How to check your car's tyre pressure
Correct tyre pressures help your car brake and steer properly and stop tyres wearing out early. It takes five minutes at home or on a petrol station forecourt.
- Time
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 6
- Checked
What you’ll need
- Tyre pressure gauge Search Amazon for digital tyre pressure gauge
- Foot pump, 12V compressor or a forecourt air machine Search Amazon for 12v tyre inflator
- Your car's handbook (or the pressure label on the car)
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Safety first
- Under-inflated tyres affect braking and steering, wear out faster, use more fuel and can overheat and fail at speed.
- If your tyre pressure warning light comes on, check the pressures as soon as it's safe to stop. If a tyre is visibly flat, don't drive on it.
- Don't rely on forecourt gauges always being accurate. Your own gauge gives consistent readings.
Step by step
-
Step 1: Find the right pressure for your car
The correct pressures are in your vehicle handbook and usually on a sticker inside the driver's door frame or the fuel filler flap. They're given in PSI and bar, often with different figures for the front and rear, and for a normal load versus a fully loaded car. Don't use the maximum pressure printed on the tyre wall.
Next: step 2 -
Step 2: Check when the tyres are cold
Check before you've driven far, ideally less than two miles. Warm tyres give a higher, misleading reading. If you're using a petrol station air machine, choose one nearby.
Next: step 3 -
Step 3: Take the reading
Unscrew the valve cap and keep it somewhere safe. Press the gauge firmly and squarely onto the valve so there's no hissing, and read the pressure.
Next: step 4 -
Step 4: Add or let out air
If it's low, add air in short bursts, checking as you go. If it's too high, press the small pin in the centre of the valve (most gauges have a nub for this) to let air out, then check again.
Next: step 5 -
Step 5: Do all four, and the spare
Repeat on every tyre, and check the spare if you have one. Screw the valve caps back on: they keep dirt and moisture out of the valve.
Next: step 6 -
Step 6: Look the tyres over
While you're there, look for cuts, bulges, lumps and objects stuck in the tread, and check the tread depth. Remove any stones from the tread.
Tips
- TyreSafe recommends checking at least once a month and before a long journey. The Highway Code suggests weekly checks.
- Increase the pressures to the handbook's 'full load' figure when carrying lots of passengers or luggage, or towing a caravan or trailer.
- If one tyre keeps losing pressure, it probably has a slow puncture. Get it checked at a tyre centre.
When to call a professional
Visit a tyre centre if a tyre has a bulge, cut or exposed cord, keeps losing air, or you've hit a kerb or pothole hard. A puncture in the main tread area can often be professionally repaired. Damage to the sidewall can't.
Questions people ask
What PSI should my tyres be?
It depends on your car and load. Check the handbook or the sticker in the door frame or fuel flap.
Should I check tyre pressure hot or cold?
Cold, before driving more than a couple of miles. Warm tyres read higher.
Do I still need to check if my car has a pressure warning system?
Yes. Warning systems typically only alert you once pressure has dropped significantly. Regular checks catch problems earlier.
Sources
Checked 9 October 2026. We wrote this guide in our own words, using:
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Printed from howtoguides.uk/guides/how-to-check-tyre-pressure/ · Checked 9 October 2026 · General information only. For gas, electrics, structural work, medical, legal or money decisions, use a qualified professional.