What is Ideal Tire Pressure in Cold Weather? - PSA from The Southeast Colorado Antique Vehicle Club

Description: What is Ideal Tire Pressure in Cold Weather? - PSA from The Southeast Colorado Antique Vehicle Club...

What Is Ideal Tire Pressure in Cold Weather?

Lower temperatures mean lower tire pressure, so be prepared to inflate your tires more often during the cold weather months.

Cars typically require a tire pressure of 30 to 35 psi (pounds of force per square inch). The recommended psi for your car is the ideal tire pressure year-round; there aren’t different numbers for summer or winter. The temperature does affect tire pressure, however. So, when the temperature drops, you might be inflating your tires more often to maintain ideal pressure.

How Does Cold Weather Affect Tire Pressure?

When outdoor temperatures drop significantly, so does the pressure in your tires. When it’s hot outside, warmer air molecules in the tire move around faster and bump into each other more, raising the tire pressure to a potentially overinflated level. When the temperature drops, the air molecules slow down and stick together, resulting in a drop in air pressure and a potentially underinflated tire.

Many tire manufacturers, such as Firestone and Goodyear, estimate that tires lose one psi for every 10 degrees the outside temperature drops. If your car has a Tire Pressure Monitoring System, the warning light will be triggered by at least a 25 percent drop in tire pressure.

Checking Tire Pressure

Check your tires when your car has been parked for at least three hours. (Driving raises the air temperature and therefore the air pressure in the tires.) Your car’s ideal tire pressure is usually listed inside the driver-side door. Be sure to check the recommended pressure for the front and rear tires in case they’re different.

It’s best to check your tires once a month, but during the winter you might need to check them more often. Other signs that your tires might be underinflated: They look flatter than usual; the steering wheel shakes; or it takes longer to come to a stop when braking.

Find Out More About The Southeast Colorado Antique Vehicle Club Here:

Southeast Colorado Antique Vehicle Club Jan Newsletter - CLICK HERE

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