What pressure should my tyres be?

Pressure pushing down on me

Pressing down on you…

Were Bowie and Mercury concerned about inflating their tyre - who can really say? But let’s just answer the question on so many of our lips:

What pressure should my tyres be?

A common mistake when checking what your tyre pressure should be is to check what it indicates on the tyre itself. As logical as it seems the tyre will display the maximum pressure allowable for the tyre but that doesn’t take into account the load of the vehicle you are driving. 

So please don’t take the tyre pressure setting off the tyre itself! (Most likely over inflation will be the result see below!!)

Ok, so where do I look for the correct pressure?!!

As in the photo for most vehicles you will find the pressure on the sill on the driver side, although sometimes this is on the passenger side, inside the petrol cap and occasionally in the glove box. 

Ok, but it still looks a little confusing!!

That is often because different tyre sizes are listed that could be appropriate for different models of your car. So you will need to know the tyre size and see what the label indicates for your tyre size which will be indicated as below.

If still unsure this handy you tube clip can give you an easy visual walk through: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehMwOEgc7uk

Under Inflation and Over Inflation

Under inflated = Rapid wear on outside edges of tehe tyres, they are more likely to overheat and susceptible to damage. 

Over inflated tyres = Rapid wear in the centre of the tyre, can lead to poor handling on the road

In both cases fuel efficiency is decreased and the tyre wear means replacement will be needed sooner.

For further information on Tyre Pressure follow the link below:

https://www.hometyre.co.uk/news/what-should-my-tyre-pressure-be-maintaining-your-correct-tyre-pressures/