How to Properly Check and Fill Tires on Your Car, by 1A Auto: Repair Tips & Secrets Only Mechanics Know on YouTube. 4 min 47 s.
- Video length
- 4 min 47 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Find the recommended tire pressure on the sticker inside the driver's door jamb or in the owner's manual. Use the car maker's number, not the maximum printed on the tire sidewall.
Check the tires when they are cold, meaning the car has sat for a few hours or you have driven less than a mile. Warm tires read higher and give a false result.
Unscrew the valve stem cap on one tire and keep it somewhere safe. Press the gauge firmly onto the valve stem so no air hisses out.
Read the gauge and write down the number. Compare it to the recommended pressure to see how much air you need to add or release.
If the tire is low, push the air chuck onto the valve stem and add air in short bursts. Check with the gauge after each burst so you do not overshoot.
If the tire is over the recommended pressure, press the small pin in the valve stem with the gauge tip or a fingernail to let air out. Recheck with the gauge.
Repeat the check and fill on all four tires, and check the spare too if your car has one. Screw each cap back on finger tight.
Reset the tire pressure monitor if your car has one, using the button or menu described in the owner's manual. Some systems clear themselves after a short drive.
Tips and common mistakes
Check pressures once a month and before long trips, since tires lose about 1 psi per month on their own.
Never deflate a warm tire to match the cold number, because it will be underinflated once it cools.
Replace a missing valve cap, as dirt in the valve can cause a slow leak.
If one tire keeps losing pressure, look for a nail or have a shop check it for a puncture.
Questions
What pressure should I use, the one on the tire or the one on the door sticker?
Use the door jamb sticker or owner's manual figure. The number on the tire sidewall is the maximum the tire can hold, not what your car needs.
Do I need to check the spare tire?
Yes, if your car has a full size or space saver spare. A flat spare is useless when you need it, so check it at the same time.
Why does my dashboard light stay on after filling the tires?
The monitor often needs a reset or a short drive to relearn. Check the owner's manual for the reset procedure on your model.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
