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How to Keep Your Tires Optimized to Save Gas and Money

By: Scott Siegel

To maintain the proper air pressure in your tires takes very little effort. By doing that simple chore, you can save 4% on your annual gas costs. It is estimated that a 4% savings equates to between $100 and $200 per year. Just follow the advice listed here and start saving.

The correct tire pressure is different from car to car and from tire to tire. The correct or manufacturer recommended pressure for the tires on personal vehicles can be from 20 psi to over 50 psi.

The proper tire inflation amount is usually found on a tire information sticker mounted somewhere on your car. This informational sticker is found in standard places on your car. The informational sticker can be found on the inside of the trunk, gas tank door or glove compartment. Sometimes it can be located on a car visor or on a post inside a car door or on the side of the door itself. The owner's manual will also list the tire pressure information or possibly indicate where the informational sticker is located.

A common misconception is that the pressure listed on the tire sidewall is the manufacturer's recommended tire pressure. It is not. It is actually the maximum tire pressure that the tire can safely be inflated to. This is also usually the pressure that is required to carry the maximum load the tire is rated for.

When you find the information listing the correct tire pressure, you need to physically measure air pressure in all four tires to guarantee they are inflated properly. There are a few steps involved in doing this correctly.

To correctly measure and guarantee the proper tire pressure:

Step 1:

First and foremost you need a tire pressure gauge. This may seem obvious but many people think they can tell if a tire is low by sight. I would not recommend that. You don't need an expensive gauge. One with a dial is easier to use than the kind with the pop up.

Step 2:

Find the recommended inflation pressure for your tires on the vehicle information placard. Check the owner's manual for its exact location. A sight inspection is not an appropriate way to measure the air pressure in your tires.

Step 3:

A tire that is hot, or has just been driven on will have a higher air pressure than that same tire when it is cold. A cold tire is one that has not been driven for at least 3 hours or has been driven 1 mile or less. Air pressure should only be measured when tires are cold. If you measure warm tires your results will be faulty.

Step 4:

Complete tire inflation pressure check: Remove the cap from the valve on one tire, press the pressure gauge onto the valve and take a pressure reading. Make sure you press the pressure gauge completely onto the valve. You should not hear any air escaping from the tire as you are taking the reading. If air is escaping, remove the gauge from the valve and try reseating it again.

Step 5:

If needed, inflate the tire to achieve recommended air pressure. If you put too much air in you can release air by pushing on the stem at the inside center of the valve. Re- measure the pressure to make sure it is correct and adjust the air again if needed. Keep repeating this cycle of adding or subtracting air and remeasuring until the desired pressure is reached.

Step 6:

Follow this same procedure for the other three tires.

It is recommended that you check your tire pressure at least once per month. Air can and will leach from a tire over time. Heat and use will affect the rate at which a tire loses air. Checking once a month will assure that you are maintaining the correct pressure all year round.

Check your tires. Follow the steps above. There is no easier way to put $100 to $200 dollars of gas costs back into your pocket.

Article Source: http://www.articlemanual.com

Scott Siegel is the author of a 143 page manual of automotive industry insider information on saving gas and dollars at the pump. Visit us to learn how you can get better gas mileage. Find out how to increase gas mileage.
Click here for other unique lower gas costs articles.



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