Next to your brakes, your tires and tire pressure are arguably the most important safety feature on your Buick, Pontiac or GMC. Tires affect your vehicle’s ability to corner, brake, and also affect your vehicle’s stability.
If your tire pressure is too low then too much of the tire is touching the ground. This means two things for your tires: they will wear out sooner than they should, and they will overheat.

The first problem is pretty self-explanatory, but a tire that overheats is dangerous because it could cause the tread to separate from the tire, leaving you with an instantly bald tire and possibly a very serious accident. If you notice that your tires squeal every time you take a corner, this may indicate the pressure in your tires is too low.

Overly high tire pressure is also an issue. In this instance, the tires become bouncier because less of the tire is touching the road. If your tires are bouncing instead of remaining flat on the road, stopping distance increases and your vehicle will have less traction on the road.

Less traction means more skidding, something we want to avoid. A bouncier ride also means less comfort, so if you notice your car is bouncing around, this may be a sign of high tire pressure.

When to Check Your Tire Pressure

It’s recommended that you check your tire pressure at least once a month, or more regularly if you suspect you may a have leaky tire. Keep in mind that temperature also affects pressure; if you notice today is 10 degrees cooler than yesterday, check your tires.

Tires should be checked when the air inside the tire is at the outside air temperature. This means if you have not driven or have only driven a few miles, you are OK to check your tire pressure. If you have been on the highway for a few hours don’t pull over to check your pressure, you won’t get an accurate read. You can check tire pressure with a pressure gauge designed to fit over the valve on your tires. These gauges are relatively inexpensive and will give you an immediate reading of the tire pressure on your Buick, Pontiac or GMC car or truck.

If you’re looking for new tires for the season, visit your local Buick Pontiac GMC dealer at Lankford Auto to check out the selection and prices, or visit Lankford Auto’s website.