If your car spends a few days parked between trips around Capitol Hill or the H Street Corridor, your next drive may begin with an unexpected tire pressure warning. October is a good time to check the pressure before heading out, rather than waiting for the dashboard to remind you.
Start with a gauge rather than a glance
A tire can be underinflated without looking flat. Cooler air can lower tire pressure, and a tire already near the warning threshold may trigger the light. Check all four tires while they are cold, after the vehicle has been parked for at least three hours. Use the pressure on the vehicle’s door placard, not the maximum printed on the tire.
What changes after a few blocks
The warning may disappear as driving warms the tires. That does not establish that the pressure was correct before you started. Recheck it under cold conditions and adjust it to the vehicle’s specification.
Keep track of a returning warning
If the same tire needs air again, ask for a leak inspection. Tell the advisor which tire was low, how often you added air, and whether the light was steady or flashing. A flashing warning may involve the monitoring system rather than pressure alone.
Before your next weekend drive, schedule a tire inspection with Ben Nielsen’s 10th Street Automotive at 518 10th St NE. We can help determine why the warning keeps returning.