It’s crucial to drive on properly inflated tyres and regularly check if the tyre pressure is correct. Tyre pressure loss causes more friction between the road and the tyre, which may end up in overheating or even a nasty blowout.
Driving on under-inflated tyres affects not only your safety but also your car’s fuel consumption so regular pressure checks make a lot of sense, especially before a long road trip.
Why is it important to maintain the correct tyre pressure?
Proper operation of the tyre depends on many factors and one of them is having the correct tyre pressure, kept at the level recommended by the manufacturer. The following factors help to maintain optimum tyre pressure:
- correct installation of the tyre set on previously cleaned wheels
- the use of proper assembly paste
- replacement of the valve in the seasonal change of tyres.
If you have noticed a significant loss of pressure (by 0.2 bar per month), you should probably visit a professional tyre service to perform a comprehensive check.
The pressure drop may be dangerous.
The most common reasons for tyre pressure loss:
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Natural penetration of pressurised air through tyre components,
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Damaged rim (scratches, cracks, beads, rust etc.),
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Defective valve or valve insert,
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Incorrect seating of the valve in the rim opening,
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Over-tightening of the electronic sensor cap, ignoring the proper torque of approximately 4 Nm,
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Unsealing the inner layer protecting the tyre (micro-cracks),
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Damaging the tyre bead during installation (or removing) the product on the rim,
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Dirt at the contact point of the tyre bead with flange of the rim,
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Temperature drops in winter,
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Small punctures or cuts of the tyre.
If you're wondering what pressure should be maintained in your tyres, read the manufacturer's manual or check the information on inner side of the fuel filler flap. This is the place where the key tyre values are specified, including: pressure level or tyre size recommended by the manufacturer.
To learn more about the subject, watch a video prepared by our specialists:
Tyre pressure sensors (TPMS)
From November 1st, 2014, every new car sold in the European Union must be equipped with a system that automatically checks the tyre pressure. Seasonal change of tyres in a car equipped with such sensors differs from the process of replacing tyres without sensors. It requires special equipment.
Automatic pressure sensors from the Tyre-Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) inform the driver about the tyre pressure level and alert the driver when it drops below a safe level. There are two types of this system. The indirect system is standard in cars of medium and economic class and the direct system is installed in high-end cars and transfers real time data.