it will also alert you once any of your tires went below the prescribed pressure. 

Unfortunately, most vehicles nowadays do not come with this feature, instead, the majority of car owners often use a tire pressure gauge. It’s a tool that attaches to the tire’s valve stem in order to identify its current pressure rate. It is also worth noting that some tire inflators, be it manual or automatic, come with a digital or analog gauge that shows your car’s current tire pressure.

After going through two of the most crucial processes, it’s finally time to fill your tires with the right amount of air. If you’re at home, then you could probably use a manual air pump or you could have an air compressor that should help you complete the task. 

Now if you’re on the road and one of your tire’s pressure suddenly dropped, then you’re better off going to your nearest gas station where there is an automated air pump machine. You just have to enter your desired pressure, then attach the hose onto the tire’s valve stem, and let the machine do the work. Some cars can refer to their tire pressure monitor in order to assure that the tire now supports the prescribed PSI.

Now that you’ve successfully inflated your car’s tires with the prescribed pressure, you can now safely proceed with your drive. Despite that, you should always stick to the routine of checking your tire pressures on a regular basis, perhaps, about once a week but no less than once a month and of course, before any long road trip in order to assure the comfort and safety of your passengers.