With gas prices back at all-time highs, what strategies are we doing to mitigate some of the hurt? Pump the tires a bit higher than the stated pressure on the door sticker? I actually did that once a long time ago driving to Los Angeles. I filled up the tires on my then Toyota Corolla to 40 PSI (I think the factory specified 30 PSI) and enjoyed fantastic gas mileage for the 300-mile drive.
Higher PSI, lower rolling resistances, better miles per gallon.
Granted, do normal people even check tire pressures regularly? Us car enthusiasts check often, because the consequence of low tire pressures is oversteering your BMW M4 over a curbed median (very inside joke). On a serious note, optimal tire pressure is important because we care about road-holding, handling, and tire wear. Tires on less (or more) than specified pressures are negative on all three points.
Even if a car’s handling doesn’t tickle your interest, it’s still important to ensure proper tire pressures because of the lost fuel economy. On my Golf GTI, 2 PSI less than the standard 39 PSI is enough to lose me about two miles per gallon. At a time when a gallon of premium 91 octane is over $7.00, that can add up rather quickly.
In my experiences, tires lose about 1 PSI per month. Therefore once a month pressure check should more than suffice. That’s what I do. Don’t wait for the TPMS warning system inside the car to notify you of low pressures. Because by that time, the tire - if not punctured - is already grossly under-inflated. Digital pressure gauges are cheap and super long-lasting. I’ve had this unit for over twenty years!
Two box car.