Why Should You Check Tyre Pressure More Often In Winter? 

When you drive with tyres that have the right amount of air pressure, you will notice that the drive is not only smoother, but you are also able to exert fluent control, and it is much more responsive. Furthermore, you will experience improvement in the braking ability of the vehicle, and you won’t be skidding on the roads. All these things are great and a byproduct of correctly inflated tyres. Yes, your tyres are that important for your car, and they influence a lot of what goes on in the vehicle. So, checking tyre pressure is very crucial.

But how many times should you do it? Certainly, most people don’t have time or devote a segment of their day to tyre care. Most people don’t even check tyre pressure monthly. However, we have to urge you to check air pressure more often, especially when the temperature is low and it’s cold. Why? This is something that we will find out in the following blog.

Does Winter Affect Tyre Pressure?

We believe the place we should start is first explaining whether winter even affects tyre pressure or not, and if it does, how. For those who don’t know, temperature and air pressure are directly related. It is stated as a general rule that when the temperature in the atmosphere drops by about 10 °C, it impacts the air pressure too, causing it to fall by 1 to 2 PSI. So, when it is winter, you might not even notice, and soon, you will be driving with underinflated tyres.

This will not only cause problems for the tyres, and make them useless, but it will also make your driving itself unsafe, as your car won’t be able to grip the road properly, and you will be at a greater risk of skidding on snow-laden roads. Moreover, you will also start having issues with braking, which can easily lead to accidents. This is why, when it’s winter, especially if you are living in a region where the temperature goes far below the normal limits, you should always keep an eye on your tyres whenever you take your car for a drive.

But Why Does This Happen?

So, we have established that the temperature drops will cause the air pressure in the tyres to also fall. But why? Well, when the temperature drops, the air inside your tyres contracts, thus leading to it taking up less space in the tyres. This air becomes denser, the more the temperature drops, and with it, you keep losing air pressure as there is literally less air inside your tyres.

Why Is Checking Air Pressure Important In Winter?

This brings us to the crux of the matter, why checking air pressure is so crucial. When you buy car tyres in Reading, you will notice that they come with a tread design and grooves, in case you buy winter tyres, these grooves will be much deeper. This helps tyres provide traction and grip the road properly. Moreover, deeper grooves also allow your tyres to bite into the snow and prevent your car from skidding. So imagine, if you do not have sufficient air pressure, your tyres won’t be able to flex properly, which will reduce traction and road grip, resulting in a loss of control, which can lead to an accident.

How Often Should You Check Tyre Pressure In Winter?

Now, this is where things become a little hectic. If you ask any number of tyre experts, you will get different answers from all of them. We are not saying that you should take our words as gospel. However, you should still check tyre pressure as often as you can in winter. If possible, we would suggest checking the tyres whenever you take out your car, for ultimate safety. Or, you can make use of a TMPS, if your car has one, to keep an eye on the tyre pressure.

However, when you do check your tyre pressure, be sure to do it for all the tyres and not only a single one. This will allow you to get the most accurate reading, and then you will be able to make the right decisions.

How To Check Tyre Pressure?

Finally, we have come to the gist of the article: how to check tyre pressure. If you are unsure, you can always head to an auto repair shop to let professionals take care of it for you or call on a mobile tyre fitting in Reading, to do it for you. However, if you want to do it yourself, let us assure you, this is nothing hard. All you have to do is:

Ensure You Wait Before Checking Your Car Tyres

First, make sure your tyres have been sitting for a while before you check air pressure, as it will get you the most accurate reading. So, the best time to check would be right in the morning, or waiting a couple of hours after driving a car.

Check The Recommended Air Pressure

Also, you need to make sure what is the recommended air pressure, as without it, you won’t be able to judge accurately whether your tyres are inflated properly or not. So, you should either consult your car manual or go online and find out more information from the car manufacturer’s website. Only then will you be able to maintain the right balance and ensure that your tyres have sufficient air pressure.

Use A Manual Tyre Gauge

Although relying on the TPMS (tyre pressure monitoring system) is quite good, we still recommend using a manual tyre pressure gauge for an accurate reading. So, you should get a digital or analog gauge, instead of simply trusting the TPMS when checking air pressure.

Adjust Tyre Pressure Properly

And finally, as per the reading, you should adjust the tyre pressure accordingly. You should ensure that the final pressure matches the recommendations made by the car manufacturer as it will guarantee optimal performance, even during winter.