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Spare Tire Pressure

Read the spare's own label. Compact spares are often much higher than the road tires.

Short answer

The spare has its own recommended pressure, often printed on the spare itself or in the owner manual. A compact donut is commonly much higher than the road-tire door-label number. Check it monthly. A dead spare turns a puncture into a tow.

People copy the road-tire PSI onto the spare and leave it soft for years. A compact spare that needs 60 PSI and is sitting at 25 PSI is not ready. Read the spare's marking.

Some TPMS systems ignore the spare. Others complain about it. Either way, the spare still needs air before you need it on a dark shoulder.

If you carry a full-size spare, it usually follows the door-label road-tire number unless the spare says otherwise. Confirm. After you use the spare, treat the speed and distance limits on a compact spare as real.

Step-by-step

  1. 1Find the spare and read its own pressure marking.
  2. 2Measure it with a gauge.
  3. 3Inflate to the spare's number, not a guess from the road tires.
  4. 4Check the spare during the monthly routine.
  5. 5After you use it, follow the compact-spare speed and mileage limits.

Common mistakes

Using the road-tire label on a donut The numbers are often very different.

Never checking it Spares leak too.

Driving a donut like a regular tire Limits exist for a reason.

Safety notes

A compact spare is a temporary tire. It is not for highway weekends.

FAQ

Where is the spare PSI written? On the spare sidewall or in the manual. Sometimes also on the door label as a second line.

Does the car warn me if the spare is low? Often no.

Related next steps

Tire pressure calculatorCompare the door-label target with the gauge reading.Gas station pumpAdd air after you already know the target.Tire pressure lightCheck tires before you reset TPMS.Find the target PSIUse the door label, not the sidewall.