Comments on: Fuel Economy Tip – Proper Tire Pressure

By: Nuno Branco

Nuno Branco — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:39:56 +0000

Hi everyone,
I know this post has been around for quite a while but i had to comment and I hope it helps the discussion.

The owner’s manual of every car i’ve had so far have always been quite clear about checking tire pressure when the tire is not cold. They all had a margin that should be added in that situation, like for instance adding 0.3bar to the standard value.

Best regards to all!

By: TDI Curious » Blog Archive » Well-inflated tires save on gas

TDI Curious » Blog Archive » Well-inflated tires save on gas — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:04:45 +0000

[...] are under-inflated by an average of 26%. If you consider that fuel consumption increases by 2% to 3% in this case, you quickly realise that this means billions of dollars and tons of emissions [...]

By: Parlons TDI » Blog Archive » Des pneus bien gonflés pour économiser l’essence

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:03:35 +0000

[...] serait sous-gonflé de 26 %. Quand on sait que la consommation d’essence augmente de 2 % à 3 % dans ces cas-là, on réalise vite que ce sont des milliards de dollars et des tonnes [...]

By: Normand Miron

Normand Miron — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:37:08 +0000

@Jimmy, I had as clients Michelin, BFGoodrich and Uniroyal for a couple of years, and they’ve always told me to follow the owner’s manual recommendation.

M+S means Mud & Snow indeed (http://auto.howstuffworks.com/tire3.htm), which means they are average All Season tires. For real snow tires, you need to go for Winter tires.

@ Brian, thanks for this post. I’m actually doing some research for a post on TDICurious and will gladly link to yours.

By: Self Inflating Tires: Shorcut To Safety or Green Innovation? : 2strokebuzz

Self Inflating Tires: Shorcut To Safety or Green Innovation? : 2strokebuzz — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:35:06 +0000

[...] of your classic ride. Besides keeping you up on two wheels rather than skidding across the road, properly inflated tires can help save the planet. From Jalopnik, via [...]

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 04:34:02 +0000

Brian, it doesn’t take very long for the tires to heat up, especially when they are low. To solve the problem of not having a compressor available at the house, just measure the pressure when they’re cold and note how many p.s.i. are needed. Then at the station, read the pressure, add as many pounds as you noted. By the way, the lower they are, the more quickly they will heat and the hotter they will get. This is one of the reasons that underpressure reduces gas mileage. The tires flex much more, thereby absorbing energy and producing heat. It’s also true that it’s equivalent to continuously going up a small hill when they are underinflated.

By: Brian Carr

Brian Carr — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 11:58:39 +0000

Jimmy – to be perfectly honest, I’m not sure what to tell you. I’d check and see what it says in the owner’s manual to find what the car’s manufacturer recommends.

By: Jimmy

Jimmy — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 00:55:43 +0000

I have a used 1991 Chev. Lumina with P195/75R 14.92S M+S tires. I can’t read the placard–it is completely faded out. What is the proper inflation? Does M+S stand for mud and snow? I doubt it, the car was purchased in the San Francisco Bay Area originally. They don’t look like mud and snow tires. I recently replaced one of the tires. The tire shop inflated the tire to 35psi. Should I inflate all the tires to 35psi? The rest of them are between 30 and 34. In general, is there a web site that has a table of tire inflation pressures for various tires and vehicles?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 05:51:00 +0000

While it is true that the correct air pressure for the stock tires of your vehicle can be found either in the owners manual or inside the door, replacement tires may call for different pressure. I recently replaced my tires, and the new ones call for 12 PSI more than the old ones. Check the sidewall of your new tires or with your dealer.

By: Brian Carr

Brian Carr — Thu, 18 May 2006 05:01:00 +0000

Thanks for the update regarding when to check your tire pressure. Hopefully people will see this and remember to check their tire pressure BEFORE heading to the air pump.