Tyre Pressure

Johnny Utah

Can anyone tell me if these are the right prerssures for my tyres:

The tyres on the car are:

205/55/R16 94 V



According to the manufacturer's sticker inside the door the pressures should be:

Front tyres: 2.0 = 29 psi (according to kwikfit conversion table below)
Rear tyres: 2.4 = 35 psi

http://www.kwik-fit.com/tyre-pressure.asp


Does these tyre pressures sound right?




The reason I ask is because I was getting a puncture repaired yesterday on a rear tyre, and the mechanic said he put 32 psi in when he was replacing the tyre Surely this was too low, if the sticker says 2.4?

Mr.David

Yes its too low so you should inflate it to the correct spec when you get a chance.

peasant

Over 25 years of driving I have always found that car makers err on the side of comfort when it comes to specifying tyre pressure.

In my experience adding 0.5 bar (sorry, don't do PSI) to the spec gives better fuel economy and firmer handling.

Lord Nikon

My golden rule of thumb is always 30psi. So if you don't get a specific and exact answer, take 30psi as being right. I've used that for every car I've ever had, whatever it was.

It will be in the handbook, look under regular maintenance. Could either should be a sticker, either in the glovebox, or by the door with the pressures written on them.

mickdw

35 would be pretty hard on the road although if its specified Im not goin to advise otherwise however, driving style, load weight etc would dictate a certain amount.
I had an alfa with that size tyres at one stage and I always ran then at 28 psi front and 29/30 psi rear following much experimentation re grip, stability, feel etc.

carbsy

Astra estate here.. 31PSI all around, 35 would be very dangerous, be bouncing all over the place!

Johnny Utah

Mr.David wrote: »

Yes its too low so you should inflate it to the correct spec when you get a chance.

Thanks, that's what I thought. I tried to explain to the mechanic that I normally inflate to 35 PSI, but he didn't have good English, so I said I'd check it at the garage later myself. I thought if you went to a place that fits tyres, they'd know what they're at, but obviously not.

peasant wrote: »

Over 25 years of driving I have always found that car makers err on the side of comfort when it comes to specifying tyre pressure.

In my experience adding 0.5 bar (sorry, don't do PSI) to the spec gives better fuel economy and firmer handling.

I think adding 0.5 bar would be too much tbh. Wouldn't the tyres be over-inflated?

voxpop

Is it now down to the car rather than the tyre where pressure is concerned ?

Anyway mine has it listed on the inside of the fuel flap - I generally go for 32 all round. Too hard and you loose grip, too soft and you loose performance and economy

Lord Nikon

Too hard, uneven wear. Too soft, uneven wear. Basically, the full thread accoss the tyre should have even distribution with the surface of the road.

Alun

Mines 33psi front / 30psi rear (Focus C-Max Diesel). Surely it also depends on the weight of the car, and also on the weight distribution i.e. there can't be a "one size fits all" pressure for all cars.

Johnny Utah

neuromancer wrote: »

My golden rule of thumb is always 30psi. So if you don't get a specific and exact answer, take 30psi as being right. I've used that for every car I've ever had, whatever it was.

It will be in the handbook, look under regular maintenance. Could either should be a sticker, either in the glovebox, or by the door with the pressures written on them.

Yes, I know the correct tyre pressure for my car. There is a sticker on the driver's side door jam. I always check my tyre pressure regularly (once every 2 weeks), according to the tyre pressures as set out by the manufacturer. 30 psi would be underinflated, which would affect handling, and could damage the tyre.

I thought it was pretty poor for a tyre dealer not to know the correct tyre pressure (when it's printed on the doorjam), so I thought get a second opinion here.

carbsy wrote: »

Astra estate here.. 31PSI all around, 35 would be very dangerous, be bouncing all over the place!

Different cars will have different tyre pressures.
My car isn't bouncing on the road, and it's not dangerous. Like I said above, I inflate the tyres to the pressure recommended by the manufacturer.

mickdw wrote: »

35 would be pretty hard on the road although if its specified Im not goin to advise otherwise however, driving style, load weight etc would dictate a certain amount.
I had an alfa with that size tyres at one stage and I always ran then at 28 psi front and 29/30 psi rear following much experimentation re grip, stability, feel etc.

It's 35 on the rear only, 29 on front. That's what specified (taking load weight into account).