Here’s Fisher Auto‘s guide to how you can check your vehicle’s tire pressure. This is a quick and basic maintenance task that has many benefits. Performing this quick check regularly will yield higher fuel economy for your car, improved performance, a longer life for your tires and a safer ride overall. Here are the steps you’ll need to follow.

Checking Your Tire Pressure

1. The first step is to locate your vehicle’s specific tire pressure guidelines. There is a sticker on the frame around the driver side door near the base of the seat on most vehicles with specifications of the recommended tire pressure for each wheel around the vehicle.
2. Once you locate this label and see your vehicle’s specifics, grab your tire pressure gauge and step out of the car, making sure the gauge is displaying psi.
3. Remove the valve cover on the tire you want to check and firmly press the fitting of your gauge to the valve. You’ll hear a quick jet of air that will stop when you have the gauge on securely.
4. Check the reading on the gauge. Depending on how it compares to the recommended pressure, you can either leave it, add air or let air out so that it contains the proper psi. Use the rounded side of the valve cap to let out small amounts of air if needed, or a pump to add some. Make sure to adjust it in small increments so that you don’t go too far in either direction.
5. Repeat for all of the tires on your car, including the spare, to make sure that all tires contain the proper pressure. The spare is often overlooked but it is crucial to keep it properly inflated in case of a flat.
6. And you’re done!

The Benefits of Proper Tire Pressure

Maintaining proper tire pressure is one of the simplest things that you can do to your care to improve it in a number of ways. Not only will proper pressure give you better fuel economy but it will lessen your carbon footprint. If ever car on the road was driving with properly inflated tires, CO2 emissions would be noticeably lessened. Maintaining the specified tire pressure will also increases your cars handling while extending the life of your tires by promoting optimal wear patterns. It will also prevent potential unsafe situations due to poor handling or a blowout and, as you can see, it is nice and simple to keep track of.