Guides · How to Check Tire Pressure
Monthly Tire Pressure Checklist
Once a month: gauge all tires, look for damage, and write down any repeat loser.
Short answer
Once a month, check every tire cold, look at valves and sidewalls, and write down anything that needed air. The record is how a slow leak becomes visible.
The calendar check is the habit TPMS does not replace. Put it with a bill-pay day or the first Saturday. Include the spare.
A tire that appears on the list two months in a row is the inspection candidate. Without notes you will forget which corner moved.
Look while you measure. A missing cap, a nail head, a cracked stem, or a curb-rashed rim is the reason next month's number will be worse.
Step-by-step
- 1Gauge all road tires and the spare.
- 2Inspect valves, caps, tread, and sidewalls.
- 3Note date, each PSI, and whether you added air.
- 4Schedule inspection if the same tire repeats.
- 5Reset TPMS only after the pressures are correct.
Common mistakes
Checking only when the light is on That is not monthly maintenance.
No notes You will forget which corner moved.
Skipping the inside rear tire That is a common miss.
Safety notes
The checklist does not make a damaged tire driveable.
FAQ
What do I write down? Date, each PSI, and whether you added air.
Is every two months enough? Monthly is the baseline. Add checks after big weather or trips.