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Have you ever left a dealership after getting maintenance on your car, only to find that they over-inflated your tires? This can be frustrating, because over-inflating your tires can cause damage to your tires, give you worse fuel economy, and will give you considerably less traction on the road.
So why do dealerships and shops over-inflate your tires then? Dealerships don’t intentionally over-inflate your tires, in fact they likely inflate them exactly where they should be. However due to the differences in heat, the air in the tires will expand once the tires move from the cool shop to the warm road. This makes it so your tires become over-inflated, even though they may not have been on the cool shop floor.
How can you verify this is the case? Most people end up checking their tire pressure after driving around, when the tires are warm. However, instead make sure you check your tire pressure at night when things have cooled down, to find out what PSI your tires are at, at the point. More than likely you will find the pressure is right on point.
What to do if your tires are over-inflated?
So, that said, your tires are going to be warm while driving, so you should make sure to adjust your pressure in the tires to the right temperature when they are warm! How do you do this?
What do you need?
How to adjust the air pressure?
- Locate the valve stem on the tire. Then twist the cap which will result finding the actual stem, this generally will be rubber, with a metal tip on the end.
- Release air from the tire, by pushing down on the pin on the inside of that metal tip. You can do this with any small tool, however most tire gauges will also have a point to it that you can use for this as well.
- When the air is released by the users, they can easily check the pressure with a gauge of the tire till you have reached the desired PSI unit.
Now that you have fixed the issue, you really should be keeping a close eye on your tire pressure from here on out to make sure you are getting all of the benefits of correct tire pressure. So where can you find the information on the right tire pressure for your vehicle?
- It will be seen on the vehicle manual owned by the owner
- There will be a poster which is labeled on the driver side of the door along with a glove box and fuel door. Users can also move to online mode where they will come across a tool for checking tire pressure.
What happens to your car if they are over-inflated?
Dealers will come across with different problems if they move for over inflation of the tires.
Wearing out tires very early
Overinflated tires will result in wearing down fast than outer edges. Tires in this case will not long last forever. They will not have more life than any other tire.
It is like an over filled balloon which will cause more stiff and inflexibility in nature and leads to damage by debris. In this case tires can be easily bulges in the center of thread, when you about to over-inflate.
Loss of traction
Tires that are over-inflated actually have quite a bit less traction! This is because the tire is not able to “squish” against the road, meaning less surface area is touching the road at any point in time.
Less tire touching the road, means less traction, which means you can slip around more while driving. None of these things are good.
A harsher ride than normal
The more air your tires have, the harsher the ride will be. Tires are built to have some give, and are actually one of the biggest components helping you not feel bumps you go over.
Side Note: As wheels have gotten bigger (just like the vehicle, especially pickups), and tires smaller, we have gotten harsher rides, and have had to spend more money on suspension to compensate for it. If you want a smoother ride, think about getting smaller wheels with more tire on them to help with that.
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- Replacing only two tires: Should you replace the front or back first?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to have over inflated or under inflated tires?
For normal driving, you should really not have over-inflated or under-inflated tires. Both can be dangerous for road driving, and can result in worse gas mileage, or worse an accident. Tires are the only thing touching the road, and should be taken care of.
How long can you drive on a tire with wire showing?
If you see a wire coming out of your tire, don’t drive on it. There isn’t a “how long can I drive on it”. You need to replace that tire ASAP, otherwise it could cause an accident.
What happens if your tire pops on the highway?
Make sure to pull over right away, and replace the tire. You can either call in a company to do that for you, or if you are so-inclined, you can replace the tire with the spare your vehicle “may” come with.
Conclusion
There are some important points which should be considered regarding air pressure that will change with the temperature. It is also important for the users that they should park their vehicle for at least 3 hours which will result in filling the air naturally.
It is also important for the users that they should follow the important guidelines from the manufacturing side that will result in safety of the tires along its performance for a longer period. It would be a better option to move for professionals who will take care of your needs in the best manner.
