How to Fill Tires with Air

Keeping your tires properly inflated provides several benefits to you as a car owner. The optimum inflation level can extend the life of your tires by preventing wear. It can increase fuel economy because your car’s engine doesn’t have to work as hard to move the vehicle forward. Proper air inflation also improves handling in all driving conditions, so you’ll enjoy a better ride quality on the roads in and around Newark and Staten Island.

If you’re wondering how to fill tires with air, you’ve come to the right place! The service team at Hudson Nissan can help with our handy guide to car tire pressure. Learn how much air you should add to your tires, and why it’s important to know the recommended pounds per square inch (PSI) for your vehicle’s tires. 

How to Fill Tires with Air, A Step-by-Step Guide

Maintaining your car tire pressure is one of the easiest maintenance tasks you can do for your vehicle. Our detailed guide makes it even easier! 

To add air to your tires, follow these steps: 

1. Pull up next to the air dispenser at your local gas station. 
2. Make sure you can reach all four tires with the air hose. The air hose is anywhere from 10 to 15 feet long.
3. Remove the cap from the tire valve on the first tire. Make sure not to lose the small cap, so put it in your pocket or someplace secure in your vehicle like the glovebox or a cup holder.
4. Then, use a tire gauge to check the air pressure in the tire. A tire gauge is relatively inexpensive, or you can use the one attached to the air hose.
5. Push the end of the hose into the tire valve.
6. Inflate the tire to the recommended pressure rating in short bursts. 
7. Use the tire gauge to determine the tire pressure again after you inflate it. 
8. Continue to do this until the tire is inflated to the proper level.
9. Repeat this process for the other three tires, if needed.
10. Put the tire valve cap back on securely.

Pro Tips and Tricks on How to Fill Tires with Air

Air hose gauges at many gas stations aren’t completely reliable, so it’s important to have a tire pressure gauge in your glove box. A tire pressure gauge is about the size of a pen. One only costs a couple of bucks.

You might see the tire pressure change slightly from day to day because driving causes the tires to heat and the inside air to expand. The heat increases tire pressure. Colder temperatures cause air to contract, which can cause your tires to look underinflated.

When learning how to fill tires with air, it’s most important to avoid overinflating the tire. Add air in short bursts with the air hose, about 10 to 20 seconds at a time. Make sure that, regardless of what the second reading is after you inflate the tire, only top off the tire pressure that was lost before visiting the air station. 

If you do add too much air, don’t panic. Simply release some of the air. Press the pin located in the middle of the tire valve with the back of the air hose nozzle, or use the small knob on the back of the rounded end of the tire gauge to press the valve inward. This will release some of the air very quickly, so release the air in short bursts until you see the right air pressure on the gauge. 

Don’t give up if you have to adjust the pressure more than a few times. It takes practice to get it right! Once you increase the car tire pressure a few times, you’ll get the hang of it and inflate your car tires like a pro! 

How Much Air Should I Put in My Tires? 

You can find the recommended tire pressure for new vehicles on a sticker inside the driver’s door. If you can’t find a sticker, check the owner’s manual or driver information center through the onboard computer. You’ll find everything you need to know about your car’s tire pressure in any of those places. 

Generally, passenger cars suggest 32 to 35 pounds per square inch (psi) when they’re cold. To get the most accurate reading you can, check the tire pressure after the car has cooled off. Try not to check the air pressure after a long day of driving unless it’s an emergency and you need to put air in the tire to make it operate properly.

When inflating your tires, keep the following in mind: 

• Don’t inflate your tires to the psi given on the actual tire. This number indicates the maximum amount of pressure the tire can hold, not its recommended psi. Inflating the tire to that number will lead to an overinflated tire, which is not good.
• You can usually tell that you’ve overinflated your tires when the ride quality is bouncy and the car is harder to handle. 
• Underinflated tires can lead to faster tire wear and tear, which increases your overall costs of ownership.
• You can feel underinflated tires by sluggishness in the tires, having a harder time turning, and experiencing a more difficult time accelerating and braking.

Schedule Tire Service at Hudson Nissan! 

Are your tires underinflated? Tires having trouble holding air? Are your tires nearing the end of their usable lives with low treads? Perhaps it’s time for your vehicle’s tire service, tire replacement, tire rotation, or wheel alignment near Bayonne.

Contact us online or give us a call at 866-956-0455 to learn more about what we can do for your vehicle. From brakes and batteries to oil changes and transmission service, we’re happy to help in any way we can as you keep your new or used vehicle in great shape.