Maintenance
347
Tires and wheels
Tire pressure
Always observe the following:
䳜 Check tire pressure when the tires
are cold. (After vehicle has been
parked for at least three hours or
hasn't been driven more than 1
mile (1.6 km) since startup.)
䳜 Check the pressure of your spare
tire each time you check the pres
-
sure of other tires.
䳜 Never overload your vehicle. Be
careful not to overload a vehicle
luggage rack if your vehicle is
equipped with one.
䳜 Warm tires normally exceed rec
-
ommended cold tire pressures by
4~6 psi (28~41 kPa). Do not
release air from warm tires to
adjust the pressure or the tires
will be underinflated.
Tire Inflation
Overinflation or underinflation can
reduce tire life, adversely affect
vehicle handling, and lead to sudden
tire failure. This could result in loss
of vehicle control and potential
injury.
Checking tire inflation pressure
Check your tires once a month or
more.
Use a good quality gauge to check
tire pressure. You cannot tell if your
tires are properly inflated simply by
looking at them. Radial tires may
look properly inflated even when
they're underinflated.
Check the tire's inflation pressure
when the tires are cold. "Cold"
means your vehicle has been sitting
or at least three hours or driven no
more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
1. Remove the valve cap from the
tire valve stem.
2. Press the tire gauge firmly onto
the valve to get a pressure mea
-
surement. If the cold tire inflation
pressure matches the recom
-
mended pressure on the tire and
loading information label, no fur
-
ther adjustment is necessary.
3. If the pressure is low, add air until
you reach the recommended
amount.
4. If you overfill the tire, release air
by pushing on the metal stem in
the center of the tire valve.
5. Recheck the tire pressure with
the tire gauge.
6. Be sure to put the valve caps back
on the valve stems. They help
prevent leaks by keeping out dirt
and moisture.