Three Truths About Your Car Tyres
Tyres are often considered the number one safety feature on a vehicle. Thus, taking good care of your tyres is vital. As a new car owner, you're bound to come across various myths and misconceptions about the tyres. Falling for these myths can be dangerous and costly.
Here is a discussion on three common myths about car tyres.
The "Max Press" Number And Tyre Burst Pressure
Tyres come with various bits of information inscribed on their sidewalls. The "max press" (maximum pressure) and "max load" (maximum load) numbers are examples of the information referred to. Many motorists believe the false notion that the number indicated as the tyre's maximum pressure represents the pressure at which the tyre will burst should it be inflated beyond this point.
In reality, tyre manufacturers use the "max press" number to denote the recommended pressure required for a tyre to carry the maximum weight that it's designed to handle (max load). Thus, you shouldn't be worried if your tyres are inflated beyond the "max press" number when you take the new vehicle for its first service check.
Over-Inflation Of Tyres And Fuel Efficiency
Myths about fuel efficiency are perhaps the most common that you'll encounter. Of the several myths abound, the one that claims that over-inflated tyres increase gas mileage is perhaps the most prevalent.
Perhaps the prevalence of this myth is explained by the fact that under-inflated tyres reduce fuel efficiency. Therefore, it's easy for an inexperienced motorist to conclude that the opposite (over-inflated tyres) is bound to be true (would improve fuel efficiency). The truth is that cars are more complex than that and that the described view is quite simplistic.
Thanks to the widespread prevalence of this myth, the guys at popular mechanics decided to illustrate the false nature of this myth. Check out what they found out here before you think of driving around with over-inflated tyres.
Nitrogen-Filled Tyres And Fuel Efficiency
Pure nitrogen can be used to inflate vehicle tyres instead of using compressed air. Nitrogen is most commonly used for this purpose in race cars and on aircraft.
There are various advantages associated with using nitrogen for tyre inflation. For example, the pressure of pure nitrogen remains fairly constant even with temperature fluctuations. This means that your tyres will maintain more consistent inflation temperatures if they're full of nitrogen instead of compressed air.
However, there's no inherent connection between the nitrogen-inflated tyres and your vehicle's fuel efficiency. Pure nitrogen is available at many car service centres. However, if you ever decide to pump nitrogen into your tyres, don't do it expecting an increase in fuel efficiency.
