Save Money on Fuel by Checking Your Tyre Pressures!

Did you know that having under-inflated tyres affects the handling and grip of your vehicle which can cause it to behave in an irregular or unpredictable way? Furthermore it means that you have a much higher chance of suffering a dangerous blowout, especially on long distance high speed journeys. The tread on your tyres will also wear unevenly if it is over or under inflated and you will need to have them replaced more often.

 By keeping your tyres at the correct pressure your running costs will be reduced as you will save money on fuel. Under inflated tyres require more force to make them turn, and therefore… more fuel.

So… Where do you find the correct tyre pressure for your vehicle? Well there are a number of places to check this. Your vehicle user manual is usually a good place to start as this should also provide information on how much extra pressure you need if you are carrying a heavy load/trailer or if you are going to be travelling at a high speed for a long time.

 Other places it may be are on a label on the front door posts of your car, or on the back of the fuel cap cover. You can also check online at www.tyresafe.org/tyre-safety/tyre-pressure-check.

Now that you know the right pressure for your tyres you need to check that they are correct. To do this you will need some form of tyre pressure gauge like a foot pump or a digital pressure reader (all available at your local car parts store). Remove the dust cover on your valve and attach the gauge.

If your tyres are over inflated…

·         Let some air out by pressing the core of the valve in using a match (or something similar).

·         Deflate the tyre in short bursts and check regularly to ensure you don’t let too much out.

If your tyres are under inflated…

·         Ideally you should inflate your tyres when they are cold as a warm tyre can increase in pressure by 2psi (pounds per square inch).

·         Use a foot pump, plug in a 12v inflator, or use your local fuel stations tyre pressure inflator (these should have charts with all vehicle tyre pressures on them).

Make sure you check all of your tyres, including the spare! Once your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure, put the dust cap back on and you should be ready to go!

At all of our Merityre branches we offer Nitrogen Inflation. By filling your tyres with Nitrogen, they will maintain their correct pressure for longer as Nitrogen doesn’t leak through the tyre’s structure. Normal compressed air consists of mostly oxygen and water vapour, both of which permeate through the tyre casing. By filling your tyres with Nitrogen you will get:

·         Better road holding

·         Longer tread life – up to 25% increase

·         Reduced fuel consumption – Up to 5% reduction

·         No corrosion to the inside of the wheel.

 

You should check your tyre pressures at least once a month, before you go on long journeys, or whenever your vehicle is carrying heavy loads. If you are unsure of anything or would like help, bring your vehicle to your local Merityre branch http://www.merityre.co.uk/find_a_centre.htm and we’ll be happy to do it for you, completely free of charge.