The Proper Way To Check And Fill Tires With Air

Letting your tires go limp is never a good idea; tires without enough air can make your car have to work harder to move forward, sucking up your gas. You’re also leaving your tires more susceptible to damage and impacting the overall driving experience. 

Knowing how to properly check and put air in tires is part of basic car maintenance. If all else fails, you can have a professional tire shop help you, but there are some simple things you can do on your own to help keep your tires in proper working order. 

Know Your Tire’s Pressure Limits

Your car should have a sticker, typically on the door jam on your side of the car or in your owner’s manual, stating how much air pressure your tires can handle. Be sure you check this so you have a better indication of how much air your tires need. 

Having your tire pressure gauge will help you avoid relying on your eyes, which aren’t always a good indicator of whether you need to add air to your tires. 

Move Your Car Out Of The Sun

Heat can have an impact on how well your tire pressure gauge measures the tire pressure, so it’s recommended you bring your car to a shaded area if possible. Once your tires feel cold to the touch, check the pressure. 

You’ll do this by taking the caps off your tire’s air valves and attaching the gauge to the valve. Pressure readers are very easy to use, even if you’re not savvy with cars. If you get a reading indicating you need air, most gas stations or auto repair shops will have an air compressor if you don’t have one at home. 

Putting Air Into Tires

Once you have access to an air compressor, you’ll have to remove the caps on your tire’s valves once more. The air compressor will have a long, skinny hose with a tip that inserts into the opened tire valve. If you’ve put in too much air, you’ll likely hear it start to spurt out of the valve. 

Either way, you want to pull out your air pressure gauge and test your tires a couple of times before you get back on the road. This is the only way you’ll be able to tell if you have to add more air or if you need to release some of the air you’ve added before driving away. 

Visit An Auto Repair Or Tire Shop

If you aren’t privy to even the most basic automotive techniques, you might be searching for a tire shop near me that can just check your tires for you so you don’t do anything wrong. Crown City Tire Auto Care is one such tire shop in Pasadena that can help check your tires to ensure they have enough air and top them up if need be. 

You can also head to Crown City Tire Auto Care if you ever need auto repair in Pasadena, as their friendly staff can help with so much more than just your tires!