Patrick Hyundai Explains: How colder weather affects your tires

How colder weather affects your tires

Monday, 15 November, 2021

With the temperatures dropping in Chicagoland, keeping an eye on various aspects of your car’s performance is incredibly important, but you may wonder how this colder weather can affect your vehicle’s tires. In our latest blog, we at Patrick Hyundai will outline some of the ways the colder temperatures will affect your tires.

If you notice your vehicles’ tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) going off more during the winter, it’s probably because air contracts when it’s cold. This causes the pressure within your car’s tires to drop between one to two PSI for every 10 degree drop in the temperature. These kinds of things are important to measure because as it gets colder, you could potentially see your TPMS light illuminate more and more as the seasons go on.

Underinflated tires can lead to tire failure, this is due to added tire stress and irregular wear on the tire. We at Patrick Hyundai recommend checking your tire pressure more frequently during the fall and winter months. If you see your tire pressure dropping due to colder weather, it’s recommended to refill your tire’s air pressure to manufacturer’s recommendations.

However, it is also important to note that you shouldn’t overinflate your tires just because temperatures are dropping to try and compensate. It is still important to fill your tire’s pressure to the manufacturer’s recommendations as those recommendations were developed so that your vehicle can perform the best.

Low tire pressure can also lead to increased stopping time and poor fuel economy as well. However, if you’re noticing that your vehicle’s tire pressure is still dropping even when temperatures rise, you could have other issues with the tire such as a slow leak, or other issues with the tire. For all your tire-related and service needs, give Patrick Hyundai a call at 847-230-8221 or click here to schedule an appointment.