If you want to help prevent the risk of low tire pressure, you should make checking your tire pressure part of your regular maintenance routine. We recommend checking your tires at least once a month. Aside from this, you should also check tire pressure:

• When the temperature drops. Tires can lose 1-2 PSI for every 10℉ drop in temperature. In cases of extreme temperature drops, make sure to check if your tires need to be refilled.
• When you hit a curb. Catching a curb wrong or sinking into pothole is not good on your tires. Anytime this happens, checking your tire pressure can alert you to damage, like punctures or a dented rim, that may need repair.
• When your car sits unused. When your vehicle sits unused for weeks at a time, tire pressure can drop significantly, so it’s worth checking before taking an idle car back out on the road. With long breaks in-between driving, stopping in for a Complete Vehicle Inspection can help ensure everything’s in working order.

If you have a tire pressure gauge on hand you’re already halfway there! The next step is to locate your tire’s valve stem. The valve stem is a small tube installed through an opening on the wheel rim. From here you can connect a tire gauge to check tire pressure or use an air compressor to reinflate your tires, just remember to reinstall the valve stem cap.

Most vehicles come equipped with the technology to warn drivers when tire pressure is too low. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requires all vehicles made after 2007 to come equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) warning system. The TPMS light on your dash is part of a safety warning system that wirelessly monitors tire pressure through a direct sensor in your tires usually attached to the valve stem or an indirect system that typically uses wheel speed data to determine differences in tire pressure. If your TPMS light comes on, it’s telling you something— don’t ignore it!