More air means less money at the gas pump
Research reveals that motorists
rank tires as the second-most
important safety feature on
vehicles next to brakes, yet
only a third of consumers properly
check their tire inflation pressure.
Improper air pressure in tires can
lead to a multitude of problems —
from uneven and accelerated tire wear,
to structural damage in a tire. An
underinflated tire also has the potential
to affect tire performance, including
making a vehicle less fuel-efficient.
With vacation travel in high gear, and
winter around the corner, more attention
needs to be given to the care and
maintenance of your tires.
“Checking tires for proper inflation
and tread condition is one of the most
critical — and easiest — maintenance
procedures for a consumer,” notes
Richard S. Hamilton, President & CEO,
AAA East Central. “The only requirements
are vigilance and an inexpensive
tire gauge.”
Tires should be rotated at least every
5,000 miles and the alignment should
be checked once a year. Misaligned
tires can cause the car to drag, which
lowers mileage and causes unnecessary
tire wear.
With the free air pumps disappearing
from gas stations across the country,
consider investing in a portable
compressor. Lower cost inflators can
fill a car tire, but may take up to 20
minutes to reach the right pressure.
Some retail tire outlets will provide
consumers with a free tire check.
Goodyear offers a service known as
“Free Air,” that includes an inspection
of the tread condition and tire inflation,
with air added at no charge if the
inflation level is down.
According to recent research by
the Rubber Manufacturers Association
(RMA), not only do most drivers ignore
their tires, most simply do not know
enough about how to care for the tires
correctly.
Most experts recommend that
motorists should check tire inflation
at least monthly or before a long trip.
Tires should be inflated to the vehicle
manufacturer’s recommendations
printed on the vehicle door placard or
in the owner’s manual, not the maximum
limit stamped on a tire sidewall.
The average consumer could improve
gas mileage by 3.3% simply by keeping
their tires inflated to the proper pressure.
In addition to proper inflation,
another way consumers can potentially
benefit from increased fuel efficiency is
by choosing a tire such as Yokohama’s
DNA Earth-1 tire series, which feature
a 21 percent lower rolling resistance
or Goodyear’s new Assurance Fuel Max.
The Assurance Fuel Max has a fuel-saving
tread compound that helps reduce
energy loss as the tire rolls. This helps
to save an estimated 2,600 miles worth
of gas over the life of a set of tires.