Psi drop cold weather calculator manual#

Psi drop cold weather calculator manual#

These situations can cause a tire failure, including tread/belt separation, even at a later date, which could lead to an accident and serious personal injury or death.Ĭonsult the vehicle’s tire placard, certification label, or the owner's manual for the recommended inflation pressures.

Overinflation makes it more likely for tires to be cut, punctured, or broken by sudden impact.

Underinflation causes excessive heat buildup and internal structural damage.The tire will remain seriously damaged and can still fail, even after inflation pressure is corrected.ĭriving on tires with improper inflation pressure is dangerous. Adding oil or coolant won't repair engine damage, and adding inflation pressure won't fix tire damage. It may seem to work fine for a time, but serious permanent damage has occurred. Running a tire underinflated is like running the vehicle's engine without enough oil or coolant. Tires driven even a short distance while underinflated may be damaged beyond repair. Operating a vehicle with just one tire underinflated by 8 psi (56 kPa) can reduce the life of the tire by 9,000 miles and can increase the vehicle's fuel consumption by 4%. Note that some vehicles may have different cold inflation pressures for tires on the front and rear axles. In addition to tire safety, this means your tires will wear longer and improve vehicle fuel consumption. With the right amount of inflation pressure, the vehicle and the tires will achieve their optimal performance. Proper Inflation is Critical – Inflation pressure enables a tire to support the load and to control the vehicle therefore, proper inflation is critical. Overinflated tires (over the maximum molded on the tire sidewall) are more likely to be cut, punctured, or damaged by sudden impact from hitting an obstacle, such as a pothole. Do not exceed the maximum inflation pressure shown on the tire sidewall. Underinflation causes excessive heat buildup and internal structural damage that may lead to a tire failure, including tread/belt separation, even at a later date. Never set tire inflation pressures below the recommended inflation pressure found on the vehicle’s tire placard, certification label, or owner's manual. In reality, I could have dropped the psi a bit to account for the increase but to be honest I thought more about the heat of my body than the temperature of the air in my tires.The recommended inflation pressures for tires are specified in pounds per square inch (psi) or kilopascals (kPa) as indicated on the vehicle’s tire placard, certification label, or in the owner's manual. I’ve ridden at 110 degrees Fahrenheit after leaving a house that was 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The opposite is true if you plan to raise the temperature to an extreme after you start your ride. If however, you are going to experience an extreme drop in temperature you may want to leave your bike and pump outside for a while before you pump your tires up or add a few psi for the upcoming change. This is especially true if the ambient temperature where you pump your tires up is close to the ambient temperature where you are riding.

Ultimately, I don’t think that you really have to worry about tire pressure and temperature changes. Ultimately, the temperature effect is not nearly as dramatic as many might think. It is true that the mechanical friction will raise the tire pressure and eliminate some of the drop. If you plan to ride on a winter’s day but store your bike inside your house, you may experience a drop in tire pressure when you go outside. A car before the sun breaks in the morning that has been sitting overnight is a good example of cold tire pressure. Cold tire pressure means that the tire has not been ridden and has been sitting for a while.

When you read a recommended tire pressure from a manufacturer, what does this mean? The tire pressure recommendations are “cold inflation pressures”. Tire Pressure Recommendations and “Cold Tire Pressure”