I don’t think we’d find anyone that doesn’t value a car that they bought with their hard-earned money.
Therefore, they adopt measures to ensure that the car is always in its optimal working condition and this is good and would ensure that car lasts for as long as it can.
However, the concept of car tires provides a means whereby owners of a car make attempts to work on their cars by themselves.
You can carry out some of these supposedly simple tasks without the use of any tools and one of such activities is how to put air in tires without a gauge. Read on to find out how to go about this procedure with ease.
It should be known that you can fill your car tires with air without a tire pressure gauge although the latter ensures that the most accurate measurements are made.
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Regardless, car owners should do well to check the pressure of their car tires occasionally as this enhances driving safety. Meanwhile, those asking the question of how to fill a car tire without a gauge can proceed by taking the underlined steps.
How To Put Air In Your Car Tire Without Gauge
- Visit a nearby gas station and park close to the air compressor.
- Ensure that the tires are cold before filling them.
- Remove the valve caps of the tires.
- Set the machine’s pressure level. You’ll have to control it yourself if this isn’t an option.
- Connect the air compressor nozzle to the valve stem.
- Inflate the balloon for 5-10 seconds.
- Examine your tire visually or by touch.
- Replace the valve caps.
The above steps will ensure that your car tires are inflated without the use of a gauge. However, there are some details you should a first-hand knowledge of before you should go about this task. The fact is that you can’t fill your car tires without a tire pressure gauge although you can get close.
Things to look out for when filling your car tires
It has been established that car stations operate differently based on how their machines work concerning filling tires. Some machines stop when the pressure of the tire gets to a certain level while others rely on guesswork.
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This might be a challenge as you may have to carry out some tests to ascertain the state of your car tire pressure. Find some of them below:
Visual Examination
This method can be applied when your tire pressure is low. You can perform this test by inspecting the tire’s shape. Low pressure is indicated by it protruding from the sides.
Once you’ve filled the tires, it’ll be much more difficult to spot an overfilled one. As a result, we’ll need to run another test to get accurate results.
Hand Pressure Examination
You’ll apply pressure to the tire to determine how firm or soft it is. Low pressure is indicated by the tire being soft and squishy. They should be firm once you’ve filled them up.
This method has some drawbacks though. The first is that you won’t be able to tell how well the tires are inflated. Still, some people believe that if your tire is rock hard, you may have overfilled it.
Inflate to the Recommended Pressure
Do well to inflate your car tire to the recommended operating pressure. Also, note that the stipulated measurement is less than the maximum pressure that is listed on the tire. Based on the tests that have been mentioned, you must do well to inflate the tires if they are soft. Also, ensure that the tires are not too firm.
How do I know if my tire needs air without a gauge?
The aforementioned tests can help you ascertain if your tires need to be filled.
Another method is to adopt a cargo check. This means that you’ll have to load the car with heavy weights while keeping an eye on the tire’s sides. If the sides start to bulge after adding more weight, it means the tire needs more air.
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Is it safe to drive with low tire pressure?
You can drive a car with low tire pressure but this is a risk and is not advisable. It can be pulled off in some situations though if the following precautions are taken.
- Get rid of any excess weight.
- Slow down so that you don’t obstruct other traffic.
- Ensure that your emergency lights are turned on to alert other drivers.
Is Tire Pressure Loss Normal?
Based on some schools of thought, tires lose 1-2 PSI per month. However, it is dependent on several factors.
Some of the factors that will influence how much air your tires lose are the number of miles driven, the state of the roads you drive on, unsee harm as well as the level of your proficiency in driving
Meanwhile, tires have to be used regularly and you’ll find them losing less pressure if you drive for a considerable period daily. Also, the condition of the roads you ride on can make your tires susceptible to damage and could wreck your tire with time.
Your proficiency in driving is another major factor that will affect the state of your car tires in the long run. Therefore, to enhance your tire’s chances of lasting long, things like wheel spinning, and accelerations, amongst others, must be avoided.
Meanwhile, it is a no-brainer that aggressive driving will speed up the loss of pressure in your car tires. If your car tire gets punctured, it will lose air regardless of whether the hole created is noticeable or not.
Therefore, it is a good idea to inspect your tires regularly for any mishaps in their structure.
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Paying attention to these processes will ensure that your car tires last for as long as possible, ensuring that you derive utility as the car owner.
Why is my tire pressure light still on after I’ve filled my tires?
Sometimes, the tire pressure light won’t go off but remain on after you’ve filled your car tires.
If there is no root cause based on the structure of the tires, then this occurrence could be due to the tire pressure monitoring system.
However, if this is not the case and one of your tires is actually leaking air, then you must proceed to repair or replace the tire in question.
Although a gauge is ideal for the inflation of your tires, you can get by without the use on one to ensure that you have an answer to the question of how to fill car tires without a gauge.
As you’ve seen in this article, you can go about this process on your own but it is ideal to have the necessary equipment in place to ensure the optimal operation of your car.