Last updated on September 22nd, 2023 at 07:53 am
If you have been driving a car for a long period, you have an idea that the tire does not run for similar air pressure always. Every time, the tire required maintenance and a checkup of air pressure whether it’s not too low, or if it is inflated, the air has not increased the limit of air pressure.
Air pressure in the tire is the determinant of your car’s performance sometime. The air pressure should not be rather high or low, it has to be at the recommended level to achieve the perfect performance of the car and tire as well. Going up or Down on air pressure has consequences that could damage the tire. In this article, we will discuss what happens when the pressure is high or low and what you can do to keep track of the air pressure in your vehicle’s tires.
Impacts of Low air pressure
As the tire keeps moving on, the pressure of the air inside the tire keeps falling. There are other factors included but commonly after, 500-1k miles you should refill the air on the tires. If you do not keep a check on your air pressure then there are chances that your tire will not work as long as it should.
These are some of the major impacts that driving with low air pressure could have on your tires
Puncture and tread rubber destruction
If you drive with a low-air tire, even if it is not a flat tire, there are chances that the rubber and tread of this tire will be a mess after you inflate it. The reason for that is when the tire is low on air, it contacts the ground very unevenly which is why most of the tires that run on low air pressure become useless after a few miles. Also if there are stones, nails, or rocks, the tire will very easily take puncture due to the low air inside the rubber.
Low fuel mileage
When a tire has low air pressure, the engine has to put much more effort to move the tire to give power to the axles. By that, the car will consume more fuel to cover the range that could be covered with less gas if the tire is properly inflated.
Chances of accidents
When the tire is low on air, it has less traction control, and low grip even at a slow speed. So if you keep driving with that tire, you will find it very hard to control the movement of the car, and if unfortunately, the road is slippery or something, you will lose total control of the car which can cause a major accident. Also, when there is low air pressure, the tire is very bad on a bumpy road, sometimes damaging the rims of the cars as well.
Impacts of High air pressure
Just like low air pressure, high air pressure on tires is equally dangerous. When the tire is above the recommended level of air pressure, it becomes wider which is not good for the tire and for your car as well. That is why never add extra air by thinking that it will keep your tire running for more miles. These are some of the impacts that high-air-pressure tires can create on your car.
Chances of blowout
If you blow your tire with as much air left on the hose, you won’t get any benefit from it rather you will face circumstances that won’t be good for you. When the air is high on tires, they are very close to blowout, a small nail can take your car down into the ditch. The stretched rubber won’t be able to handle the road, if you drive fast keep that in mind. Although F1 drivers put a little extra air on the tire, due to the grip and speed but that is another scenario.
Bad handling and lost steering response
Handling and control of steering are very bad when the tires are high on air pressure. The car will go into different dimensions just by swiftly moving the steering. That is why it is not always necessary that if you get something extra it means it will be good for you, just maintain the pressure to the recommended pressure to keep your car away from any trouble.
Stiff and uncomfortable ride
Another result of high air pressure on tires is that the car delivers an uncomfortable ride, especially on bumps and uneven roads. The tire with the high pressure gets bouncy and when there are bumps the whole car jumps like crazy. The stiffness of the ride is also the result of high air pressure on the tires.
How to keep track
To keep track of tire air pressure is to check your tire air regularly. And the other easy and convenient way to keep track of your tires is to use a monitoring tire pressure sensor. The TPMS will keep you informed about the air pressure on the tire and will notify you if the air is below the recommended level as well.
Recommended air pressure
Different cars, different models, and different tire sizes have different recommended air pressure. The best way to find out about the recommended air pressure is to look at the manual that comes with the car or with the tires. If you can’t find the manual, then check the sizes of your tire or your tire model, and search on the internet to find the recommended PSI for your tires.
How air pressure changes
The tire air pressure changes due to weather conditions. In winter, the PSI decreases due to the cold weather. That is why it is recommended to keep a closer look at your tire air pressure in the winter seasons. Similarly, there are other reasons that create variation in air pressure including fast driving, puncture, old tires, and damaged tire or valves. These are some of the reasons that bring changes in tire air pressure. So if you want to keep the pressure stable, especially check out for these things.
Conclusion
Keeping a track of tires is very important because if the tire is moving with high or low air pressure than recommended, there is a risk of some unusual incident. Any negligence in this can cause a big loss. TPMS is the best way to keep track of your tires, especially one that comes with monitor screens. Finally, always make sure you are sure about the air pressure in your vehicle’s tires other than these impacts written above, any other extreme thing can be avoided just by simply precheck your tire’s air pressure.
