Tire Pressure. Tire Inflation Pressures

Tire Pressure

Proper tire inflation pressure is essential to the safe and satisfactory operation of your vehicle. Four primary areas are affected by improper tire pressure:

•  Safety and Vehicle Stability
•  Economy
•  Tread Wear
•  Ride Comfort

Safety

Both under-inflation and over-inflation affect the stability of the vehicle and can produce a feeling of sluggish response or over responsiveness in the steering.

NOTE:

•  Unequal tire pressures from side to side may cause erratic and unpredictable steering response.
•  Unequal tire pressure from side to side may cause the vehicle to drift left or right.

Fuel Economy

Underinflated tires will increase tire rolling resistance resulting in higher fuel consumption.

Tread Wear

Improper cold tire inflation pressures can cause abnormal wear patterns and reduced tread life, resulting in the need for earlier tire replacement.

Ride Comfort And Vehicle Stability

Proper tire inflation contributes to a comfortable ride.

Over-inflation produces a jarring and uncomfortable ride.

Tire Inflation Pressures

The proper cold tire inflation pressure is listed on the driver's side B-Pillar or rear edge of the driver's side door.

At least once a month:

•  Check and adjust tire pressure with a good quality pocket-type pressure gauge. Do not make a visual judgement when determining proper inflation. Tires may look properly inflated even when they are underinflated.
•  Inspect tires for signs of tire wear or visible damage.

Inflation pressures specified on the placard are always "cold tire inflation pressure". Cold tire inflation pressure is defined as the tire pressure after the vehicle has not been driven for at least three hours, or driven less than 1 mile (1.6 km) after sitting for a minimum of three hours.

The cold tire inflation pressure must not exceed the maximum inflation pressure molded into the tire sidewall.

Check tire pressures more often if subject to a wide range of outdoor temperatures, as tire pressures vary with temperature changes.

Tire pressures change by approximately 1 psi (7 kPa) per 12F (7C) of air temperature change. Keep this in mind when checking tire pressure inside a garage, especially in the Winter.

Example: If garage temperature = 68F (20C) and the outside temperature = 32F (0C) then the cold tire inflation pressure should be increased by 3 psi (21 kPa), which equals 1 psi (7 kPa) for every 12F (7C) for this outside temperature condition.

Tire pressure may increase from 2 to 6 psi (13 to 40 kPa) during operation. DO NOT reduce this normal pressure build up or your tire pressure will be too low.