How much is enough to pump car tires?

One of the common questions of drivers when driving is how much to inflate car tires to be safe.

Car tire pressure

First, we need to understand what is car tire pressure? This is a measurement of the air pressure in the tire. Incorrect tire pressure can affect the safety, performance, fuel economy and tire life, so it is important in car care and maintenance.

Note: Do not inflate the tire above the pressure indicated on the door.

More specifically, properly inflated tires help the vehicle roll on the road with the entire tire surface. The contact surface is evenly spread, maximum contact and even wear on the tire surface. In addition, it also comes with direct benefits to the user such as optimal smoothness, stable cornering, shortest braking distance and fuel economy.

How much is enough to pump car tires?

There are two units of pressure used in the UK:

- The first and probably the most common is PSI (1 Kg/cm2 =14.2 Psi ). A typical tire has a pressure of 30psi.

- Another unit used to measure tire pressure is bar. Bar is the pressure of the air at sea level. Normal tire pressure is 2.1 bar, equivalent to 30 psi.

Under-inflated tires will increase the contact surface with the road and increase friction, causing the engine to work harder, reducing fuel economy and causing tire surface deformation such as distortion, bulge or uneven wear. It also significantly affects the tire's lifespan.

Some people have the misconception that the more inflated the tires are, the better for the car. However, doing so will reduce the friction between the road surface and the tire, and in cases where you need to brake suddenly, it will be very easy for your car to slide. So the harm here is more than the benefit.

In addition, on hot days, if you travel a long distance with over-inflated tires, it will have a very bad effect on the tires. Specifically: The high temperature of the road surface along with the large friction created when moving will heat up the tires quickly. The air heats up, creating a large pressure on the tires. If your tires are new, you can still move in this condition, but with a set of old tires, it is entirely possible for several tires to explode at once. Besides, your life is also seriously threatened. Therefore, you should pump just enough, not too much or too little.

Check to see which of the above tire wear conditions your tires fall into.

Recognizing tire pressure status

As tire pressure changes, the shape of the tire also changes:

- Over-inflated tires will be round, similar to bicycle tires, and will not make much contact with the road surface.

- A flat tire will have a slightly concave shape, the center of the tire will not make effective contact with the road surface and will also wear down the sidewall of the tire.

For Nexen car tires, the logo embossed on the side of the tire indicates the location of the tread wear indicators in each major groove of the tire. The tread wear indicator is a small raised ridge at the bottom of the tread grooves. If the rubber surface is within this range, the tire is close to reaching its safety limit. You can buy a device to measure the depth of the tread grooves the way technicians do.

Using worn tyres increases the risk of tyre failure and in wet conditions can cause the tyre to suddenly lose traction. In most countries around the world, it is illegal to drive on tyres with less than 1.6mm of tread.

Tips for checking tire wear:

There is a good trick that Americans often use, which is to use a coin with the image of President Lincoln's head to check whether the tire tread is too worn or not? But of course, you must have an American coin to do this. Or you can use the following tire depth measuring cards to determine the condition of your tires.

How to inflate tires to the correct pressure

It is recommended to use your own pump as many people use petrol station pumps without servicing or maintaining them. Most are good but some are not accurate. Attach the pump nozzle to the same valve that was tested with the pressure gauge. The pump runs off the 12v socket in the car and is easy and effective for moderately inflating the tyre. Otherwise, a standard foot pump will also work.

According to VNN