Auto manufacturers and consumers have spent tens of millions of dollars on the new tire pressure monitoring systems that are required on all new vehicles, but Ford Motor Company now suggests that consumers should not rely on the monitors to make certain that their tires have the proper amount of air. Instead, it recommends the weekly use of a gauge to more accurately check tire pressure. Keeping tires at the recommended pressure can reduce the average amount of fuel used by 3 to 4 percent.
“Many drivers will be wasting fuel -- and money -- if their tires are underinflated,” says David Rohweder, Ford’s tire and wheel expert. “Properly inflated tires play an essential role in enabling vehicles to achieve their best fuel economy.”
The right amount of pressure in the tires also enhances safety. Virtually all new vehicles are equipped with tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) that alert the driver when a tire is significantly underinflated, but that doesn’t mean drivers no longer have to check the air pressure regularly. Even if underinflation has not reached the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS low-pressure warning light, drivers should check the pressure in their tires frequently. Ford recommends customers perform the check with an accurate (+/- 0.5 psi) digital tire-pressure gauge. Check tire pressure when the tires are cold, before they have been driven on. And always remember to check the air pressure in the spare tire when you check the other tires.
Air temperature can have a great effect on anything that’s inflated (OK, almost anything), just like when a child’s ball goes flat when left out in the garage in the winter. Temperature can change tire pressure by an average of one psi for every change of 10 degrees. Driving also affects tire pressure. When traveling, stop and check your tires before you’ve driven more than three minutes or more than 1 mile. After that, the tires become hot, and the inflation pressure increases.
