Image courtesy of www.vintagevalentinemuseum.com

Valentine’s Day is this Friday – don’t forget to treat your special someone right! And remember that one of the best ways to show folks you love them is by taking care of their tires. Not only will you be keeping them safer, you will give them the gifts of better gas mileage and longer tire life!

Properly inflated tires are the key to tire care. Refer to the vehicle owner’s manual to confirm the manufacturer’s recommendation for proper tire pressure. While you’ll see a tire pressure number on the tire, remember that number is the maximum pressure.  The number specified in the manual will be the ideal level of inflation.

Remove the valve cap and press the tire gauge on the valve stem. The hissing sound you hear will stop once you press all the way down. After only a few seconds, you can get an accurate reading. When you hit  the right pressure, replace the valve cap. Repeat this process for the remaining tires.

When the tires need air, they can be filled with a portable compressor or one of the air pumps available at most gas stations. The process of filling the tires is similar to checking the pressure. Rather than pressing the gauge to the valve stem, you will press the fitting on the air hose to the stem.  Watch  the pressure gauge until it reaches the right pressure level. If you happen to over inflate, you can easily remove the excess air from the tires by applying pressure with the gauge and rechecking the tire. The more you check your tires, the better you will be at knowing how long you need to inflate to get the right pressure.

It is important to note that even if  tires look good, that does not mean the pressure is right. By the time a tire looks underinflated tire pressure is too low – be sure to catch it before then!