How often do you check your tyre pressures? Unfortunately the answer to this is often never! This is a real shame as if we carried out this check on a monthly basis then road safety would be improved and motorists would save money. Yes that’s right checking your tyre pressures will save you money, hopefully now I have your attention – I’ll continue.

Reasons to check your pressures

Tyres really are a safety critical item and they deserve some basic attention to ensure they perform the way they are designed to. If tyres are at the incorrect pressures then the vehicle can suffer from unpredictable handling characteristics, reduced handling performance and grip and an increased chance of blow out when driven at high speeds.

Under inflated tyres require a larger force to make them turn, this equates to more fuel and higher running costs. Therefore by ensuring that your tyres are at the correct pressures you will ensure that your fuel bills are kept to a minimum. Running at the wrong pressure will also cost you money in that tyres are likely to wear unevenly and wear out quicker, need replacing sooner, this also is an unnecessary cost.

Where to get your pressures checked

The obvious one is at the petrol station which is fine, however why not go to your local tyre shop when you are passing? Assuming they are friendly folk (most of us are) then they will do this free of charge for you. Also tyre shops should calibrate their gauges regularly so you will get more accurate readings than the petrol station gauges that are given a pretty hard time being thrown about.

What pressures do I need?

The pressures for your car should be printed somewhere, this may be on the inside of the door panel or the back of the petrol cap. If you can’t find it then there are some good online tools that will help. Tyresafe are an organisation that promotes tyre safety and their website allows you to enter your vehicle registration and the site will return the correct pressures:

http://www.tyresafe.org/tyre-safety/tyre-pressure-check

In fact they even designed an i-phone/pad app to use which can be downloaded:

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/tyresafe/id394894885?mt=8

What else?

Whilst you are checking your pressures why not make sure that your tyres appear to be in good condition? If you’re not sure what to look for get the tyre guys to offer a free tyre safety check. Again there are some great online tools, I just found a great little informative site that provides tyre safety info and even offers free stuff – happy days!

http://aremytyressafe.co.uk

In the words of tyresafe, safe tyres, save lives!

{ 0 comments }

3 Tips for Fixing Your Truck’s Uneven Suspension

May 17, 2012

Trucks are used for a variety of applications, most commonly for commercial purposes. These vehicles are specifically designed and bred for the most rigorous and toughest of tasks that luxury vehicles aren’t capable of performing. Yet despite their robust build and structure, trucks are not all perfect. They are bound to suffer the consequences of [...]

Read the full article →

Part-worn tyres in Hull

May 10, 2012

In this post I want to talk about a growing talking point in the tyre industry, the seedy world of part worn tyres, or as I prefer to call them, part safe tyres! I’m writing this with a focus on my local area of Hull, East Yorkshire where whichtyres is based, although I’m sure that [...]

Read the full article →

Do I need camping tyres for my motorhome?

May 9, 2012

I recently did an article on the importance of checking your motorhome tyres before the holidays which can be seen here:  But what should you do if they need changing? Which tyre should you buy for your motorhome? Let’s investigate! If your vehicle was bought new then there is a good chance that it was supplied [...]

Read the full article →

A look at Avon tyres

May 1, 2012

In this post I will be having a close look at Avon car tyres to see whether they are a brand worth considering when your tyres need replacing. Who is Avon? They were originally a British owned company that have a solid reputation in making quality tyres. Avon has always had strong links with motorsport [...]

Read the full article →

A history of Pirelli Tyres

April 26, 2012

Whether you purchased your car from a dealership or from a private individual, the odds are good that it has Pirelli tyres on it if it is a hot car. That is because the company is the fifth largest tyre manufacturer in the world. These tyres also occupy much of the world, since Pirelli does [...]

Read the full article →

Check your motorhome tyres for happy holidays

April 25, 2012

As summer approaches, TyreSafe is advising motorhome owners to give their tyres a full ‘health check’ to avoid possible motoring misery. Tyre safety is important for all vehicles but motorhome tyres are particularly at risk from rubber deterioration due to being left to stand over the winter months. The sun’s VV rays penetrate the rubber and [...]

Read the full article →

How to Polish Aluminum Wheels

April 23, 2012

Aluminum wheels make a car look good. That’s why so many people have them. They’re shiny. They make people look twice as you drive by–providing the aluminum isn’t dulled by oxidation, road salt, or other factors. When that happens, the wheels won’t make heads turn–except when someone makes a snide remark about how you don’t [...]

Read the full article →

Renault Master van & motorhome wheels

April 19, 2012

In this post I want to discuss alloy wheel options for use on this popular van which is also often converted into motorhomes and even horse boxes. The information here is applicable to vans built in 2000 onwards, the earlier models have a very unusual set up and we have never found a wheel which [...]

Read the full article →

Hankook tyres are now original equipment on BMW 3 Series

April 19, 2012

April 16th 2012 and Hankook are proud to announce that they are now an original equipment supplier for the new BMW 3-Series. BMW will be fitting the new S1 Evo2 and other Hankook tyres to their 3 Series range from Spring 2012. Hankook now produce original equipment tyres for the 1 Series, 3 Series & [...]

Read the full article →