As winter, then spring ends, a lot of drivers start asking ‘what should tire pressure be in summer?’

The best and short answer is that: Maintain the optimal tire pressure recommended by the manufacturer. Remember, the optimal pressure for your tire is NOT the same as the maximum tire pressure that can be put into your tires! If you do that, you might get the surprise of your life, when your tire explodes on a hot summer day if you drive for long stretches!

image credit: State Farm

Pay attention to your dashboard light indicators. If the low tire pressure indicator lights up, then one of your tire’s pressure has dropped. Better visit a gas station with air service to increase the pressure.

There’s one problem, though. What if your tires are overinflated? There’s no light indicator for that. If you have one of the newer cars with state of the art dashboard screen, it will show the pressure for every single tire, including your reserve. So overinflation isn’t a problem for drivers of these newer cars.

Things to Remember

Here are several things to avoid, when it comes to your tire pressure.

Don’t overinflate your tires. 

Just go with the recommended tire pressure for your car. Better check your tire pressure in the morning, before you start driving. This is because when the rubber meets the road, it will generate heat because of friction. And heat will make the air inside the tires expand. This is also why tire pressures tend to drop in the winter–the outside air is extremely cold, which compresses the air pressure inside the tires.

Don’t underinflate your tires.

While this may seem like a good idea during the summer, when outside air and the surface of the roads are hot, the tire tends to flex more, which will lead to more heat buildup.

Forget the Pencil-type Tire Gauge, Use the Dial-type instead.

You know those old gas stations with old pencil-type gauges? I hate those! They’re not accurate, and they are a pain to read. Before you know it, you’ve probably deflated your tires, then you need to add more air, and waste four more quarters! Ugh.

Invest in a good dial type gauge like the Moroso 89560, which comes with the gauge and with a short hose so you can see the pressure right when you push it into the tire’s pin. It costs almost $50, but it’s definitely worth having in your car!

You should also consider having a portable air compressor.

You never know when you’ll need it. You might as well keep a portable air compressor inside your car. You could get a separate air compressor, but since you may also need a battery jump starter at some point, you could just get one of the portable jump starters with built-in air compressor like the The Stanley J5C09 1000 Peak Amp with Built-in Air Compressor.

Lastly, check your tire pressure periodically.

Doing so will help you lengthen the life of your tires, and even help you get more mileage for every gallon of gas you buy. You may want to do this monthly to ensure a smooth ride always.

Don’t be that guy or girl who drives with a flat tire!