For tire pressure, is it better to go by what's on the tire or on the car? I keep hearing different things.

Question

My tires say 35 psi, my car says 32. My husband's tires say 44 psi, his car says 32 (which I think is a little low for what it says on his tires). Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

The sidewall number is the hard maximum for the tire.   Similarly, the speed rating is the hard maximum speed limit, not the speed you should drive them :)

Kaffee's notion that more pressure = slightly more MPG is correct, however I DON'T advise going over the maximum.  If you want to pressurize to 42 psi, get 42 psi rated tires.

Answer 2

Follow what the car recommends but in some cases if you have a load you will need to increase the amount by 2 to 3 pounds.

Answer 3

Its going to vary car to car, beacuase of the weight of the car. Trucks normally are alot higher psi, due to heavier weight. If you tire says MAX 35, then you want 32, because as the tire begins to go down the highway, the air inside the tire heats up, causing it to expand. Which in return causes it to act as 35 psi, even though its 32. Confusing huh? However, If your tire says recommended 35, then 35 will be fine. Those 3 psi, will not make much of a diffrence. But if it was 10 psi, then it starts to be diffrent.

So 32... if the tire says 35 max. but 35 if it says 35 recommended ... on the side.

Answer 4

sorry im a tire guy we run the max pressure....but really only you can know how your car tires wear..... run the max pressure will get you the best mileage... .ive been running 35 pounds since the 70's when they raise it from 32 to 35... all these pressures are recommend....its still up to the driver to watch for signs of wear.... more is better than not enough.... you look at the wear...  id run 35 or more

Answer 5

[I have a Honda CRX HF]

I usually try to run the tires about 5-10 psi OVER the tire sidewall max pressure.

This give least rolling resistance, and longest lasting tread wear.

I think the owner's manual is irrelevant if you have any tires bought after the original equipment.

I am not kidding you - I get about 50,000 miles on a set

Answer 6

You MUST go by the car.

The marking on the tire is the MAX that the tire can handle - not the regular operating pressure.

Good Luck...

Answer 7

go with the car and always check your tires cold less than 3 miles to get correct pressure reading to try not to make this rocket science

Answer 8

First of all, read the owner's manual for the vehicle you are about to drive. In there you will see information on vehicle loading and tire size, pressure, etc.

This information should also be written on a sticker which you'll find either on the driver's door frame or the glove box.

When you take your tire pressure, it should be taken before driving the vehicle. Friction from your tire rolling along the road causes heat which makes the air inside the tire expand, causing a higher air tire pressure reading.