How To Check Your Tire Pressure

To improve fuel efficiency, keep your tires properly inflated. Unbox Therapy's Lewis Hilsenteger shares how it's done.

Maintaining proper tire pressure is one of the simplest steps you can take to ensure your vehicle is operating at optimal efficiency. Lewis demonstrates how to check your tire pressure using an inexpensive tire gauge and shows how a common penny can be used to check whether your tire treads have sufficient depth. If it turns out your tires are low on pressure, air pumps are available at most local gas stations and Ford dealerships at low or no cost.

Over time, your tires lose pressure which can cause irregular tread wear and poor gas mileage. On average, tires lose air at the rate of one pound per month. In colder temperatures, a tire will lose one pound of pressure for every 10-degree drop. A simple solution: check your tire pressure at least once a month for longer performance.

Before you get started, read the safety and roadside emergency information in your owner's manual. Learn the maximum inflation pressure of each tire. This number is molded into the tire sidewall as required by the government. And, learn the operating vehicle tire inflation pressure, which is normally lower than the maximum inflation pressure. It is found on a Certification Decal or Tire Decal, and is usually located on the driver's door, door pillar, or in the glove box.