Low tire pressure can be caused by anything from punctures in your tire to fluctuations in the ambient temperature. Tires with low pressure can blow out at any moment, leaving you stranded by the side of the road—which would be both expensive to resolve and a serious hazard to you and your passengers' wellbeing.
If your car has started handling poorly and its fuel economy has declined, then one or more of your tires might be underinflated. If so, you’ll need to get all your tires filled back up to the appropriate tire pressure as soon as possible—otherwise, you, your car, and your wallet will be in danger!
Luckily, Jerry
—the super app
for saving money on car insurance
—has compiled this article for everything you need to know about underinflated tires! Keep reading to find out the most common causes behind and risks of tire underinflation. What is tire underinflation?
Car tires need to be inflated—-meaning they need to be filled with a certain amount of air to maintain their shape and support the weight of your car. The amount of air in your tire is measured in pound-force per square inch or PSI.
Different tires require different PSI levels to function properly. If you’re not sure what PSI your tires need, you can find that information printed on the sticker inside the driver’s door or on the tires themselves.
Underinflation occurs when, for one reason or another, the PSI in one or more of your tires drops below the minimum required level.
Causes of underinflated tires
So, if your tires were properly inflated to begin with, how would they become underinflated?
There are countless ways that a tire can begin to lose pressure—any leaks or punctures, no matter how small, will gradually reduce your PSI.
Here’s a quick look at some of the most common culprits behind tire underinflation:
Punctures in the tire’s lining. These are often caused by driving over nails or other sharp objects.
Worn valve stems. The valve stem, which is used to inflate the tire, can become loose over time and begin leaking air.
Temperature changes. As the air becomes cooler, it contracts and takes up less space. So, as the weather outside gets colder, your PSI will drop. People who live in colder climates should expect low tire pressure in the winter.
MORE: Nail in tire? How to remove and repair a puncture
The risks of driving with underinflated tires
It’s never a good idea to drive with underinflated tires
. First of all, underinflation causes poor handling. Tires with low PSI decrease the control that you have over your vehicle, which can easily lead to a collision. On top of that, your engine will need to work harder to move your tires since there will be more resistance and friction with the road. This means you’ll burn gas at a much faster rate and have dramatically reduced fuel efficiency.
You’ll also risk a blowout if you drive with underinflated tires, which would be both jarring and dangerous as you could lose control of the car.
How do underinflated tires wear down over time?
As the PSI drops, your tire will flatten out. As a result, more of the tire’s surface area will be making contact with the road—this causes increased friction and overheating. The added heat, friction, and pressure will wear away your tires more rapidly than normal.
How to tell when your tires are underinflated
Depending on just how severely underinflated your tires are, you may be able to see that their pressure is low just by looking at them. Underinflated tires will look flatter on the bottom and have more give if you press on them.
The TPMS warning light should also come on if you have low tire pressure. You might also notice trouble handling your vehicle—especially if only one tire is underinflated. Often, drivers notice that their car tends to drift in one direction when a tire has low PSI.
Of course, the best way to detect underinflated tires is by regularly checking your tire pressure with a pressure gauge
—which is a handy little tool about the size of a pen. You can pick one up at any auto parts store or gas station. Using a pressure gauge is easy. One end fits directly onto your tire’s valve stem, and the pressure then pushes out a small ruler which shows the exact PSI in your tire. Just make sure that you get a nice tight seal when fitting the gauge onto the valve stem.
MORE: How to check and add air to car tires
Does car insurance cover tire repairs?
Unfortunately, car insurance will not usually cover the cost of tire repairs, patches, or replacements. Of course, there are exceptions
. For example, if your tire was damaged as the direct result of a collision, then your insurance might cover it. For the most part, though, you should expect to be paying for underinflated tires out of your pocket. How to save money on your car insurance
Regular car maintenance—like a flat tire—can add up. A great way to offset your car care costs is by paying less for auto insurance
. Luckily, you can put a huge dent in those monthly payments by using one simple trick! All you have to do is download the insurance broker app called Jerry
! Jerry is a super app
designed to save you time and money by instantly gathering and comparing quotes from dozens of the nation’s top name-brand insurance providers. Once Jerry has helped you find the perfect policy, it will handle the hassle and paperwork of setting up your new insurance and canceling your old coverage! Jerry is so fast and effective, that most drivers can find and set up equal or better car insurance coverage in just a few minutes. And the best part is that users save an average of $800+ a year!
“I was paying $350 a month for my new car. With Jerry
, I set up a new policy in under 30 minutes that will save me over $1,000 a year!” —Mariah K.
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