Can anyone let me know the correct tire pressures for my '03 9-5 Aero. The owners manual quotes 35F/33R, but the panel on the door pillar says 36F/35R for the "light load under 100 mph" category. Also, is there any downside to keeping the tires a little over the recommended pressures during everyday driving? This is the first vehicle I owned with very low profile performance tires.
TIA for any info. Peter.
I'd tend to believe the door pillar panel before the handbook. =20 I've found quite a few errors in my 9-5SE handbook.
If you don't use the recommended pressures, it is far better to have tyres slightly overinflated that underinflated. They run cooler and deform less. However, too high and they lose grip.
After a few years experimenting I now run my 9-5SE front and rear at
38psi around town and 40psi on high speed trips when loaded for holidays. I run Michelins but they are just low profile, not very low profile, so my SE pressures may not be applicable to the Aero.--=20 Regards, Peter Wilkins
I definitely agree with running the tires a bit harder than doorplate. First, you might go faster than the doorplate range. Second, the air pressure should be adjusted for ambient temperature, and the temperatures are still dropping here in the North. Third, if you get a slow leak from something, it will give you a little more rim protection and tire retention protection before the tire actually gets soft.
Regarding the owners' manual v. the doorpost, in the US at least transportation regulations make the doorpost more accurate for a given vehicle. Can't say for sure about Oz, but with regulations being harmonized globally, I'd expect it is safer for you to depend on the doorpost numbers. Too bad the dealer can't clarify this for you!
My cars are different, so it wouldn't make any sense to get into a "what's the right number" discussion with you. Just shoot for door post plus 1 or plus 2, and get them the same left and right. Also, to get this balanced condition, it will matter if you check the pressures before you drive in the morning.
Ken
Aero. The
I'd tend to believe the door pillar panel before the handbook. I've found quite a few errors in my 9-5SE handbook.
If you don't use the recommended pressures, it is far better to have tyres slightly overinflated that underinflated. They run cooler and deform less. However, too high and they lose grip.
After a few years experimenting I now run my 9-5SE front and rear at
38psi around town and 40psi on high speed trips when loaded for holidays. I run Michelins but they are just low profile, not very low profile, so my SE pressures may not be applicable to the Aero.MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.