Consumers got a very nice Christmas present when the price of gasoline nosedived. It is a dollar or more less a gallon in most places, and no one seems to be too worried about filling up at the pump. However, the price of gasoline can suddenly go back up. There is already talk about the gasoline tax being increased and that levy may stay on a gallon after prices recover. It still is important to get as much miles per gallon (MPG) as possible from the fuel put into the car. If you may be wondering if tire pressure affects the MPG of your automobile, the answer is a definite yes.
Check the air pressureThe question is how much difference it is going to make. It is determined by the psi (Pounds per Square Inch) in the car tires. According to the US Department of Energy every one psi drop in the pressure of the tires is going to lower gas mileage by 0.4 percent. It is pretty obvious that under inflated tires will have a serious impact on a person’s wallet. It is something that is not going to happen in one visit to the gas station. Rather, it will occur over the space of a month. The cost of gasoline is going to affect the family budget. It is easy enough to avoid by simply checking the air pressure once a week. If it falls below the car manufacturers recommended tire pressure, it is a good idea to have additional air put into the tire.
Such knowledge can cause some people to make a well-intentioned mistake. They may think that by doing the opposite, over inflating the tires, it is going to be good for the gas mileage. It isn’t. Tests have been conducted that indicate over inflating the tire does not increase mileage at all. It is in fact possible to do some damage if tires are inflated up to the maximum amount allowed. The car owner is better off to stay with the PSI recommended by the car manufacturer; no higher and no lower.
Winter can have a very serious impact on tire pressure. It is estimated that the tire pressure will decrease as much as two pounds for every ten degrees temperature drops. Here is an idea of what that means. If the last time you had your tires inflated to a standard PSI of 32 was Labor Day, the pressure in your tires may have dropped as much as twenty five percent by the end of the year. It does more than just impact the gas mileage. Unacceptably low pressure in the tires is going to have a negative effect on the durability of those rubber wheels. The steering and the handling of the car is also going to be adversely impacted, and this is at the time of year when you need to have full control of the vehicle. This makes the weekly check on the tires that much more
important to do.
Car owner should resist the temptation to go with the psi that is stamped on the wall of the tire. That is the maximum air pressure for the tire and not the optimum. The manufacturer will place the right psi on a sticker that is found in the driver’s side door. The information can also be found in the owner’s manual of the car.
Inflating the tires to the proper pressure is not difficult at all. This is perhaps the easiest maintenance job that can be done on your vehicle. Gas stations usually have an air machine on the premises, which you can use to inflate the tires. Having a tire gauge as a necessary equipment in the glove compartment makes things even easier. If you have the car in for an oil change during the cold months you could ask that the tires inflated. Many places do that as a courtesy and it is no problem.
Tire efficiency is all part of getting maximum return on investment for anything related to your automobile. Maintaining the proper psi will allow your tires to last months or even years longer than ordinary. It also means that the miles per gallon is the best that can possibly be gotten out of your car’s fuel. It all adds up over time. A very simple inspection tires and proper inflation can save you hundreds of dollars over the life of the tires.
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