I run pretty high PSI during warm weather. Just wondering what you guys are running during the winter?

Thanks

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by giff74 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I run pretty high PSI during warm weather. Just wondering what you guys are running during the winter?</TD></TR></TABLE>

There's no need to change your tire pressure setting during cold weather. But there IS a need to add air as temperatures drop, just to maintain the same pressure.

Here's why I say that. If your car does well, say, at 33 psi in warm weather, then 33 psi is what you should set it to in cold weather, too. However, tire pressure changes with temperature. The Tire Rack estimates that pressure drops 1 psi for each 10 degrees F difference in temperature. So let's say you set the tire pressure to 33 psi when it's 70 degrees F outside, and then temperatures drop as fall and winter approach, so it's normally 40 degrees F outside. If you don't do anything, the tires will only have 30 psi in them, so you will need to add air just to keep the pressure at 33 psi.

Incidentally, pressure should be checked when cold, meaning that the car hasn't been driven for several hours and it's not sitting in the sun (either of which would increase pressure). You should either check it when the car is at the outside temperature that it is normally driven, or else adjust the pressure for any difference in outside temperature so that it will be at your desired pressure when the outside temperature is normal.