How To Check Tyre Pressure + Other Maintenance Tips

Checking your tyre pressure regularly is one of the best ways to ensure proper handling, steering, and safety for you and other passengers. While most of the modern vehicles now have integrated tyre pressure sensors that automatically check and report you when a tyre has lost pressure, it is still important to do a few manual checks every now and then.

Whether underinflated or overinflated, incorrect tyre pressure can impact your driving experience negatively. Some of the common signs are seen in handling and steering, where it increases your risk of accidents and reduces the lifespan of your tyres.

In today’s guide, we will explore the topic of tyre pressure in detail, advise you on the best ways to check your tyres, and observe the best ways to deal with some tyre-related incidents and scenarios.

Checking Your Tyre Pressure: When & How To Do It?

If you are unsure when is the best time to check your car’s tyre pressure, we advise doing that when you refuel. That way, you will have time to inflate the tyres if needed, and the time and place would be right for doing that, too.

If you prefer doing a tyre pressure check at home, you need to make sure that you have a tyre pressure gauge – there are many inexpensive mechanical models that work without a battery and will never run out. A good rule for tyres is to add 2psi to the manufacturer’s specified tyre pressure and that way, account for the increase in temperature and pressure. If you are unsure where you can find advice on the correct tyre pressure for your car, it is often visible on a label inside one of the front door openings, or the owner’s manual.

Having the correct tyre pressure improves your:

• Fuel efficiency
• Cornering
• Grip
• Accelerating
• Braking
• Handling, and
• Lifespan of your tyres

Checking your tyre pressure is a straightforward procedure that can be done either at a service station or at home, using a simple tyre pressure gauge. More about that is in the part below.

How To Check Your Tyre Pressure

You can find a lot of air hoses with tyre pressure gauges at most service stations. However, if you are using a pen-shaped pneumatic/mechanical gauge, you will get accurate readings. In that case, the steps to follow are:

1. Check the tyre placard (label) inside one of the front door openings or your owner’s manual – and locate the correct tyre pressures for your car.
2. Unscrew the cap on your tyre’s air valve.
3. Connect the tyre pressure gauge onto the tyre valve.
4. Look at the tyre pressure reading visible on the gauge.
5. If the tyre pressure is low, attach the air hose to the tyre valve and increase it to the correct level.
6. Screw the cap back onto the tyre air valve and you are good to go.

Rotating Your Tyres: Do You Need It?

Tyre rotation is definitely recommended by most tyre experts in the UAE. Ideally, you should rotate your tyres from the front to the back to help even out the wear across all of them and expand their lifespan.

Obviously, there are vehicles that have different front and back tyres, or different sizes front and back, which is why there is a correct way to rotate each set of tyres. If you need further assistance on tyre rotation, contact us today at 800-ALL-TYRES.

How To Tell If Your Car Tyres Are Worn Out?

If you are unsure whether your car tyres are worn out, you should know that there are small bars or rubber running across the grooves between the tread at several places. These are called tread wear indicators and are designed to tell you when your tyres are worn out.

If your tread is worn down to these bars, it is a sign that you should replace your tyres as soon as you can. A great place to start is visiting this page, where you can shop for the best tyres in the UAE and choose the pattern that matches your vehicle. Also, keep in mind that driving with worn-out or damaged tyres is illegal.

What If Your Tyre Has A Puncture: How To Locate It & What To Do?

Air may naturally seep out of your tyres over time, escaping through your rubber’s sidewall. As a general rule, you will be losing anywhere between 1 and 3 psi a month. If that is your problem and your tyres are losing air more rapidly, there may be a serious underlying problem. If your tyre is leaking air, you should do the following:

1. Look for obvious signs of damage – cuts, slashes, bulges, or embedded nails and screws are some of the common scenarios
2. Check your tyre’s valve stem for any potential cracks or surface damage near its base (it may deteriorate over time, leading to air loss)
3. Inspect your wheels – they may be misshapen due to age, corrosion, or as a result of a large impact with a pothole or a curb.
4. If the issue is on the road, contact our Mobile Tyre Fitting Service in the UAE and we will repair the puncture, or if needed, replace your tyres, balance your wheels, or fill them with nitrogen.

Now, ready to do some shopping?

Visit our top-rated UAE tyre shop and start browsing tyres by brand, size, and other characteristics! For more information, contact us at 800-ALL-TYRES!