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Maintenance and tyres , Costs and money , Know your car , Safety and breakdowns · Mis à jour le 2026-10-18

Tyre pressure and tyre rotation

Tyres are the only contact between the car and the road. Correct pressure and even wear keep the car stable, shorten braking distances, save fuel and make the tyres last longer. Checking pressure takes a few minutes and costs almost nothing, which makes it one of the best habits a driver can have.

Why pressure matters

• Safety: low pressure makes the tyre overheat and handle badly, and in the worst case it can fail at speed.
• Wear: too little pressure wears the edges, too much wears the centre.
• Fuel: soft tyres roll less easily, so the engine works harder. More in how to save fuel.
• Comfort and grip: an over-inflated tyre rides harshly and may grip less on a wet road.

Where to find the right pressure

Do not use the number printed on the tyre sidewall. That is the maximum the tyre can take, not what your car needs. The correct values are given by the car's maker, usually on a sticker on the door frame, inside the fuel flap, or in the owner's manual. There are often separate values for a normal load and a full load, and sometimes for front and rear. If you change to a different tyre size, the right value may change, so check with the tyre shop. The tyre size tool helps you understand what the numbers mean.

How to check it properly

1. Check when the tyres are cold, meaning the car has stood for a few hours or has driven only a short distance.
2. Remove the valve cap, press the gauge on the valve firmly and read the value.
3. Add air or release some until it matches the recommended value.
4. Refit the cap, which keeps dirt out of the valve.
5. Do all four tyres, and the spare if you have one.

Warm tyres show a higher reading, so if you must check at a petrol station after a drive, expect to add a little. A decent gauge of your own is cheap and better than trusting a worn public one. Many modern cars also have a pressure monitoring system with a dashboard warning. Treat that light seriously, and check with a gauge, since the system only warns when pressure is already well below the target.

How often

About once a month, and before a long trip or when you carry a heavy load. Tyres lose a little air naturally, and more when temperatures drop. A tyre that loses pressure again and again probably has a slow leak, a nail or a faulty valve; ask a tyre shop to inspect it rather than just adding air.

Look at the whole tyre

While you are there, look for cracks, bulges, cuts or objects stuck in the tread. A bulge in the sidewall is dangerous and the tyre must be replaced. Check the tread depth, as described in tyre basics. Uneven wear tells a story: wear on one edge suggests alignment problems, and patches of irregular wear can point to worn suspension or unbalanced wheels.

What is tyre rotation

The front and rear tyres often wear at different rates. On front-wheel-drive cars the front tyres, which steer and drive, usually wear faster. Rotation means moving the wheels between positions, for example front to back, so the wear evens out and all four tyres can be replaced around the same time. The pattern depends on whether the car is front-, rear- or four-wheel-drive and whether the tyres are directional, so ask the tyre shop which pattern is correct.

Is rotation necessary?

It is useful but not always done. Some makers recommend it at regular intervals, and others do not. If your tyres are different sizes front and rear, they cannot be swapped across axles. Fitting the best tyres at the rear for stability is common advice from tyre specialists, because losing rear grip is harder for most drivers to control. If you rotate, have the wheels balanced if needed, and tighten the wheel nuts properly with the right torque.

Seasonal moments

The change between winter and summer tyres is a convenient time for pressure checks, tread checks and a rotation. Store your off-season set somewhere cool, dry and out of direct sunlight, as described in winter preparation. Spring is also a good moment to check for damage that winter roads can cause.

Do not forget the spare

A spare tyre with no air is no help. Check it a few times a year, and read flat tyre and spare to know what to do before you need it. Some cars carry a repair kit instead of a spare; know where it is and how long it lasts.

Keep a log

Note the date and mileage when you rotate or replace tyres. In My Garage you can store the tyre set and set a reminder for the next check.

What to remember

• Use the pressure from the door sticker or manual, not the sidewall number.
• Check monthly, with cold tyres, including the spare.
• Repeated pressure loss means a leak that needs finding.
• Inspect for bulges, cuts and uneven wear.
• Rotate if the maker advises, using the correct pattern for your car.

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