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Frequently
Asked Questions
Why
is proper tire inflation important?
Under inflated tires cause unnecessary stress, wear, and can
cause loss of control of a vehicle. In fact, improper inflation
is a leading cause of tire failures while driving. According
to recent studies, nearly half of all vehicles on the road have
at least one under-inflated tire, and tire inflation is blamed
for hundreds of accidents each year. Taking the time to make
sure your tires are properly inflated can significantly reduce
the risk to you and your family of tire failure while driving.
When is the
best time to check my tires?
The best time to check your tires
is first thing in the morning. The heat created from driving
increases your tires' air pressure, so to get an accurate reading,
you should always measure tire pressure when the car has been
unused for at least three hours.
Prior to installing Quik-Chek,
how do I check for proper tire inflation?
The following is the six step process for checking your tires
for proper inflation:
Step 1: Locate the correct tire pressure on
the tire information placard located on the drivers side door
or in the owner's manual.
Step 2: Use a tire gauge to check the air pressure
of all tires.
Step 3: If the tire pressure is too high in
any of the tires, slowly release air by gently pressing on the
tire valve with the edge of your tire gauge until you get to
the correct pressure.
Step 4: If the tire pressure is too low, note
the difference between the measured tire pressure and the correct
tire pressure. These "missing" pounds of pressure
are what you will need to add.
Step 5: At a service station, add the missing
pounds of air pressure to each tire that is under-inflated.
Step 6: Check all the tires to make sure they
have the same air pressure (except in cases in which the front
and rear tires are supposed to have different amounts of pressure).
How can I tell if my tires are properly inflated? Is looking
at them enough?
Absolutely not. In fact, your tire can be at half the recommended
level of tire inflation and still appear to be perfectly normal.
Always check your tires with a quality tire gauge.
How often should I check my tires?
You should check your tires at least once per month. In addition,
you should always check your tires prior to any long trips,
or after any sharp changes in the weather.
How does the heat affect my
tires?
When tires get too hot the risk of tire failure increases. Excessive
speed, under-inflation or excessive loading, either separately
or in combination, can cause heat build-up and possible tire
failure. When the weather is hot, these problems are made worse.
In addition, warm weather causes the air pressure in your tire
to go up 1-2 pounds for every 10 degrees of temperature change.
That's why paying attention to proper tire inflation is especially
important during the hot summer months.
How does cold weather affect
my tires?
When the weather turns cold, your tires lose air pressure. For
every ten degree drop in temperature, your tires lose 1-2 pounds
of air pressure. So you need to add air to compensate for this
loss of air pressure.
Why is it important to avoid overloading my vehicle?
Overloading your vehicle puts extra strain on your tires by
creating excessive heat. Excessive heat can cause tire failure,
especially during long trips. In addition, excessive loading
causes the tires to expand which can lead to increased tread
deterioration, another cause of tire failure. Tire failure on
the highway can lead to serious accidents.
How do I know if I'm overloading my vehicle?
Before hitting the road make sure to check your vehicles's loading
recommendation. This information can be found on the vehicle
information placard on the door post, or in the owner's manual.
Then figure out the total weight you're loading. And as you
load up the trunk and roof rack, remember you and your passengers
count towards the total recommended vehicle weight. |
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