While it may seem like a mundane task, inflating tires is much more crucial to your car than you may think, and it results in a safer and more economical experience on the road. Your vehicle's handling also will be greatly improved as the larger a tire's inflated footprint, the more responsive and comfier the ride balance will be. Because it's National Tire Safety Week, it's the perfect time to check your car's tires. To find your tires' proper inflation level, look for a sticker on the driver-side doorjamb. It displays the vehicle weight restriction and tire information. The info is also found in the maintenance or car-care section of your vehicle’s owner's manual. Don't refer to the sidewall markings on your tires, which in part specify the maximum tire pressure — not the recommended pressure. Unless your tire is visibly flat, don't judge tire inflation just by looking at it; you have to use a tire pressure gauge to get the correct pounds per square inch reading.

There are three types of tire-pressure gauges: digital, internal slide and dial. Prices range from $5 for a basic gauge to more than $30 for one that is digital, has an air-release button — or even talks. All will do the job, but you may want to consider the conditions in which you'll be using your gauge. "We've found that low-cost digital pressure gauges are very accurate and maintain the accuracy longer, but in extremely cold temperatures the gauge may not show up properly," said John Rastetter, Tire Rack's director of tire information services. Tips for checking and filling your tires Tire manufacturers suggest checking tires when they're cold for the most accurate reading. Outside temperatures can cause tire pressure to vary by as much as 1 psi per 10 degrees; higher temperatures mean higher psi readings. what does black do? Attract heat," Rastetter said, noting the importance of finding a shady place to check and fill all four tires. Temperature plays a huge part in tire psi, Rastetter said, adding that the most crucial time of year to check pressure is in fall and winter when days are shorter and average temperatures plummet.

Check your tires in the morning before going anywhere, because as soon as you get behind the wheel for an extended amount of time, psi will rise. Rastetter said that if you've been on the road a long time and notice higher psi in your tires, don't let the air out, as the increase in pressure has built up due to the warm, constantly-in-motion tires 1. Pull your car onto a level surface in the shade. 2. Remove dust caps from the tires' valve stems.Homes For Sale On Mines Rd Livermore Ca 3. Using your tire gauge, firmly press the tip of the gauge straight on to the tire's valve stem for a brief moment.Portable Air Conditioning Units Derby 4. The tire gauge should provide a psi reading; Fennec Puppies For Sale

if the number seems unrealistically low or high — for example, 85 psi or 1 psi – you will need to repeat the previous step, ensuring that the tire gauge's tip is properly making contact with the valve stem. 5. If the tire gauge's recorded reading is higher than the manufacturer-recommended rating, press the gauge tip on the valve stem until you hear air leak out. Check the tire pressure again. 6. If the reading is lower than recommended, fill the tire with air by firmly pressing the air-hose tip onto the valve stem. You will hear air quietly enter the tire. If you hear air leaking or spraying out, you need to double-check that the connection between the air hose and the tire’s valve stem is secure. 7. When you think you've added or let out enough air, check the pressure a few times with the gauge. 8. Replace the valve dust caps. Rastetter emphasized the importance of keeping dust caps on during winter driving because if water gets into the valve stem and freezes inside the tire, it could cause a flat.

While you're at it, check your spare tire's pressure. You don't want to have a flat tire and then find out your replacement is flat, too. Make these steps part of your routine. It will benefit your vehicle and your wallet. How To Remove A Sticker From Your Car How to Remove Salt Stains From Your Floor Mats post #1 of 40 Adding "regular" air to nitrogen-filled tires? post #2 of 40 Originally Posted by DukeStreetKingRemember from your science class it's about 80 per cent nitrogen. I'm not a believer in using nitrogen in tires anyway. Especially if you're paying extra for it. Should You Fill Your Car's Tires With Nitrogen? post #3 of 40Hey, it's spelled just like escape 2013 Escape SEL 4WD 2.0 10/2012 FORUM SEARCH CLICK HERE How to: Edit Signature Box post #4 of 40 Originally Posted by my2cents So, a possible $336 total in annual tire fill-ups. That's $1,680 for the N over the life of the typical five-year auto loan!

