Blog

Whatever the season and road conditions, having properly pressurized tires is an essential part of a safe, smooth ride in your vehicle. Luckily, it's easy to check tire pressure at home, and by following these step-by-step instructions you can do it yourself! And if you do find your tire pressure is off, then never fear: a quick trip to your local Kia dealer to fill your tires back up to the correct pressure is all you need. Read on for our easy guide on checking your tire pressure at home. 1. Get a Tire Pressure Gauge (If You Don't Already Have One) The first step to being able to check your own tire pressure is to get a tire pressure gauge! This is a small tool that will allow you to accurately read how pressurized your tires are. You can pick these up at any gas station or auto parts store. more 2. Find Out What the Recommended Tire Pressure Is for Your Vehicle Next, you'll want to know what number you should be looking for when measuring your tire pressure! To find out what your vehicle's recommended tire pressure is, you can look at the sticker on the inside of the driver's side door. Usually, a vehicle's recommended tire pressure is written here, measured in psi (pounds per square inch). If you can't find the recommended tire pressure written down on this sticker, you can also find it on your vehicle's manual, or by searching online! 3. Wait Until Your Tires Have "Cooled Down" You should check your tire pressure when the tires are "cool," and not right after driving, which heats them up and affects the reading. Wait a few hours after driving to check your tire pressure for an accurate reading. 4. Remove the Cap from the Air Valve Next, remove the cap from the air valve on the tire you want to check. Make sure you store this somewhere safe, so you don't lose it! 5. Use and Read Your Tire Pressure Gauge Take your tire pressure gauge and push it into the now-uncapped air valve on the tire you are checking. It's normal to hear a hiss of air when you first do this, but you should push the gauge in tight enough that this hissing stops! Your tire pressure gauge should now show you (either digitally or via a moving measuring stick at the bottom, depending on the type of gauge) what your tire pressure is. Note this number and remove the gauge from the air valve. 6. Compare Your Reading to the Recommended Tire Pressure Now, compare your reading to what is recommended. If your reading is higher than recommended, your tires are overinflated. If your reading is lower, they are underinflated and may need some more air. 7. Repeat for Each Tire Simply repeat these steps for each of your vehicle's tires! Get Tires Serviced in Lanham, MD Today That's all there is to it! If you've followed these steps and noticed that your vehicle's tire pressure isn't at the recommended level, just come on down and visit us at DARCARS Lanham Kia and our team of trusted mechanics will have your tires back in perfectly-pressurized shape in no time!

The only part of your car that's in contact with the ground is your tires. This contact, whether on gravel, sand, or the highway, leads to friction and damage. Modern tires are far stronger than those of just 30 years ago, but they will still wear out. A blowout could leave you stranded, or even worse, it could cause a serious accident. If you need new tires in Maryland, as your old ones are showing signs of wear, your Kia dealer in Lanham can help. The Penny Trick Your tire tread is the raised section of your tires, and its purpose is to allow for a better grip on the surface as you drive. This is important to maintain good control and handling and is even more important in wet or snowy conditions. As your tires move, they gradually wear due to surface contact. The tread thickness will start to thin out, and the thinner the tread, the less grip your tires have. An old trick to test tread thickness is to put an upside-down penny into the thinnest part of the tread. If you can see only part of Lincoln's face, that's great as your tire tread is fine. Seeing Lincoln's hairline means that your tire tread is thin, and it's time to plan for replacement. If you can see the top of Lincoln's head, the tread is very worn, and they need to be replaced immediately. more Uneven Wear Depending on whether your car is an FWD, RWD, or AWD, your car's tires will suffer different degrees of wear. Your rear tires will generally wear less than the front ones as approximately 60% of the weight of your car is in the front. We advise that your car's tires should be regularly rotated to spread the wear and allow for a more standard tread thickness between tires. If your tires are not rotated regularly, you'll find that driving becomes bumpier. Any worn tires will wear out faster and need to be replaced. The worn tires will also affect your car's balance. Damaged Sidewalls The sidewalls of your tires are made of a softer rubber than the tread of your tires. This makes them more prone to damage. Small scrapes or nicks in the sidewall aren't normally a problem, as they don't penetrate deep into the tire. Any cut or gouge in the sidewall, however, can grow in size and cause a leak. Any sharp object that sticks into the sidewall also can’t be fixed, as the softer rubber prevents applying a patch. Bulging or blistering in the sidewall can be caused by age as the rubber weakens through time, or due to persistent hot conditions. If you have a bulge in the sidewall, the tire will need to be replaced ASAP as it can burst at any time. Need New Tires in Lanham, MD? Get Tires and Expert Installation Here For safe driving, good tires are essential. Call our Service Department at DARCARS Lanham Kia. We have the perfect tires available for your car.