Cool Weather and Tire Pressure
Provided By: CarInsurance.com
Proper inflation of your tires is essential during the cold winter months. The cooler temperatures can cause the air in your vehicle’s tires to contract and thus make your tire pressure fluctuate. Maintaining proper air pressure in your tires during the cool winter weather will allow you to have good traction and handling no matter the temperature.
When the weather changes from warm to cold it can affect many parts of your car, the tires being one of the most important. Tires need to have proper grip to the pavement so that you, as the driver, can control the vehicle. Temperatures that rapidly decrease can cause the air inside of your tires to change which can cause problems with your tire pressure which will then affect your tire performance and your safety.
You should check your tire pressure more often in the winter months. The shorter days, thus less warming sunlight and colder temperature will give you tire pressure issues. For every 10 degrees Fahrenheit change in the outside temperature, the tires’ air pressure will change by about 1 pound per square inch (psi). This falls with colder temperatures and rises with higher temperatures.
The different in temperature between summertime and wintertime is nearly fifty degrees Fahrenheit. As the outside temperature changes it results in a gain or loss of around 5 psi. If the tires are not properly taken care of and air pressure maintained the tires performance will plummet.
This is why you need to check your tires’ air pressure regularly. The tires need to maintain the tire pressures listed in your owner’s manual. The tire pressure recommended in the manual is what is called a cold pressure. This does not mean that it is only for cold weather but the temperature that your tires should have before starting to drive on them for the day. Once you have driven on the tires they are warmed up.
Never purposely under inflate or over inflate your tires. This will not allow better traction as you might believe but most likely mess up your tire tread and give you bad handling. If you have winter tires they are already more prone to irregular wear due to their aggressive tread design. Having a good tire gauge will help when you check the tire pressure. Digital ones are easy to read and reasonable priced.
If you have an attached garage or park in a heated parking garage you can lose tire pressure as you leave this heated area and drive out into the cold temperatures.If this is the case for your living situation you might think about adding an extra pound of air to the tires to compensate for the temperature difference. This little bit of air into the tires can allow the handling of your car to improve in the cold outside weather.
If you live in an area that does not get that cold during the winter months continue to regularly check your tire pressure anyway. If a cold front comes through and drops the temperature for a few days it would be smart to again check your air temperature at this time. The temperatures might rise again but during the days of cooler weather the air, which is a gas, in your tires will have contracted and caused your air pressure to fall.
Many people tend to forget to check their spare tire as well. This is smart to do at the beginning of the winter and periodically throughout the winter season.Also remember to make sure after checking your tire pressure to securely put your valve caps back on. If you forget and leave these off moisture can enter into the valve and cause air to get out thus changing your tire pressure.
As the winter weather approaches your area remember to get your car ready for the changing temperatures. Read through your owner’s manual so that you know what air pressure is correct for your vehicle. Regularly check your tires’ air pressure and add air whenever it is necessary so to keep your tires well maintained and working properly for your car.
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