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Maintaining Your Car: Understanding Tire Inflation and Rotation

Nowadays, most cars come equipped with a sticker inside the door jamb that tells you what the correct inflation pressure is. This is a great feature that helps you ensure your tires are inflated properly, which can improve fuel efficiency, handling, and safety. However, many people are confused because the tire sidewall has an inflation pressure listed that's the maximum for that tire. The recommended pressure should be found on the car, not on the tire sidewall.

It's essential to follow the recommended rotation schedule outlined in your owner's manual to ensure optimal tread wear and balanced handling. Most cars have front-wheel drive, which means the front tires are carrying a significant amount of weight and performing multiple functions, including steering and braking. As a result, they wear out faster than the rear tires. By rotating your tires according to the schedule outlined in your owner's manual, you can extend their lifespan and improve handling.

Rotating your tires is also important for safety reasons. Uneven tread wear can lead to reduced traction, which increases the risk of accidents, especially on wet or snowy roads. Additionally, uneven tire wear can cause uneven steering, which can make it difficult to control the vehicle. By rotating your tires regularly, you can ensure that all four corners of the car are wearing evenly and providing optimal traction.

Many dealerships offer nitrogen-filled tires as an optional upgrade. The benefit of nitrogen is that it allows the tire to lose pressure slower than regular air. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that nitrogen-filled tires provide any additional benefits in terms of safety or performance. In our testing, we found that nitrogen-filled tires did perform slightly better, but only by a small margin.

In reality, the best option for most people is to simply use regular air and follow the recommended tire pressure listed on the car. This will give you plenty of time to shop around for a good deal on new tires when it's time to replace them.

Winter Tires: A Safety Solution

When winter weather sets in, having the right tires can be a lifesaver. Winter tires, also known as snow tires, are designed specifically for cold and wet conditions. They have a softer tread compound that stays pliable in freezing temperatures, which provides better traction on snowy and icy roads. However, they can wear out faster than regular tires due to their softer rubber.

The recommended depth of tread on winter tires is around 1/8 of an inch or six months' worth of driving. This may seem like a lot, but it's essential for maintaining traction and safety in winter conditions. If you're planning to drive extensively during the winter months, consider investing in a set of high-quality winter tires.

Using Winter Tires

While winter tires can be expensive upfront, they provide unparalleled safety and traction benefits when driving on snowy or icy roads. However, it's essential to remember that they should only be used when snow is on the ground. Driving on dry roads with snow tires can lead to reduced handling and shorter tire life.

One popular tip for maintaining your winter tires between winter months is to store them in a cool, dry place. This will help preserve their performance and extend their lifespan. When it's time to put the tires back on your car, make sure to check the pressure and condition of the tires before hitting the road.

