How to Check Your Tyre Pressure (DIY)

• Tyres-Tips/Guides

We’ve spoken about the importance of maintaining correct tyre pressures at all times, whether for the sake of your safety or to extend the life of your tyres.

Tyres are rated for specific loads at a certain pressure, so it’s important to keep your car’s tyres inflated optimally. Most of us have our tyres checked at a filling station – here we show you how to do it yourself at home.

What is the correct tyre pressure?

The ideal tyre pressure depends on the make and model of your car. This is determined by the vehicle load and driving speed, and is measured in kPa (kilopascal), psi (pounds per square inch), or bars, which is the unit of measurement we use in SouthAfrica.

To find the tyre pressure values for your car, look for a sticker similar to the example above in your car commonly found in various places such as:

• Inside the driver’s side door
• Inside the cubby hole
• Inside the fuel cap
• Under the bonnet

Also note that some vehicles require different pressure values between front and back tyres.

Equipment 

All you will need is a tyre pressure gauge such as this one:

Method

These instructions are for checking your tyre pressure at home until you get to a fuel station.

1. Before checking the pressure, tyres should be cold, meaning that you should not have driven the car for a lengthy distance which would have allowed the tyres to heat up. The gases inside heat up, expand, and in turn change the internal pressure.
2. On a piece of paper draw four points to indicate each tyre and their position, i.e.: Front Left, Front Right, Back Right, Back Left.
3. Remove the valve cap from the first tyre.
4. Place the end of the pressure gauge over the valve stem.
5. Press in firmly until the hissing sound from air escaping stops and a reading appears on the gauge. Write down the reading.
6. Put the valve back on.
7. Repeat with all four tyres.
8. Check and compare the pressure readings against the sticker guidelines.

Note: If you are checking tyre pressure at a filling station, your tyres may not be at the ideal temperature. It may be necessary to adjust the inflation pressure to about 0.276 bars above the recommended value.

Watch a 1-minute demonstration:

Supa Quick is committed to driving safety in South Africa. Bring your car in for a free safety check at your nearest Supa Quick store where our experts will check various components like tyre tread and correct inflation of your car’s spare tyre too.

Disclaimer: This information is for educational or informational purposes only. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of this information. The views expressed in this article are the views of the author and not necessarily the views of Supa Quick.