Tyre pressure- what should it be an how do I check it?

Tyre pressure-important both for safety and efficiency.

An under inflated tyre gives you poorer handling, increases the friction on the road which requires more energy from the engine (bad for fuel economy) plus lower pressure in the tyre causes the temperature on the tyre to increase meaning the potential for the tyre to fail increases too.

So we know it’s important, but how to I know what it should be?

The picture below is my car, just on the inside sill of the drive door. Most cars will have something similar, or if not this table will be listed in your cars handbook.

This sticker tells me the PSI I need to be at for various loads. So, if there is just 1 person and minimal weight in the car the PSI should be 33 on the front and rear tyres. But if there are 5 people and lots of weight (e.g. holiday luggage) I need to set it at 35 on the front and 41 on the back. Simples.

If you head to a petrol station, most air machines let you set the PSI you require and will automatically pump the tyre to it. Winner.

So below is a step by step of how to check and set your tyre pressure. Our gauge is a little different to the ones you find in a petrol station but you get the gist.