You could buy not one, but two additional sets of tires for that dough. post #5 of 40 Just remember to change the air in your tires every 3000 miles, nitrogen or not. post #6 of 40 Originally Posted by socal-detroiter What afraid of change? I use the Nitrogen Life Monitor (NLM)! post #7 of 40 change your air as in drain the air and fill it up again? whats wrong with the air that is in there? post #8 of 40 But be sure you recycle it. We don't need even more air pollution. Two Reminders for Members - Please Read 2013 Ford Escape, 2.0 Titanium, 4WD, Frosted Glass - build date 4/16/13 post #9 of 40 Originally Posted by mnlauzon Sorry I was just being a smart ass, you don't need to change the air in the tires. post #10 of 40 By god those Pilgrims are worth a laugh once a day.The United States and China are battling over trade tariffs on tires, but for most of us, safety is where the rubber meets the road. Imports of Chinese tires have grown from 15 million tires in 2000 to 46 million last year, according to the United Steelworkers union, which has accused China of unfair trade practices. 

The union, which represents workers in the rubber industry, said Chinese tires imports have accelerated this year, with August imports up 57 percent over January levels based on the weight of tires unloaded on U.S. docks. President Barack Obama this month backed the union's position and ordered higher tariffs on Chinese tires in an effort to slow the flood of imports that unions blame for thousands of U.S. jobs lost. Obama met with China's President Hu Jintao Tuesday to discuss trade, among other issues, as world leaders gathered at the United Nations for the General Assembly meeting. For many drivers, the trade spat might raise the question of how safe are tires imported from China, given that country's poor safety record on other products including toothpaste, pet food, toys and drywall. The answer depends on whether you buy Chinese-made tires from name brands like Goodyear or Michelin, vs. Chinese-label tires or those made in China under contract for some private store labels, tests show.

Tire manufacturers, many of which have moved some production to China to save money, say that production techniques and materials are the same no matter where the tires are made, and that their Chinese tires are every bit as good as those made elsewhere in the world. “The Chinese tires coming into this country for the most part have been safe tires,” said Roy Littlefield, executive vice president of the Tire Industry Association. “All the tires have to be tested before they come here," he said, referring to U.S. government testing and standards. “We have same global quality standards around the world,” said Keith Price, a spokesman for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. “The standards are the same whether we make it in Oklahoma, Germany, Brazil, Indonesia, or China, the product standards are the same.” Jim Smith, editor of Tire Review, a trade magazine, said he has seen this for himself. “Michelin is very persnickety,” he said. “At the Chinese plant you couldn’t tell if you were in China or in South Carolina.

The plant has the same controls, the same machines and the same uniforms on the workers.” Nevertheless, there have been some safety blips in Chinese-made tires. Last year the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation into defective tire valve stems produced by a subsidiary of Shanghai Baolong Automotive Corp. The company sold 300 million valve stems which were susceptible to cracking, potentially causing the tire to deflate, a problem which led to one fatality, according to NHTSA. Two fatalities were attributed to defective tires made by Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co. because of tread separation. The tire importer issued a recall for the 450,000 tires it had sold. The average consumer thinks little more of tires other than that they are “round and black” said Matt Edmonds, vice president of marketing for mail order giant Tire Rack, so when shopping for tires, country of origin probably takes a back seat to other factors such as price, buyer loyalty and reputation.

But with tires, as with many other products, it's buyer beware — you get what you pay for. Because of the substantial differences between name-brand tires that are made in China and tires that are designed and manufactured by Chinese tire makers, it may be more relevant to consider Chinese tires as two separate products. Consumer Reports magazine tested 23 affordable all-season replacement tires, seven of them made in China, reported Gene Petersen, tire program leader for the magazine. Of those seven, six finished in the top half of the field, he noted. They included tires from brands such as Toyo, Cooper, Pirelli, and Kumho. “Because these tires are being built with the companies whose names are on the tires, the same specifications that would apply to a tire made in the U.S. would apply to a tire made in China,” said Petersen. But that was seemingly not the case for the Chinese-branded Ling Long tires tested by Car and Driver magazine. The Ling Longs wore a tread pattern identical to that of a popular Yokohama tire, a visible semblance that could cause consumers to assume similarity of performance.

That assumption would be wrong. The magazine found the braking distances and cornering grip were much worse for the Ling Long tires than for any others in the test, requiring an extra 22 feet — one and a half car lengths — to stop from 50 mph than the best tires. “Chinese-branded tires are a whole different world,” reported Car and Driver technical director Dave VanderWerp. “You absolutely get what you pay for, which, as we found in our test, is capability that is nothing short of scary. The Ling Longs in our test scored less than half the performance-based points than even the next-best, eighth-place tire. That’s how far they are off the pace.” “Is a Ling Long tire as good as a Michelin?” asked Smith. If you want a Michelin, buy a Michelin,” he said. “It depends on the consumer and what they are willing to pay.” There is no way to predict whether Chinese-branded tires will prove to be safe for American drivers, but because they are built to pass U.S. government safety tests, they should be.