Direct automotive answer
Where do I find the correct tire pressure?
Use the tire-and-loading label on the driver-side door area, not the maximum pressure molded on the tire sidewall. This tires and brakes answer depends on Cold pressure, Vehicle load, Original size, Temperature. Confirm each against the exact vehicle rather than assuming a class-average figure. The sections below break this down further: placard versus sidewall, checking it correctly, checking properly. 4 related follow-up questions are answered separately below, each with its own conditions attached. This site reviews every answer under a configuration-first standard, verified against NHTSA tire safety and linked to related tires and brakes questions for the adjacent decisions this one usually raises. It sits within a tires and brakes library of 8 related questions, held to the same configuration-first standard.
On the Tire and Loading Information placard, usually on the driver's door jamb. It states the vehicle manufacturer's recommended cold inflation pressures for the original tire size, front and rear.
The number moulded into the tire sidewall is the tire's maximum pressure, not the recommended pressure for your vehicle. Inflating to the sidewall figure is a common mistake.
Placard versus sidewall
They answer different questions, and only one is a recommendation.
- Placard: the vehicle manufacturer's recommended cold pressure for that vehicle
- Sidewall: the tire's maximum permitted pressure
- Front and rear pressures often differ; the placard states both
- Some placards list a separate higher pressure for full load or towing
Checking it correctly
Check when the tires are cold, before driving, or at least three hours after, because rolling heats the air and raises the reading.
Pressure also falls as ambient temperature falls, commonly about 1 psi per 10°F as a practical estimate, so winter checks matter more.
- Use your own gauge, not trusting a forecourt one
- Check monthly and before long trips
- Do not bleed pressure from warm tires to reach the placard figure
- Include the spare where the vehicle has one
Checking properly
Check cold: before driving, or at least three hours after the vehicle last moved. Heat raises indicated pressure and hides an underinflated tire, which is why a reading taken after a drive is misleading.
Include the spare. It loses pressure over time and is unmonitored on many vehicles, so a flat spare is discovered exactly when it is needed.
- Check cold: before driving or three hours after
- Do not set pressure from a warm reading
- Check monthly and whenever the weather turns
- Include the spare, which is usually unmonitored
What changes the answer
- Cold pressure
- Vehicle load
- Original size
- Temperature
Common follow-up questions
Why is the rear pressure different?
Weight distribution and load capacity differ front to rear. The placard reflects what the vehicle manufacturer determined for each axle.
What if I fitted a different tire size?
The placard applies to the original size. A different size may require different pressures: consult the tire retailer and the manufacturer's guidance.
Should I inflate to the number on the tire?
No. The sidewall number is the tire's maximum pressure. Use the figure on the driver's door jamb placard, which is the vehicle manufacturer's specification.
Why check tires cold?
Heat from driving raises indicated pressure and hides an underinflated tire. Check before driving, or at least three hours after the vehicle last moved.
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