UNDERSTAND TIRE PRESSURE AND LOAD LIMITS
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of passenger vehicles and light trucks determine this number based on the vehicle’s design
load limit, that is, the greatest amount of weight a vehicle can safely carry and the vehicle’s tire
number is the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever be put in the tire under normal
driving conditions.
CHECKING TIRE PRESSURE
It is important to check your vehicle’s tire pressure at least once a month for the following
reasons:
• Most tires may naturally lose air over time.
• Tires can lose air suddenly if you drive over a pothole or other object or if you strike the curb
when parking.
For convenience, purchase a tire pressure gauge to keep in your vehicle. Gauges can be purchased
at tire dealerships, auto supply stores, and other retail outlets.
psi when a tire is cold. The term cold does not relate to the outside temperature. Rather, a cold
tire is one that has not been driven on for at least three hours. When you drive, your tires get
warmer, causing the air pressure within them to increase. Therefore, to get an accurate tire
pressure reading, you must measure tire pressure when the tires are cold or compensate for the
extra pressure in warm tires.
STEPS FOR MAINTAINING PROPER TIRE PRESSURE
• Step 1: Locate the recommended tire pressure on the vehicle’s tire information placard, certi-
• Step 2: Record the tire pressure of all tires.
• Step 3: If the tire pressure is too high in any of the tires, slowly release air by gently pressing
on the tire valve stem with the edge of your tire gauge until you get to the correct pressure.
• Step 4: If the tire pressure is too low, note the difference between the measured tire pressure
and the correct tire pressure. These “missing” pounds of pressure are what you will need to add.
• Step 5: At a service station, add the missing pounds of air pressure to each tire that is un-
• Step 6: Check all the tires to make sure they have the same air pressure (except in cases in
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TIRE SAFETY INFORMATION