Many drivers start worrying about their tyres as the cold weather approaches, but changing temperatures at any time of year can change the air pressure in your vehicle’s tyres. If the tyre pressure changes it can affect handling, steering performance, braking distance, and fuel economy. It will also affect how long your Continental tyres Birmingham will last and remain in good condition.

Keeping an eye on your tyre pressure during warmer weather is important for driving on safe tyres. In this blog post, we will explain what to look out for and how you can keep your tyres at their best in the heat.

Changing Temperature and Tyre Pressure

Tyres consist of pressurised air inside a tube of reinforced rubber. Just like gas, the air will expand as the temperature increases and contract as the temperature decreases, which will raise or lower the pressure of your tyres.

Other factors can also impact your tyre pressure, such as friction from the road surface which generates heat, but the main cause of changing a tyre pressure is the changing temperature in simple owners the weather.

But how much does weather affect tyre pressure? As a rule of thumb, every 10 degrees of rise or fall in temperature affects a tyre pressure by 1 to 2 PSI. So change in your tyre pressure from summer to winter can be up to a 15% difference and this is enough to change the handling and performance of your vehicle.

Does Hot Wheather Affect Tyre Pressure?

Resistance and friction can cause a build-up of heat inside the tyres. The warming effect of the weather then adds up further pressure. But most tyres are made with built-in air pressure tolerations. Unless the weather conditions are very extreme, you should be able to drive your vehicle in hot weather without changing the tyre pressure, as long as you keep an eye on the TMPS and look for any signs of overheating.

Keep in mind that the tyre pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer is set for cold temperatures, so tyres should always be inflated once they are cool down.

How to Spot an Overheated Tyre?

The dark black colour and materials of your tyres make them perfect for absorbing heat, so if they are hot as you touch the surface, they are close to overheating. If you face the same situation, it’s time to stop driving and let your tyres cool down.

The hotter the tyre, the higher the pressure will be, so releasing some air out may seem like a good way of dealing with overheated tyres. But, doing this could lead to underinflated tyres when their temperature returns to normal.

What are the Risks of Overinflated Tyres?

If your vehicle tyre pressure is too high, it can significantly increase the risk of blowout. It can also reduce your traction since most of the tread is not in contact with the road. This will make your handling and traction less responsive, and your journey less safe.

We recommend you check tyre pressure in all weather conditions, even if you are not driving often or not driving. Also, reinflating is a must required, take your time to check over the tyre for any signs of damage. This way, you will be aware of any issues before they become more serious, or even dangerous.

What is a Tyre Monitoring System in My Vehicle?

Nowadays almost all of the passenger vehicles have a built-in tyre pressure monitoring system (TMPS). Using different sensors in all four tyres, the TPMS will give an audible or visual warning notification if the air pressure is too low. There are some cases where TPMS is not a reliable solution, and it won’t alert you if the pressure is too high, so ensure to check your tyre pressure manually by using a gauge.

Does Cold Wheather Affect Tyre Pressure?

For every 10 degrees of temperature drop, the tyres will drop 1-2 psi at most. It is important to keep your tyres within the manufacturer-recommended PSI to maintain friction. So you can expect the tyre pressure to drop about 2 to 3 PSI if the outside air temperature decreases by 30 degrees from the last pressure adjustment.

This is the case, where it is okay to deviate from the manufacturer-recommended PSI levels to maintain the longevity and functionality of the tyres.

In a situation of freezing weather, if you leave the tyres underinflated, not only does it cause your steering to be difficult, but it also generates more friction which causes tyres to be prematurely damaged, prematurely and skid easily on a wet road. Overinfalting your car tyres Birmingham can make your driving experience more rougher.

We recommend you check tyre pressure in all weather conditions, even if you are not driving often or not driving. Also, reinflating is a must required, take your time to check over the tyre for any signs of damage. This way, you will be aware of any issues before they become more serious, or even dangerous.