Should I set my tyre pressures when cold?

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Should I set my tyre pressures when cold?

To date I have always checked my tyre pressures when the vehicle is cold, i.e not been driven. Recently I have been told that the thinking now is that they should be checked when the vehicle is at normal operating temperature as this will be the correct operating temperature for the tyre. In your opinion, who is correct in this matter?

Asked on 16 December 2024 by Alan Belton

Answered by David Ross

It is recommended to set your tyre pressures when the vehicle is cold, because the pressures will then be correct for the majority of the time that the vehicle is in use. Although a cold start will mean that the tyres are potentially below the optimum setting if they are set to the minimum recommended pressure, the period of time for which this is the case is relatively small.

Tags: temperature tyre pressures tyre inflator

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