Conclusion

Maintaining your car requires attention to detail, especially when it comes to tire inflation and rotation. By following the recommended schedule outlined in your owner's manual and using high-quality tires, you can ensure optimal performance, safety, and fuel efficiency. Additionally, considering the benefits and limitations of nitrogen-filled tires and winter tires can help you make informed decisions about your vehicle's maintenance.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enall too often unfortunately we don't think about our tires until we get a flat or they're not gripping the road properly and it is so important to maintain the tires not only for the safety of you and everyone in your car but also you could save money if you have the right tire and they're properly inflated I am here with Jennifer stock Berger one of our fabulous Auto engineers what do we need to know you're right most people we should be maintaining our tires all year long but most people are waiting at the weather gets cooler and saying oh I need tires or worse yet getting to that first snowstorm and they realize that they don't have enough tread left to even give them any grip so we're gonna talk about things you can do the biggest thing for any tire maintenance it affects so many things is maintain your tires inflation pressure it affects how the tire performs it affects the durability how long it lasts and it can even affect your fuel economy so really pay attention well I know I had an electronic system in my car where a light went on and said my tire pressure was low I panicked I really I didn't check it I honestly did this happen yeah and I just went to a gas station and had someone help me right well the tire pressure monitoring systems is in many new newer vehicles but keep in mind that doesn't even come on in most cars till you're already 25 percent below with the tire should be and that's probably more than you want to be to maintain some of these things we're going to talk about so the other thing that people need to be aware of as the weather gets cooler for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit that the temperature drops your tire pressure drops one PSI so on that first very cold morning don't be surprised if many of you go out there and that tire pressure monitoring system is on because overnight its cooled down enough to flag that and when if you don't have one of those systems then and even when one of those systems you should be checking your tire inflation pressure monthly you can get an inexpensive suspensive stick gauge which reads in PSI a little more difficult to read or spend a little more money and get a wonderful digital pressure gauge recommend monthly you look at it and here's what you're looking here the reasons for it first thing is durability as a flexes it generates heat when it's under inflated more flexing more heat heat ultimately is the the poor thing for a tire the more it flexes and the more heat it generates the more it can degrade you don't want to have that that's what ultimately in the worst case can lead to a blowout the other thing is tread wear if you don't have your tires inflated correctly they tend to wear more quickly they also can get into some of these different wear conditions it's kind of a Goldilocks thing if you're overinflated you may tend to wear the tire down center yeah if you're under inflated the shoulders kind of lay down and your we're at the outboard edge is one worse than the other they're both not good because what you've done is taken your full tread pattern away and people say well you know what is the Goldilocks too much too little the just right is what your vehicle recommends there's a placard on the door jamb that says this is the right inflation pressure for your all right so why the door Jim why would I want to look here and not my manual your go-to cars now have a very easy to read sticker inside the door jamb that tells you what the correct inflation pressure is a lot of people are confused because the tire sidewall has an inflation pressure on it that's the maximum for that tire you want to go by what's on the car okay now I make sure that my tire pressure is correct what about rotating the tires okay because that cost money every time I'll do is I try to avoid it how important is it it's important because it can increase the longevity of your tires again we talk about tread wear but it also gives you balanced handling on your vehicle most common car on the road today front-wheel drive keep in mind that those front tires are not only carrying the weight of the engine but they're doing the steering and a lot of the braking as well they're working much harder than the rears and consequently they're wearing much more quickly look in your owners manual again and follow the rotation schedule that that owner's manual says and you'll not only I mean ultimately you're gonna have to replace them at some point but you'll increase that time interval you'll get more out of them and you'll be safer because you'll now have a balance of trip on all four corners of the car rather than letting the Front's just wear out saving money and safer sounds good there you go now speaking of saving money I went to the dealer and he suggested filling my tires up with nitrogen yeah and I would have to spend extra is that important to do here's the thing with nitrogen and many many dealers are offering it now the benefit of nitrogen is that it the tire loses pressure slower than it would if you just put in regular old air and in our test we did find that but to be true but guess what it's still your tire still lost in so maybe you bought yourself a little bit of time but ultimately you get the same benefit by just putting regular old in all right now we're here with a special test that Jennifer is going to show us how to tell if our tires need to be replaced okay and then again as time gets whether it's cooler we really need to think about do we have sufficient tread depth to get us through snow and ice okay than heavy rain legal wear out women for most states and on most tires is to thirty Seconds which is how tires get measured or 1/16 of an inch what people don't realize is most tires Pat a tread wear indicator as your tires wear there's a bar that crosses the tread called the tread wear indicator when your tread is even with that bar that means your tires are to the legal we're out limit or that to 30 seconds 1/16 of an inch you can measure that with a tread depth gauge but another quick trick is to use a penny if you take a penny and insert it upside down with Lincoln's head facing down and you can still see the top of J brahim Lincoln's head that also indicates that you've reached that - 30 second 1/16 of an inch wear limit legal wear up that tire needs to be replaced and soon but what we found in our tests is well before that somewhere around 1/8 of an inch your winter traction and your wet grip have already fallen off fairly significantly so you might not want to wait this long so what we've discovered is on a order you get a little bit more about 180 minutes or for 30 seconds of an engine do that same trick put George's head now into the tread groove and when you can see George's head not only have you said hey I man I should probably replace this tire but you've also given yourself a little bit of time to shop try our prices vary greatly and if you can get yourself some time to shop around for the best price and the best services in terms of mounting and balancing you can really save money in the long well what about saving money - do I have to spend more do you really have to spend more on the tire to get the best fire there are there are very expensive tires that do very well but there are also very reasonably priced tires that have done very well in our test so not necessarily one other tip for winter weather is if you have to be out in on snow-covered roads you cannot beat the safety benefit and traction benefit of winter tires dedicated winter tyres what we used to call just snow tires for getting that traction but they tend to be a little softer tread compound softer rubber which keeps them pliable in cold weather they also have more cuts and edges to bite into snow that