Your tyre pressure is on the driver’s door, not on the tyre
Check monthly with the car cold, include the spare, and do not rely on the warning light.
The right pressure for your tyres is set by whoever built the car, not whoever made the tyre, and the number moulded into the sidewall is not the one to inflate to. This is how the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says to check it.
Before you start
- Find your number on the Tire and Loading Information label on the edge of the driver’s door, or in the owner’s manual.
- Check them cold, meaning the car has not been driven for at least three hours. First thing in the morning, before you head out, is easiest.
- At least once a month, with a look at the tread while you are down there.
Step by step
- Take the cap off the valve and press the gauge on firmly until it gives a reading.
- Compare it with the number on the door label.
- Too high: let air out slowly by pressing gently on the pin inside the valve, then measure again.
- Too low: add the missing pressure until you reach the recommended figure.
- Do all four and make sure they match, unless the label gives different figures for front and rear.
- Check the spare too, then put the caps back.
If you have to fill up after driving
A warm tyre reads high. If you reach the air pump after a drive and a tyre is low, fill it to the cold recommended figure: running slightly under is safer than running well under. Recheck when the tyres are cold.
The warning light is not a substitute
A tyre pressure monitoring system only warns when a tyre is significantly underinflated, so the monthly check still matters. If the light flashes and then stays on, the system itself needs looking at by the dealer.
Photo: A car tyre valve with its cap off. CZmarlin, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Source: NHTSA, “Tires”, read on 3 November 2026.
Kuwait One, once a week.
The most useful stories we published this week, in your inbox.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
