Why is tire pressure important?
Air is a gas, expanding when heated and contracting when cooled. For most of North America, fall and early winter are especially important times for checking tire pressure on your Chevrolet vehicle — as the ambient temperature falls, tire pressure goes down. A good rule of thumb: with every 10 degrees Fahrenheit of temperature change, tire pressure changes about 1 psi – higher as temperatures rise, lower as they fall.
What happens if your tire is underinflated?
- Premature or irregular wear
- Poor handling
- Reduced fuel economy
- Overheating, which could lead to a blowout
What happens if your tire is overinflated?
- Unusual wear
- Poor handling
- Rough ride
- Greater risk of damage from road hazards
How to check tire pressure
Check your tires at least once a month when the tires are cold, meaning the vehicle has not been driven for at least three hours or no more than one mile. The Tire Information Label located on the inside of your vehicle’s doorframe has the recommended cold tire pressure for your vehicle. Use a quality gauge. Don’t try to eyeball it—radial tires may appear fine even when they’re underinflated. Look for objects that can get wedged in the tread—they’ll work themselves even further into the tire and cause air loss. To make sure you’re covered, every check of your tires should include a check of your spare (if available), as well.
What is a tire pressure monitoring system?
The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) on your Chevrolet vehicle is designed to warn the driver when low-tire-pressure conditions exist. A sensor measures tire pressure, then transmits data to the Tire Pressure Monitor. If the pressure in one or more of your tires is 25 percent or more below the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended cold inflation pressure for tires, a warning indication will alert the driver.
Your Original Equipment TPMS sensor battery can last up to 10 years with normal use. When the TPMS battery fails, the sensor will need to be replaced.
How do you know that tire pressure is low or whether the TPMS has malfunctioned?
If the Tire Pressure Monitor light comes on and stays solid with a Check Tire Pressure, Low Tire Pressure, or Add Air To Tire message, then check and adjust all tire air pressures to the recommended levels. Next, drive the vehicle to turn the light off.
If the Tire Pressure Monitor light appears as a blinking yellow lamp for more than one minute and stays solid, then diagnostic service is needed. If your Chevrolet TPMS is not functioning properly, it cannot detect or signal a low-tire condition.
Chevy Connected Access keeps you in the know
The road can be full of surprises for your tires. Stay up to date on your vehicle’s tire pressure from the Diagnostic Alerts you’ll receive through Chevy Connected
What causes tire wear?
There are many factors that can cause tire wear on your Chevrolet vehicle, such as your driving style and tire maintenance habits. Tire replacement is absolutely needed when the tread wear indicators appear. A tire’s built-in tread wear indicators look like narrow strips of smooth rubber across the tread and become visible as the tire surface wears. Also, check for the signs of tire wear listed below.
Excessive wear on the inner or outer edge of the tire, commonly known as toe wear, suggests a wheel alignment issue. This typically produces a feathered wear pattern across both front tires.
Uneven wear on one side of a tire tread may occur when the tire is leaning due to camber misalignment.
Center wear occurs when a tire is overinflated, resulting in the center of the tire wearing more quickly than the edges.
Cupping wear occurs when a suspension/balance may be worn, bent or somehow compromised. You’ll notice a diagonal scalloping pattern on the tire.
Edge wear occurs when a tire is underinflated, resulting in the edge of the tire wearing quicker than the center.
Measuring tread depth
A quick and easy way to check your tire wear is with a tread depth gauge. It measures tire tread depth from 0 to 19/32 inch. These tools come in either digital or mechanical versions.
The Penny Test
The easiest way to check wear on your tire is with a penny. Place a penny upside down in between the tire tread as shown. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, the treads are worn and tire replacement is needed.
Why is tire rotation important?
It’s a known fact that regular tire rotation extends the life of your tires and improves performance. Tires are rotated to achieve a uniform wear for all tires. Each tire performs different tasks (such as steering in front- versus rear-wheel drive), therefore tires wear at different rates. Your tires should be rotated every 7,500 miles to prevent irregular tire wear.
It’s important to rotate your tires according to the correct tire-rotation pattern. Doing so will prolong the life of your tires and will reduce the risk of sudden tire failure. Front tires encounter different tasks than the rear tires. And a front-wheel-drive car’s tires perform different tasks than those on a rear-wheel-drive car. See the Maintenance Schedule section in your Owner’s Manual for additional information about your specific vehicle.
Tire rotation patterns
FRONT WHEEL
Pattern for front-wheel drive with same size front and rear nondirectional tires.
ALL-WHEEL/4-WHEEL/REAR-WHEEL
Pattern for all-wheel/4-wheel/rear-wheel drive vehicles with same size front and rear nondirectional tires.
DIFFERENT TIRE SIZES
Pattern for different size tires on the front and rear and nondirectional tires.
If your Chevrolet vehicle has a Tire Pressure Monitoring System, it will need to be reset after each tire rotation. See your Owner’s Manual for details. Or, read more about tire pressure.
Why is wheel alignment important?
Proper wheel alignment is key to prolonging the life of your tires. If your vehicle is misaligned, it can cause your tires to wear unevenly, and you may experience handling problems such as pulling or abnormal vibration.
Tires and wheels are aligned and balanced at the factory to provide the longest life and best overall performance. Adjustments to wheel alignment and tire balancing are not necessary on a regular basis. Consider a wheel alignment check if there is unusual tire wear or the vehicle is significantly pulling to one side or the other.
A tire that is out of balance often affects ride quality and can shorten the life of tires, bearings, shocks, and other suspension components. If the vehicle is vibrating when driving on a smooth road, the tires and wheels may need to be rebalanced.
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