Do you need to check your tyre pressures?

At Hometyre, we check the tyre pressures in all tyres when working on your vehicle, and through this we often find that most people don't check and adjust their pressures on a regular basis.

As an example, a Lexus I went to today had only 15psi in all of the tyres, yet they were supposed to have 35psi all round. When I told the owner, his answer was that the car had just been serviced, so did the garage forget to inflate them. He was surprised when I told him that it was not part of a service, and tyre pressures were the drivers responsibility. Not only that, but if it was left to a yearly service, then the tyres would have lost a lot of air over that time. A cars manual will say that tyre pressures should be checked every week. A simple pressure gauge can be bought in any car accessory shop.

Drivers also rely on the TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems) to warn them that they need to put air in their tyres. This is not what TPMS systems are for, they are to warn you of a puncture.

There are two types of TPMS system

Indirect

This works off of the cars ABS system it can tell that one tyre is dragging compared to the other tyre on the same axle. The problem is that it is not so accurate and needs around 10psi difference before it shows up as a light on the dash. Also if you don't inflate your tyres regularly and both tyres on the same axle go all the way down to zero then this system wont call it up as a problem.

Direct

These work off of battery operated sensors fitted inside the wheel, sending a signal to the cars computer every 3 seconds. It will signal an air pressure problem if the pressure in any tyre drops by more than 3psi. The problem with this system is that you should reset the TPMS system every time you inflate your tyres. (Some cars reset themselves every time you drive them).

With these direct systems the sensors only have a lifespan of 5 to 7 years, they are also fragile and can easily be damaged when filling up with air. We at Hometyre carry both spare parts and complete sensors on board our Van's and can easily repair or replace sensors.

Still it is still down to you the driver to check your tyres yourself on a regular basis, if you need more information just give our team a call on 0333 444 5454.