During the winter, drivers get used to a lot of different things, like the need to brush snow off your car, scrape ice off the glass, go to the car wash to get rid of salt and sand, and driving carefully in bad weather.
A lot of people don’t think about how important it is to keep their tires in good shape during the winter. The air inside the tire gets smaller when it’s colder, which means the pressure drops more often. Air slowly seeps out of tires over time, so you’ll need to get used to filling them up to the right pressure.
When the temperature drops by 10 degrees, you lose one pound of tire pressure for every square inch of tire that you lose. There can be a big difference in the tires on big cars.
Underinflated tires put more strain on the engine because it has to work harder to move a car on softer tires. This means the engine has to work harder, so in return, you’ll get less fuel efficiency and have a greater chance of a leak or a blowout.
Tire pressure recommendations from the manufacturer are in the car’s owner’s manual or on a sticker that is on the driver’s side door. You can check the tire pressure with a pressure gauge or with the car’s tire pressure monitoring system.
Once a week, check the tire pressure to make sure it’s not low. When you keep the pressure in your tires at the right level, you can save money at the pump and have a smoother and safer drive.
You’ll get the best reading in the morning. If you’ve recently driven the car or the tires have been outside in the sun, the readings will read more inflated due to the increase of temperature throughout the day.
Treat yourself to a new pair of tires and let us keep you on the road this winter at McLarty Daniel Nissan, which serves the communities of Centerton, Bella Vista, Bentonville, Eureka Springs, Fayetteville, Pea Ridge, Springdale, and Rogers, Arkansas. Visit us today and let our professionals handle all of your tire requirements!
