Trucks Vans And SUVS

Tire Pressure Gauge

Tire pressure gauges are an important tool for motorist concerned with getting the best performance form their vehicles. These devices when used properly can provide vital information about the pressure in your car tires. This information cannot be determined by just looking at the tires but requires a more exact method.

Tire pressure gauges typically come in a pencil sized design and have a little sliding scale present at one side and a small sphere at the other. It is important to check the pressure in your tires at least once a month. This gives better performance in your vehicle. Benefits include the burning of less gas as well as other benefits such as the quality of the ride.

Using a tire pressure gauge is a fairly simple procedure and entails certain steps. The first step before checking your tire pressure is the location of the air pressure specifications for your tires. This can normally be found on a sticker either in your trunk, glove box or driver side doorjamb. It is not advisable to use the measurement on your tires as this is the maximum pressure your tires can handle and not the optimal amount.

The next step in the use of a tire pressure gauge is the unscrewing of the plastic cap that is found on the air valve of your tire. It is important not to misplace this valve and you must properly secure this cap. The pressure gauge is then pressed against the valve and this is firmly pressed down to avoid the escape of any air. A good guideline to avoid this is the absence of any hissing sound. The pressure value can then be read off the gauge and the proper quantity of air placed into your tires.

Tire pressure gauges provide accurate readings but there are often some problems that arise when the pressure is read during extremes of temperature. This can result in low pressure tires or in the other extreme of overfilled tires. This can be avoided by the pressuring of tires at times that are average conditions although base-pressure values can account for cold tires i.e. tires that have not been run for three hours.

Article Published: Friday 8th December 2006