How often do you give the tires on your car a passing thought?

Let’s face it. Tires are not the most exciting topic of conversation. And they certainly aren’t the sexiest thing about your car.

But, if you work on cars regularly, tinker around with general maintenance on your own vehicle or know anything at all about cars, you likely understand the importance of tires. They are, after all, one of the most important safety devices on your vehicle.

Not to mention that, without them, you’re not going far.

But the general driving public (me included), doesn’t tend to give things like tire pressure a second thought. That is, until one of them is flat or the tire pressure sensor on the dashboard begins blinking incessantly. (And let’s face it, even the flashing light is sometimes ignored.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are 10 items to consider when it comes to the tires on your vehicle:

1. As stated above, a flat tire means you’re not going anywhere any time soon. A few minutes for a quick check is time better spent than the time it takes to change a tire on the side of the road and/or waiting for roadside assistance.
2. Also mentioned above, your tires are an important element to ensuring your safety every time you drive your vehicle.
3. Outside temperature will affect your tire pressure. A good rule of thumb is for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit in temperature change, your tire pressure will fluctuate about 1 PSI.
4. Underinflated tires can make things like hydroplaning more likely and will wear unevenly.
5. Overinflated can be too rigid, causing a rougher ride. They also tend to wear unevenly.
6. Underinflated tires can (and will) impact your fuel economy.
7. Properly inflated tires will wear evenly, prolonging their life.
   
8. The best time to check tire pressure is when the tires are cold, like in the morning before you head out for the day. If you don’t have time or forget, don’t worry. You can check your tires at any time throughout the day. Just avoid doing so after you’ve been driving for more than a few miles.
9. When checking your tires, make sure you check all of them, including the spare, if your vehicle is equipped with one. Just because you check one and it was fine, it doesn’t mean one, or more, of the others are properly inflated. And, should you get a flat, you don’t want to find yourself waiting for roadside assistance because your spare tire is flat as well.
10. Always set the tire pressure according to the manufacturer’s recommendation, located in the owner’s manual. (Important to note – the information imprinted on the tires is the maximum allowable pressure for the tire and is not necessarily what works best for your vehicle.)