How To Check Tire Pressure

Making sure that your tire’s air pressure is properly inflated is one of the most important servicing steps you can make on your car. Not only can you increase the performance of your vehicle but the safety of your passengers and yourself as well. But there are many people who don’t know how to read tire numbers or refill their tires properly. 

At Hillview Motors, our service center specializes in numerous areas of vehicle maintenance including checking your tire pressure and health. Schedule an appointment with the certified technicians at our service center near Latrobe to get the best help on how to read pressure and how to fill them up properly. Contact us today for more information!

How To Read Tire Numbers and Pressure

Learning what are tire numbers and how to read tire pressure is an important skill to have when your Tire Pressure Monitoring System light comes on. It can help you prevent tire ruptures on the road or further damages. Embossed on the outside of the tire, you’ll find the following coding P 225 / 70 R 16 91 S, which translates to:

• Type: This is the type of tire, here it’s “P” for “Passenger.” You might also see “LT” for “Light Truck.”
• Width: This is how wide the tire is, here it’s 225. If that seems large, it’s because the width is measured in millimeters.
• Aspect Ratio: This is a ratio of the tire’s height (off the rim) to its width. Here, the tire height is 70% of its width.
• Construction: You’ll most likely see “R” for “radial” here. “D” or “B” or “-” indicates diagonal or bias-ply tires. You might also see an “RF” here if you have run-flat tires.
• Rim Diameter: Here, 16. This is the rim size in inches that the tire will fit.
• Load Index: This is a number indicating how much weight the tire can support when properly inflated, but it depends on a variety of factors. Unless you’re concerned with GVWR, you likely won’t need to worry about the load index.
• Speed Rating: Most passenger cars will have an “S” here for a max speed of 112 mph, though you might see an “R” for a max speed of 106 mph. 

How To Fill Your Tires To The Right Pressure

Now that you know how to check tire pressure, filling your tire pressure should be easy. By using an air pump at a local gas station in Scottdale or you can buy one. By setting the pump to your tire’s PSI, the pump will fill up your tires until it reaches this PSI. You’ll then move on to the next tire.

Service Your Tires at Hillview Motors

If you’re still asking, “how do I know my tire pressure,” or if reading the PSI and index is too hard, bring your vehicle down to our service center and we’ll help you out. Contact us today for more information on our tire service and auto repair today!