Summer Driving Tip:Checking Tire Pressure Can Save $200 in Gas!

Ignoring the tires on your car is one of the fastest ways to prevent your car from getting good gas mileage. Checking your tires to ensure you are traveling on correctly inflated tires is one of the easiest ways to save money on gas.

According to statistics provided by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Energy Information Administration, the Possible savings of avoiding under inflated tires is between $100.00 to $200.00 per year depending upon how much you drive and how under inflated your tires may be.

According to the Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency twenty-three per cent (23%) of vehicles have at least one tire under-inflated by more than 20%. Not only do under inflated tires on your vehicle hurt your fuel consumption it can also lead to poor or delayed braking, steering and acceleration. In other words, under inflated tires can be dangerous. Under-inflated tires may squeal when stopping or cornering even at moderate speeds, particularly on warm pavement.

Driving a car with just one tire under inflated by (8 psi) or 20% can lower the car's fuel efficiency by 4%. In addition under inflation may reduce the life of the tire by more than 9000 miles. Tires are permeable. That means that air can and does pass through the tire walls. A tire could lose up to 2 pounds of pressure per month. This is more important in summer as more air permeates through the tire in hot weather as the pores in the tire material get larger in the heat.

Since heat can accelerate air loss in a tire, it is important to note that when a tire is under inflated, the tire flexes and bends more than it would normally. The extra flexing and bending builds up heat. With the additional heat a tire that is under inflated will lose air at greater and greater rate.

Under inflation also causes the tire to increase rolling resistance which also increases fuel consumption. In addition under inflated tires can cause serious damage to the tire walls can lead to sudden tire failure.

Measure the air pressure in your vehicle's tires at least once a month in order o maintain proper tire inflation levels. When you do measure your tire pressure you need to do it when your tires are cold. "Cold" means that a car has not been driven more than 1 mile or has been stationary for at least three hours.

Keep a pressure gauge in your car and check the tires often. By maintaining your tires at the correct inflation levels you could save between $100.00 and $200.00 per year in fuel. Of course in addition to saving gas, maintaining the correct tire pressure could also prevent tire damage that could lead to serious accidents.

Article Source: http://www.rightbiz.com

Scott Siegel is the author of a 143 page manual of automotive industry insider information on saving gas and money at the gas pump. Visit us to learn how you can get better gas mileage. Find out how to increase gas mileage.
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