Tire Inspection
Every time you fill your gas tank, you should do a quick walk around and take a look at your tires.
Look for unusual tread wear, bulges, cuts in the sidewalls, punctures and foreign objects in the tread. This little tire inspection routine can save you a flat tire when you’re least expecting it.
Check your air pressure as part of your tire inspection, too
Once every week or two you should also take your tire inspection a little further and check the air pressure in your tires. Unless your owner’s manual says to do otherwise, check your tires when they are cold. We don’t mean only in the winter, but instead check the pressure before they’ve been driven on the highway where friction has warmed them up and the air pressure has changed inside because of the temperature differences.
The recommended tire pressure is in your owner’s manual, but should also be on a sign attached to the driver’s door or door frame. It’s very common for the front and back tires to have different pressures. Do not inflate to the pressure indicated on the side of the tire, that’s a maximum pressure rating, not the right pressure for safe driving.
Get your own gauge
We suggest you get an inexpensive tire gauge (they cost just a couple of bucks), keep it in your glove box and use it every time you do the check. Tests have shown that the gauges on the end of air hoses at service stations are notoriously inaccurate. Using the same gauge gives you a reliable standard to notice if you have a tire that leaks.
Check your tire tread wear
The quarter test is the new way to check your tire tread wear. Follow the link to learn more.