makes them a little less grippy on dry roads and also makes them wear more quickly so we really recommend don't put them on until you know snow is about to arrive I would think why not keep them on write know and be sure to take them off when spring comesall too often unfortunately we don't think about our tires until we get a flat or they're not gripping the road properly and it is so important to maintain the tires not only for the safety of you and everyone in your car but also you could save money if you have the right tire and they're properly inflated I am here with Jennifer stock Berger one of our fabulous Auto engineers what do we need to know you're right most people we should be maintaining our tires all year long but most people are waiting at the weather gets cooler and saying oh I need tires or worse yet getting to that first snowstorm and they realize that they don't have enough tread left to even give them any grip so we're gonna talk about things you can do the biggest thing for any tire maintenance it affects so many things is maintain your tires inflation pressure it affects how the tire performs it affects the durability how long it lasts and it can even affect your fuel economy so really pay attention well I know I had an electronic system in my car where a light went on and said my tire pressure was low I panicked I really I didn't check it I honestly did this happen yeah and I just went to a gas station and had someone help me right well the tire pressure monitoring systems is in many new newer vehicles but keep in mind that doesn't even come on in most cars till you're already 25 percent below with the tire should be and that's probably more than you want to be to maintain some of these things we're going to talk about so the other thing that people need to be aware of as the weather gets cooler for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit that the temperature drops your tire pressure drops one PSI so on that first very cold morning don't be surprised if many of you go out there and that tire pressure monitoring system is on because overnight its cooled down enough to flag that and when if you don't have one of those systems then and even when one of those systems you should be checking your tire inflation pressure monthly you can get an inexpensive suspensive stick gauge which reads in PSI a little more difficult to read or spend a little more money and get a wonderful digital pressure gauge recommend monthly you look at it and here's what you're looking here the reasons for it first thing is durability as a flexes it generates heat when it's under inflated more flexing more heat heat ultimately is the the poor thing for a tire the more it flexes and the more heat it generates the more it can degrade you don't want to have that that's what ultimately in the worst case can lead to a blowout the other thing is tread wear if you don't have your tires inflated correctly they tend to wear more quickly they also can get into some of these different wear conditions it's kind of a Goldilocks thing if you're overinflated you may tend to wear the tire down center yeah if you're under inflated the shoulders kind of lay down and your we're at the outboard edge is one worse than the other they're both not good because what you've done is taken your full tread pattern away and people say well you know what is the Goldilocks too much too little the just right is what your vehicle recommends there's a placard on the door jamb that says this is the right inflation pressure for your all right so why the door Jim why would I want to look here and not my manual your go-to cars now have a very easy to read sticker inside the door jamb that tells you what the correct inflation pressure is a lot of people are confused because the tire sidewall has an inflation pressure on it that's the maximum for that tire you want to go by what's on the car okay now I make sure that my tire pressure is correct what about rotating the tires okay because that cost money every time I'll do is I try to avoid it how important is it it's important because it can increase the longevity of your tires again we talk about tread wear but it also gives you balanced handling on your vehicle most common car on the road today front-wheel drive keep in mind that those front tires are not only carrying the weight of the engine but they're doing the steering and a lot of the braking as well they're working much harder than the rears and consequently they're wearing much more quickly look in your owners manual again and follow the rotation schedule that that owner's manual says and you'll not only I mean ultimately you're gonna have to replace them at some point but you'll increase that time interval you'll get more out of them and you'll be safer because you'll now have a balance of trip on all four corners of the car rather than letting the Front's just wear out saving money and safer sounds good there you go now speaking of saving money I went to the dealer and he suggested filling my tires up with nitrogen yeah and I would have to spend extra is that important to do here's the thing with nitrogen and many many dealers are offering it now the benefit of nitrogen is that it the tire loses pressure slower than it would if you just put in regular old air and in our test we did find that but to be true but guess what it's still your tire still lost in so maybe you bought yourself a little bit of time but ultimately you get the same benefit by just putting regular old in all right now we're here with a special test that Jennifer is going to show us how to tell if our tires need to be replaced okay and then again as time gets whether it's cooler we really need to think about do we have sufficient tread depth to get us through snow and ice okay than heavy rain legal wear out women for most states and on most tires is to thirty Seconds which is how tires get measured or 1/16 of an inch what people don't realize is most tires Pat a tread wear indicator as your tires wear there's a bar that crosses the tread called the tread wear indicator when your tread is even with that bar that means your tires are to the legal we're out limit or that to 30 seconds 1/16 of an inch you can measure that with a tread depth gauge but another quick trick is to use a penny if you take a penny and insert it upside down with Lincoln's head facing down and you can still see the top of J brahim Lincoln's head that also indicates that you've reached that - 30 second 1/16 of an inch wear limit legal wear up that tire needs to be replaced and soon but what we found in our tests is well before that somewhere around 1/8 of an inch your winter traction and your wet grip have already fallen off fairly significantly so you might not want to wait this long so what we've discovered is on a order you get a little bit more about 180 minutes or for 30 seconds of an engine do that same trick put George's head now into the tread groove and when you can see George's head not only have you said hey I man I should probably replace this tire but you've also given yourself a little bit of time to shop try our prices vary greatly and if you can get yourself some time to shop around for the best price and the best services in terms of mounting and balancing you can really save money in the long well what about saving money - do I have to spend more do you really have to spend more on the tire to get the best fire there are there are very expensive tires that do very well but there are also very reasonably priced tires that have done very well in our test so not necessarily one other tip for winter weather is if you have to be out in on snow-covered roads you cannot beat the safety benefit and traction benefit of winter tires dedicated winter tyres what we used to call just snow tires for getting that traction but they tend to be a little softer tread compound softer rubber which keeps them pliable in cold weather they also have more cuts and edges to bite into snow that makes them a little less grippy on dry roads and also makes them wear more quickly so we really recommend don't put them on until you know snow is about to arrive I would think why not keep them on write know and be sure to take them off when spring comes\n"