Bisbee Honda of Danville

Bisbee Honda of Danville

Sales 833-283-1846 | Service 833-283-2780 | 4050 Riverside Drive, Danville, VA 24541

Ask a Technician: How Often Should I Check My Tire Pressure?

Maintaining your tires’ pressure may seem like a chore, and doing so often finds a place at the bottom of to-do lists. But checking your tire pressure is crucial not only for ensuring good fuel efficiency, but also—and much more importantly—your own safety. Your tires are one of your car’s first safety defenses, and under-inflated or over-inflated tires can compromise your car’s stability on the road, as well as its ability to corner and brake effectively. Without the correct pressure, it is even possible that the tires will fail completely, which could cause a serious traffic accident.

If the tire pressure is too high, less of the tire surface is actually touching the road. This means that your tires are bouncing off rather than gripping the road, which leads to an uncomfortable ride, poor traction, longer stopping distances, and uneven tire wear.

If the tire pressure is too low, the opposite occurs, and too much of the tire’s surface touches the road. This will lead to the tires wearing too soon, and could also cause overheating and tread separation, as well as potentially damaging the wheels.

Tire pressure needs to be checked at varying intervals, both as part of a regular servicing schedule and as part of your own general auto maintenance. Ideally, the pressure in your car tires should be checked at least monthly, based on average driving mileage. The technicians at Bisbee Honda of Danville can carry out this check for you as part of any routine service procedure. Your Bisbee Honda of Danville technician will be able to advise whether there are any other problems with the tire condition and may recommend a replacement.

Regular pressure checks are vital to ensure that your tires remain in the best condition. You may not be aware, for example, that your tires have been damaged in the process of driving by a sharp object or obstruction in the road. The loss of pressure may be fairly gradual, such that you cannot easily notice the difference while driving, even though you are suffering a reduction in overall handling capability.

It is also important to check tires monthly, due to seasonal changes in air temperature and the impact they have on tire pressure. The pressure inside your tires drops by about one pound per square inch with every ten-degree drop in the outside temperature. Just because you checked your tires in the summer, therefore, doesn't mean that the pressure will still be suitable in the winter.

Regular pressure checks help you diagnose problems with your tires early on. A small drop in pressure, for example, may be due to a small area of damage that can be treated without replacing the whole tire. If this is left too long, however, the damage may worsen, meaning that a full replacement—and a more sizable financial investment—will be required. Regular pressure checks are a good preventative measure and can save you money in the long run.

Always check your tire pressure before and after a particularly long journey, too. Prior to the journey, you want to be satisfied that the car is in the right condition, and after a long trip, you need to check that you haven’t incurred any damage.

Checking your tire pressure is a simple, quick, and easy check that can be carried out on a regular basis. For a small amount of effort monthly, you can save yourself time and money later down the line, and you can drive in the knowledge that your car is as safe as possible with the help of Bisbee Honda of Danville.