How Often Should You Check Your Tyre Pressure?
A practical guide to when should tyre pressure be checked for UK drivers, from the CarPal mobile tyre team.
The standard advice, and why it exists
Check your tyre pressures at least once a month, and always before a long journey. That is the recommendation from most manufacturers and road safety bodies, and it is sensible.
The reason is that tyres lose pressure naturally. Air permeates slowly through the rubber even with no puncture at all — around 1 to 2 PSI a month is completely normal. Over six months that is a tyre running 10 PSI low.
When to check more often
Before any long drive, particularly motorway journeys where sustained speed and heat make under-inflation more dangerous.
When the weather turns cold, because temperature alone will drop your pressures.
If you are carrying a heavy load or towing, because your pressures need to change for that.
If one tyre has ever had a puncture repair, keep an eye on it for a few weeks.
If you have recently kerbed a wheel, because rim damage causes slow bead leaks.
Signs you should check right now
The TPMS warning light, obviously. But also: the car pulling slightly to one side, steering feeling heavier than usual, a tyre that visibly looks flatter than its opposite number, or fuel consumption creeping up with no other explanation.
Any of those warrant a check before your next journey rather than at the end of the month.
Making it a habit
The easiest approach is to tie it to something you already do — check pressures when you fill up with fuel, or on the first weekend of each month.
Keep a digital gauge in the glovebox. It takes under four minutes for all four tyres and is more accurate than most forecourt machines.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I check my tyre pressure?
At least monthly, and before any long journey. More often in cold weather or if you have had a recent puncture.
Do tyres lose air without a puncture?
Yes. Around 1 to 2 PSI a month is normal permeation through the rubber and around the valve.
Should I check pressures before a long drive?
Always. Under-inflation is most dangerous at sustained motorway speeds because of heat build-up.
Is monthly enough in winter?
Check every two to three weeks in cold weather, since falling temperatures reduce pressure independently of any leak.
Need help with your tyres?
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Flat tyre, blowout or a tyre that keeps losing pressure? CarPal comes to you — at home, at work or the roadside — anywhere in the UK, 24 hours a day.
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