How To Read My Tires and How Do They Affect My Gas Mileage?

With gas prices at an all time high and no sign of relief in sight, we are all looking for ways to save at the pump.  In an earlier blog, 5 Steps To Decrease Fuel in Your Truck or Van, we explored ways to save money on fuel costs.  In this blog, we will dive further into your tires and how to squeeze the most out of them.  

1. Learn how to read your tires.  You can learn alot from the information on your tires, but how much of that relates to better fuel consumption?  Plenty!  You definitely want to make sure you have the correct service type of tire on your vehicle.  As far as the width, you will naturally get better gas mileage with narrower tires because there is less resistance, so go with the narrowest tire recommended for your vehicle. In Northern climates, snow tires and all weather tires will be wider, but probably worth the difference.  Tire height can also make a difference.  Shorter tires will get better gas mileage around town, but bigger tires are better on the highway.  For safety more than mileage reasons, you always want to stay within the load range of the vehicle you drive and the cargo you carry.  
2. Proper inflation is a must!  You don't want to over inflate or under inflate your tires.  Either extreme can cost money and be dangerous.  According to the U.S. Department of Energy, You can improve your gas mileage by 0.6% on average—up to 3% in some cases—by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by about 0.2% for every 1 psi drop in the average pressure of all tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer.  The proper tire pressure for your vehicle is usually found on a sticker in the driver's side door jamb or the glove box and in your owner's manual. Do not use the maximum pressure printed on the tire's sidewall.  Don't rely solely on your tire pressure monitoring system to do the work, as it will usually only let you know when the air in your tire reaches 25 percent below where it's supposed to be.  If you want your car to get the best gas mileage it can, make a habit of checking your tire pressure once a month.  
3. Make sure you have the correct tread for your driving conditions.  If you drive a 4x4 that has never been off the pavement, changes are you have large, chunky, off road tires.  You might be able to save significantly at the gas pump by changing to a smaller, slicker, road tire.  And you need to keep up with the regular balancing and rotating of your tires to ensure even wear.  A good rule of thumb is to rotate the tires every other oil change, depending on your car.  And when the tread is wearing thin on your car, replace those tires.  Your motor and brakes will have to work harder to start and stop a car with bad tires. 

Tires are often the most forgotten part on a car, but neglect for long can have huge, and costly, consequences down the road.  If you'd like to speak to someone in our service department with questions about your bus or van, you can Contact Service to get the conversation started.