posted September 21, 2002 06:01 AM         

Look for the placard on your vehicle. The placard, among many things, tells the original tire size, the original wheel size, and the proper inflation pressure for that tire size on that vehicle. The placard is usually located on a doorpost or in the glove box. I like to use 3 to 5 psi above the placard. I get better fuel economy, better tire wear, better wet traction, better snow traction, better steering response, better tire durability, and only give up a bit of ride harshness.

"They" say you should check your tire pressures once a month. Don't trust the guys at the shop to do it. These guys are paid by the hour and this is one of the easiest things to shortcut. Besides, there are a lot of mechanics you don't know where to look for the proper inflation. No, it is not on the sidewall.

Buy yourself a tire gauge - a $5.00 pencil gauge works just fine, but I prefer the pistol grip digitals because they are remarkably accurate. The check takes all of 5 minutes and it is the cheapest safety check you can make.

Hope this helps.