tire pressure

I'd say at least every two weeks.

I check mine about twice a year, Michelins loose the least amount of air in a test I saw. So it depends on how fast yours loose air

Wow, twice a year? I check mine at every gas up.

Same here. If one tire is 5 or 10 pounds low and the others are consistent, you can bet that you have puncture or a loose bead, either of which needs to be taken care of.

Temperature variations can also play a role. Even if you don't do it every fill-up, I would consider once a month a very minimum for safety.

Pat

If you have to check them that often think about new tires, I wonder if anybody checking them every month or less has Michelins.

I have steel rims but I have had alloy rims that deteriorated and leaked, I had fair luck having the tires removed the bead cleaned with a wire brush on a drill and sealed, but once alloy wheels start to leak they are nothing but trouble. If I had leaking alloy rims I would call a few tire places and try to get someone confident thay could fix the problem.

runsrealfast wrote:

========================== If you're checking them at all, you've got the right idea. First, you should have an accurate tire gauge. See:

dial gauge is much more accurate than the "pencil" gauge which caneasily be several pounds off.To my mind, running accurate tire pressure is one of the simplest waysyou can improve your vehicle's performance.I'm seeking to balance tire wear, compliant ride qualities and handling- braking. I tried something like fifteen or more slight pressure variations before settling on the final numbers, which wound up with more pressure in front than in the rear. At slightly lower pressures, the car didn't seem to roll freely enough coasting up to a stop and cornering response while softer could be termed "mushy", yet I didn't like the harsher ride over road irregularities at higher pressures so I experimented with many different combinations. Ever see race car pit crews with tire pyrometers measuring temperature across the face of the tread to see how best to change pressure? It does make a difference. I check the engine oil, and look at the translucent reservoirs under the hood (brake and power steering), as well as check tire pressure weekly - Saturday mornings. If the first tire pressure reading is good, I visually check the others but leave them unchanged. Temperature changes will cause the tire pressure to change, so I always check them in the morning. That way if I'm driving the car at night, when it's cool, the tires are at the correct pressure, and in the daytime when it can be hot, the tires have somewhat more pressure, not less. If the tires are losing pressure, you will see a trend - and first check the tightness of the tire valve. Usually, the pressure just changes very slightly based on whether the weather is warmer or cooler. Just check the tires at an interval with which you're comfortable. I suspect many people never check their tires - only if the mechanic does so at oil change intervals, so whenever you check them independently it's an improvement. I have a small air compressor powered by the cigarette lighter, so adding air is simple, and then the separate pressure gauge I use has a "bleed valve" so tiny amounts of air can be released to achieve precisely the correct reading.

A few years ago I researched this very question and found on the Tire Manufacturers website that:

1. Air pressures should be set at the auto manufacturers recommended pressures. These can be found in the owners manual or on an information tag on the inside of the driver's door jam. These pressures were determined by the auto manufacturer based on the best vehicle handling characteristics.
2. The pressures should be checked every 250 miles.

This has worked for all my cars. Lex

Just curious, what is the deal with the Michelins? I have had Michelin tires, don't remember the model, but I do remember a leaking tire from a bad bead, though it may have been the wheel instead of the tire causing this.

I would assume that they are not puncture-proof. I had a non-Michelin tire with a nail puncture that was losing about one pound of pressure a week. Waiting half a year to check the tires would have let almost all of the air out, though I would have noticed it long before that.

My last 5 tires replacements have all been from different manufacturers and they have all worked basically the same since I always buy a sticky summer performance tire that handles very well and wears out quickly. None were Michelin and none leaked air at the bead, only when I picked up nails and screws.

I am going to trust a tire from Yokohama, Toyo, Falken, Pirelli, Hankook, Bridgestone, or any other major players in the tire market as much as a Michelin as far as losing air.

Pat

I dont know the reason, it might have been a Consumer Reports test that noted of what they tested Michelin leaked the least. I think the real issue is alloy rims, when they corrode they pit, I had a set that on one tire I had to fill it every week.

At that rate I'd be checking my tire pressures twice a week.