Friday, January 30, 2009

Proper tire inflation

With temperatures changing from below freezing to the 40 degree territory your tire pressure may be affected. You should take a few minutes to make sure yours are still at their normal operating pressure.
One of my tires was so far off I thought I needed an alignment because the car was pulling hard to the left. I found out one of my tires was off by 7 lbs of pressure after I had checked all of them a week prior! Air expands and condenses with changing temperatures and that is exactly what happened to me.
If you have a newer car with the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), which is standard equipment in all cars now, then you may have already seen some warnings on your dashboard. If you have summer performance tires like I do, then you have probably seen those warning lights more often. Summer performance tires are even more susceptible to the changing air temperatures. Most sports cars have summer performance tires.
To check your tire pressure:
check your owners manual or on the sidewall of your tire (most tires have a PSI rating on the tire)
head to your local gas station to use the pressure gauge on the air pump and fill your tires as needed - cost is usually less than a dollar
or stop by Rothrock's Service Department to have us do it for you - we can also inspect your car for any other issues*
Keeping your tire pressure at the proper operating levels will save you money! It will increase your gas mileage and the life of your tires.
There are only a handful of instances where you might want low tire pressure:
offroading
driving in wintery conditions
on the race track

Vehicle maintenance tips

Check that the seat belts operate properly and smoothly. Check belt wabbing for wear or damage.
Be sure all gauges - fuel, oil, temperature and battery - function properly and indicate normal levels.
Check brakes for smooth operation. Pedal should be firm and vehicle shouldn't pull to one side while stopping.
Check for steering - wheel vibration, hard steering or strange noises. If vehicle pulls to one side, have tires and alignment checked by a Nissan dealer.
Accelerator pedal should not catch or require uneven effort. Keep the floor mats away from the pedal.
Make sure, headlights, stoplights; taillights and turn signals operate properly. Check headlight aim.
Check that wipers and washers are working and do not streak.
Ensure that air or heat comes out of the defroster outlets properly and in sufficient quantity.
If the exhaust note sounds unusual or there is a smell of exhaust fumes, roll down windows and bring vehicle to a Nissan dealer immediately.
Test automatic transmission "Park" mechanism on a fairly steep hill. The vehicle should be held securely in the "P" position without applying