Need to save Money on Gas? Proper tire inflation is the trick to save!

Would you like to save $300 on gas every Year? Gas stations all across the continent are giving you a free coupon to save money on gas! How do you get this coupon? Easy just drive down to your gas station and stop at the air station! By having your car at the right tire pressure can save you big bucks at the pump, help you stop faster, and also extend the life of your tires!

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 36% of cars and 40% of trucks are driving with tires under-inflated by atleast 20%.

Fuel Efficiency

Here's a look at average fuel efficiency using gasoline in different types of vehicals, under average driving conditions, for North american models.

Operating a vehicle with just one tire under-inflated by 6 psi (40 kPa) can reduce the life of the tire by 10,000 km and increase the vehicle's fuel consumption by three percent. For improved fuel efficiency and enhanced safety, give your tires the attention they need.

Say you drove 20,000 miles last year with 4 tires all under-inflated by 6 psi. With current fuel prices around $3 a gallon, how much would it cost you?

First we'll take a look at how much you would spend on fuel with properly inflated tires. An average mid-sized car doing half city driving and half highway driving, averages 24 mpg. 20000m/24mpg = 833.3 Gallons * $3/ gallon = $2500.

Well each tire under-inflated by 6 psi will increase the vehicle's fuel consumption by 3%. Since we have 4 tires under-infalted thats 12% more, or $2500 * 1.12 = $2800.

By having your tires under-inflated cost you $300 over 20,000 miles of driving! Now that example was with a mid sized car, what about a SUV? You'll save $500!

Checking your tires air pressure with a tire guage is recommended every month. Tires can loose up to 2 psi a month just from seeping throught the rubber. Tires will lose another 1 psi for every 18 degrees F drop in temperature. SO it's really important to check your tires pressure during the winter months.

To find out what your tire pressure should be, check the sticker in the drivers side door labeled "Tire Load information". In the picture on the right, the car requires 29psi for both the front and real tires. The tires themselves are rated for a maximum 35psi. In this case I fill my tires slightly over the 29psi but under the 35 max.

Author Notes:

David Parker contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.buying-tires.com.