Every car owner should know how to check their tyre pressure.
Correctly inflated tyres, as per your car manufacturer’s recommendations, are key to safe motoring.
If you’re a first-time car owner, don’t fret.
Checking your tyre pressure is very simple.
STEP #1: Purchase a pressure gauge
Most car accessory shops and petrol kiosks have some form of pressure gauge (like the one in the photo).
Get one and keep it in your glove box. These things don’t take up much space.
STEP #2: Getting a good reading
Only check your tyre pressure when your tyres are cold!
Unscrew the tyre valve cap and set it aside.
Put your gauge against the exposed valve and press firmly.
You should see the needle jump. Note the pressure it indicates.
Do this for all four tyres.
STEP #3: What does the manufacturer say?
Your car’s manufacturer has a label along the driver’s side door sill.
Open the door and you should see a white label with figures on it.
Assuming that your wheels and tyres are stock (unmodified), your pressures should match the ones on the label.
STEP #4: Correctly inflate your tyres
If your tyres are not correctly inflated, don’t fret.
It doesn’t mean that you have a puncture, as it is normal for some pressure loss.
Find the nearest petrol kiosk to your home or office, preferably one that’s just one or two km away.
Any further and your tyres would have heated up, thereby increasing the pressure.
Petrol kiosks have air pumps that enable you to first set the desired pressure.
Inflate all four tyres. Don’t forget the spare tyre!
If the pressure gauge is too troublesome, you can consider installing a tyre pressure monitoring system (if your vehicle doesn’t have one).
Many of these devices use an app to sync with your smartphone for convenience.
