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Here is a fall maintenance tip brought to you by the ASE certified professionals at our seven northwest Hertz car care centers.
How important is tire pressure?
Today's tires are a whole new breed of technology that require little maintenance, but often get overlooked in our day-to-day routine. Tires are now made to fit many different driving needs and geographical locations. You can visit any Hertz car care center for help purchasing tires appropriate for your geographical location.
Each ten degree change in outside temperatures can affect tire pressure by 1 pound.
My wife says, "No problem. I have tire pressure monitors on my car so it will tell me when my tires are low." This sounds reasonable, but is false in most cases.
Starting in 2007, all cars will have some form of tire pressure monitors as mandated by the federal government. How will these systems work? The anti-lock brake systems will monitor that all wheels are spinning at the same rpm while driving and it will monitor the size of your tires in relationship to each other. If there are discrepancies, the braking system would see this and tell the computer to turn on the tire pressure warning lamp. The problem we see most often with this is that as long as the pressure in all four tires is the same, the indicator light remains off. The good news is that if you start to lose air pressure in one tire while you are driving down the highway, the brake system should see this and the indicator light should come on to alert the driver of a problem.
Even with all this new technology, we still need to check for proper inflation of our tires at least every three months. At Hertz, our car care professionals suggest checking for proper tire inflation at least once a month.
Tire manufacturers state a recommended tire pressure on the sides of their tires that was reached by testing the tire and by tire wear.
Car makers put a recommended tire pressure on the door or in the owner's manual that is suggested to maximize ride comfort and handling. A good rule of thumb is to pick a tire pressure somewhere in the middle of what the car makers suggest and what the tire manufacturers suggest. We all want a good ride, but we want our tires to last as long as possible.
Quick Reference:
If tires are worn on one edge inside or outside there may be an alignment problem.
If tires are worn on both edges, check for under inflation.
If tires are worn in the middle, check for over inflation.
If you notice cupping; shocks or wheel balance may be the culprit.
If feathering is occurring in front tires only, think about checking alignment or wheel bearings.
We at Hertz hope this monthly tip helps address some of the tire pressure questions you might have. If you need more information please stop by one of our seven Hertz car care centers and we will be more than happy to talk more tires including wear ratings, traction rationings and temperature ratings along with speed.
Next month's topic: Brakes.
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