Maintaining Tyre Pressure in Winter
Winter is coming! And with the cold temperatures, a question comes to mind: Does cold weather affect maintaining tyre pressure? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Thus, in this article, we’ll look at why this happens, its consequences, and what you can do to tackle this problem.
Maintaining Tyre Pressure - How do winter and low temperatures affect tyre pressure?
The amount of air pumped into your car tyres is known as tyre pressure. Low temperatures cause the tyre pressure to drop. Generally, tyre pressure drops between 0.07 and 0.14 bars or 1 to 2 pounds per square inch (PSI) when the temperature decreases by 10°C. And if you live in elevated areas, altitude will reduce tyre pressure even more.
Why does this happen? Higher temperatures cause the air in the tyres to expand and cold temperatures have the opposite effect. During winter, the air particles contained in the tyres contract, which will cause your tyres to be underinflated.
Underinflated tyres can have negative effects on your vehicle’s health and safety. Drivers sometimes make the mistake of overinflating tyres to counteract the impact of cold temperatures. Doing this isn’t a good idea either.
Maintaining Tyre Pressure - Why you should care about maintaining tyre pressure?
Keeping your tyres inflated at the right pressure is essential. Not doing so will:
Compromise the safety of your vehicle
Reduce the lifespan of your tyres
If the tyre pressure is uneven, you’ll have more difficulty handling your car.
Underinflated tyres can lead to serious problems, such as:
Wear due to uneven contact of tyres with the road
Damage to the tyre wall structure
Increase in rolling resistance
In addition, tread damage won’t allow your vehicle to grip the road, which is especially dangerous in slippery winter conditions. Your car tyres will perform poorly when driving in snow. Low tyre pressure will also reduce your vehicle’s fuel efficiency.
On the other hand, overinflating tyres will result in the wear of the middle section of the tyre. Increasing your tyre pressure over the level recommended by the manufacturer can have negative effects, such as:
Loss of traction
High-speed blowouts
Longer braking distances due to poor braking efficiency
Thus, it’s vital to check and maintain the right inflation levels of all four tyres regularly.
Maintaining Tyre Pressure - How to check and adjust your tyre pressure?
You’re responsible for checking your tyre pressure regularly and correcting it if necessary. Drivers should do this every few weeks and always before long journeys. You should check your maintaining tyres even if you have a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) or studded winter tyres.
If you’re not sure what your tyre pressure should be, we recommend that you check in the following places:
The vehicle manufacturer’s handbook that came with your car
The inside of the door frame on the driver’s side
On the fuel filler door
With the manufacturer’s recommendation, you can now proceed to check the tyre pressure. Here are some tips:
Make sure your tyres are cold to get an accurate reading – Check tyres in the morning or when they haven’t been used for a couple of hours.
Use a quality gauge and air compressor – You can get them from an auto store, but some petrol stations also offer this service for free or for a small fee.
If the reading doesn’t match the manufacturer’s recommended level because it’s too low, you should use the air compressor to fill the tyre until it has the right level. If the air pressure is too high, let out some air by pushing the valve carefully.
Maintaining Tyre Pressure - How can MotorServ-UK help you?
In addition to checking the car tyre pressure, you should also check the tread depth of your tyres. It’s unlikely that the tyres you’ve been using all year round will be of any use in winter. Therefore, fitting winter tyres is always a wise decision.
The award-winning team at MotorServ-UK can prepare your vehicle for winter. We offer a wide range of maintenance and repair services, including fitting and servicing your tyres. Your car will be in safe and competent hands with us.
If you’d like to find out more about our services, please contact the MotorServ-UK team today!
